AT LAST,  A LITTLE SUN, SO OUT TO TRY THE NEW LENS.

Those of you that follow my blog on a regular basis will have noticed that last weeks blog never appeared, this was due to a mixture of things. Tree Surgeons at home for a couple of days, a builder doing some work on the house and workshop roofs but mainly cloudy weather.  I set out on Monday the 5th of December to get out for an hour or two after lunch but after getting a few miles from home {where we had the sun was shining} it became evident that it was going to be very misty and murky where I was heading, so I about turned and returned home.

I decided that I would go out on our normal Thursday outing, even though Richard was unavailable due to family duties, so I left home at approx 12.00 hrs and headed for our normal Little Owl route with my eventual destination being Eyebrook Reservoir. On my outbound trip I passed all the usual sites and not until Little Owl Site No. 9 where I stopped for my lunch did I see a bird, whilst eating my sandwiches and when the sun came out, a second bird showed in the nest hole which was great to see that we still had a pair in residence. I then turned back towards site No 8 where when I was passing on my way in, a gent was walking down the road with his dog so I carried on by, not wanting to give away the site but also he was likely to have spooked the bird. On my return I eventually spotted the bird and after letting the car roll backwards so I could get a shot between the branches managed an image. I carried on past the remaining site but saw no more birds and so I headed for Eyebrook to what if any goodies were about. 

I arrived at the bridge to have a look for the elusive Kingfisher, I must admit to having seen one during the afternoon but it never stopped, I just saw the blue flash come from under the bridge as it passed by. I only managed a few images during the afternoon but it has certainly showed me what this lens will be capable of achieving. What didn't help was a shoot going on close by but with the shortage of light I really hadn't got time to go else where. 

On my return trip I again passed the Little Owl sites and managed another three birds, one at Site No. 6 and two at Site No. 5, no images were taken at 5 but I managed some at 6 even though the light was virtually gone. So all in all Little Owl wise this proved a very successful outing with 6 birds seen, this being my best outing for a considerable time.  

LITTLE OWLS.

8th December.

Little Owl Site No. 9.

This is the view of the nest hole when I arrived for my lunch, just the one bird visible. 

Then the sun came out and the second bird became visible. The sun was very variable all afternoon, shining one minute and then gone for a while.

Little Owl Site No. 6.

Just a single bird seen here and the light was fading very quickly. Lucky to get an image at all.

Little Owl Site No. 8.

This is the site I returned to after passing a gent walking his dog at the site. I eventually managed to find the bird and after some moving of the car managed to get this image without many branches in the way.

 EYEBROOK RESERVOIR.

8th December.

Great Spotted Woodpecker, Adult Male.


As much as I don't like taking Images of birds on feeders, this bird just came in and landed on the feeder and then flew away, only to return again and land on the feeder, unfortunately not in the tree. The other thing being the bird was just over 18 metres away.
Unfortunately I had turned the ISO down, this was an error for this lens it appears.

Chaffinch, Adult Male.

Again in the same area but above the feeders so a similar distance.

Redwing.

This bird upon checking the distance was 56 metres away so delighted with the results, they are such a pretty bird and we have them in large numbers so far this year, 

This bird was 79 metres away and high up in the tree, Just getting ready to fly away. 

Second shot in the burst and away it flies, lucky capture.

 

Fieldfare.

This again a long shot at over 50 metres, again reasonably pleased with the result.

RED KITES.

STOCKERSTON VILLAGE.

These birds had been disturbed by the shoot going on earlier, but as the light was failing I managed a few images. These I am not that pleased with as these birds were only 20 metres  from me and I was really expecting better, especially after the Redwing image at 50 metre + away, I really am not sure as to what I did wrong, any ideas anybody.  

I then thought I would try a really long shot.

238,900 miles.

Again an image I'm reasonably pleased with, my best of the moon ever, but I had to put in minus 4.7 EV to achieve it.




Thank you for your visit, I hope you have enjoyed the images as much as I did in the getting of them.
Please remember that this was a very experimental visit for me and the lens.