Nature Blog: September in Photos
This month’s photography started off slow. For the first two weeks I found very little motivation or time to go out and take photos, and then when I did eventually head out, I just couldn’t find anything to photograph! Instead my camera has held a few desperate photos of things that I thought were birds. Mesmerising.
I Persevered
Perseverance is a tough skill to learn, it is much like building up a muscle: You have to keep at it and keep going even when you can’t see any results or don’t feel like you’re making much progress. Carrying on even at those times, when you don’t feel like you’re even close to a win, is usually what it takes to make something happen. Success is a funny word, and one I’ve been thinking about a lot in the last few months. Personally, I think it’s all too easy to only see the success in a certain type of result: the end one. Meanwhile, the work that we do to get that result is usually overlooked. These are the things we don’t post to Instagram or share with our friends. It’s the the tiny breakthroughs, the bouncing back from failures. It’s finally understanding something or finding a system that has taken you months if not years to figure out. It’s the act of using sheer will-power to look any defeat, great or small, straight in the face and say “This sucks, but I’ll keep going”.
The Derelict Building
It took until September 20th for me to have a photo shoot that I could firmly say I was happy with. It was a Sunday and so a day off for me, and I spent part of it walking around near the coast with my Sisters, Nieces and a Nephew. I didn’t bring my camera, so of course I saw all the birds! It was then that my sister pointed out a nearby derelict building, once used as accommodation for the Navy which has since left the area. I could see birds flying to and from wall-less rooms, so I headed back towards it later that day - camera in hand this time around.
Here are some of my favourite shots:
Settings like this really make me think outside the box in terms of composition. As I watched the pigeons fly to and from their ledges, I noticed their in-flight shadows so spent a bit of time trying to capture these. I am happy with the shots I got of this, but would like to return to see if I can get some more. (pigeon shadows)
By chance I saw this composition as I was walking away from this side of the site. Thankfully I did see it, because it’s one of my favourite shots of the month!
As I was about to move on to another location, I looked up and saw a welcome sight - a Sparrowhawk! I stuck around to see if there would be any action, but instead it disappeared behind a building. An exciting sight nonetheless!
When I did move on, I ended up photographing more birds, in another unlikely location - a semi-abandoned construction site. Here are some of the shots:
I’ve always enjoyed photographing nature living and growing in unlikely places, in fact it was a portfolio of this kind that got me into university! It feels good to be creating more images of this nature.
Campsite Toilets - A Conservation Opportunity?
During the last week of September my Dad came down for a few days holiday. Although colder weather was approaching he was brave enough to stay in a “nearly-wild” campsite nearby. I opted for my bed (because I love sleep) although I did go with him to the campsite. No sooner had we gotten out of the car, did we hear several alarm calls. Looking up we saw a massive dog-fight of birds! This turned out to be 5 crows mobbing 2 Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk, all in close proximity to eachother.
Most of the birds soon disappeared, except for one of the Kestrels who swooped down and landed on top of the eco-toilet in the campsite’s field. While Dad go on with setting up camp, I spent a good 15 minutes stalking this particular bird as it went from perch to perch.
It got me thinking, should we be making nature reserves that consist of loads of campsite toilets? Because so far I’ve seen some amazing sightings either in, on or around these shacks. Watching moths on a campsite in Uist is a memory that sticks out most of all, since while I was doing this I met eyes with a low-circling Short-earred Owl that was doing exactly the same thing as me (though for very different reasons)!
Six-Hundred Swans
Before heading off to Sussex for a few days (the last chance before another lockdown?) Dad and I headed out to take some photos and find some wildlife. We couldn’t quite work out where to go, but blagged it and ended up at Abbotsbury Swannery. I haven’t been to this historic Swan-sanctuary since I was a toddler! We were overwhelmed by the sight (and smell) of around 600 swans. This is the only place in the world where you can visit such a huge flock, and these are the only flock that are managed through-out the year (more info about the history of this linked here).
We arrived quite close to feeding time, so they were already grouped together. Photographing them was a bit of a challenge! Yes okay, they’re all there and easy to see, but where to point the camera? Which of the many swan heads should be the focus? While most wildlife photography leaves you with not enough choice, in this case, I had too much.
Still, I am happy to have a collection of images that I think work well. I’d love to know what you think!
Knepp Again
Yes, I am obsesses with this wilderness project. I started reading Wilding last year and it’s been a bit of a sporadic read, with about a third left for me to get through at present. What a read it is though! There’s some incredible facts and stories in this book. Prompted by this visit, I’ve picked it up again and hope to finish it in the next few weeks, assuming I don’t get distracted by another Discworld or Sci-Fi novel!
Rutting season is now upon us, and so finding all the Red Deer stags we could was of course the aim. We ticked this box within 5 minutes thanks to the parking attendant who informed us that a Stag had just crossed the main driveway. Thankfully she did, because he would have been nearly impossible to spot if she hadn’t!
We found about 4 other stags after that, including the one to beat - who appeared to be missing an eye!
Despite the epic-ness of the Stags, my highlight of the day was seeing an animal I didn’t really thing we would see - The Tamworth Pigs! These were introduced to the area to fill the role of Wild Boar, and they were perfectly demonstrating this role - by wallowing in the mud!
I’m thrilled with these back-lit photos. Never would have guessed photographing back-lit pigs would be one of my favourite things ever, but it was!
Other species highlights were a Greater-spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Buzzard, Red Kite, a Peregrine Falcon, the last two of which I’ve never seen there before, but recently read have bred there in the last few years. The Exmoor ponies were, as always, a treat to see.
That’s all from me for this month’s photo-update!
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