WREN-FRENDOWN-MARCH 2011

The Wren is a tiny bird with brown plumage. Widespread and quite common throughout the UK. This bird feeds fairly low in bushes and presents a challenge to photograph. Beautiful warbling song with a rattling alarm call. Some of these shots were taken in my back garden during early spring. I feel I should spend some more time photographing these birds as they are right on my doorstep. !! A challenge for the future

FIRECREST- RSPB ARNE- SEPT 2011

The Firecrest vies with its cousin the Goldcrest as the UK's smallest bird. They are certainly very similar and both favour similar habitat. The Firecrest is by far the rarest of the two. I can find Goldcrests without too many problems. The Firecrest has been a real challenge and these shots are one of my highlights of 2011. I have followed up any Firecrest sighting on local blogs without success. I was aware they have been seen wintering at RSPB Arne. By chance I was sat on a bench when I noticed a Firecrest on a berry tree almost within touching distance.I saw a few more searching through thick bushes. I decided to place out a few perches and waited in hope. Amazingly a male bird landed on one of these perches while providing me with some excellent photographic opportunities. I was almost at eye level which was a real bonus. I doubt I will get a better opportunity to get such clean shots.

ROBIN-NEW FOREST NATIONAL PARK-APRIL 2011

The Robin redbreast is a common sight in woodland and gardens alike. Whilst attempting to attract the Redstarts down from the canopy with live mealworms I discovered that every other woodland bird was very quick to take advantage of a free and easy mealworm or two !! The Robin had the ability to collect up all offerings as quickly as I could put them down. Some shots include the friendly garden Robins who nested in the garden shed, and are hand tame. They will quite happily stay on the hand while feeding on mealworms.

REDSTART (Male)- NEW FOREST NATIONAL PARK-APRIL 2011

The male Redstart is particularly attractive with black and grey on head and back, and red breast. To photograph this handsome bird in good light was indeed a highlight of 2011. These shots were taken at two locations in the New Forest, I found the male bird to be more flighty than the hen bird, infact, the hen bird came so close at times I couldn't focus the camera. Not a bird you would generally see unless you made a determined effort to track it down. It is fairly widespread throughout the forest.

REDSTART (Hen)- NEW FOREST NATIONAL PARK-APRIL 2011

The Redstart was a target to photograph during 2011. They are a summer visitor to the UK arriving in April and favour woodland habitat with the New Forest being a good place to see these delightful birds. Local knowledge and good information enabled me to identify a number of good locations from where i could see and photograph these birds. I was fortunate enough to get some excellent close views of both male and female birds. I doubt I will ever get a better opportunity to photograph these birds at such close quarter so I've entered the male and female separately.

REED WARBLER-BLASHFORD LAKES-MAY 2011

The Reed Warbler is one of those birds that is always heard but rarely seen. A summer visitor to the UK and fairly common around good areas of reed beds. The male will sing continuously as it delivers a grating, chattering song from within the reed beds. I have spent many frustrating occasions waiting for a good clean photographic opportunity. My luck changed during a visit to the Ivy South Hide in early May. A pair of Reed Warblers had decided to nest in reeds close to the hide. The male bird was very active claiming its patch. It showed very well during a number of visits in early May. Thereafter, it remained very elusive and stayed within the sanctuary of the reed beds.