Today I took out the big camera for the first time since my accident in January. It wasn't much of a day, dark and drizzly. But it was possible to get some some better pictures.
A Coal Tit looked expectant in the Flower Walk.
A Chaffinch followed me from there halfway to the Round Pond.
A Wren hopped around in the bushes below the Triangle car park.
It was unsettled by a Magpie above in a tree.
This Song Thrush is often seen on the lawn under the Henry Moore statue.
A pair of Stock Doves perched in a tree near the Speke obelisk.
Redwings were chattering all over the area.
The returfing operation on the Parade Ground has spread down to the place where the Hyde Park Redwings usually feed, and they had been scared off into the tall plane trees beside Rotten Row.
This Common Gull with unusually deep yellow legs likes to perch on a notice near the Dell restaurant.
One of our regular visitors from Poland, the Common Gull T8YT.
Alan Gibson, who records gull rings, reported two Norwegian Common Gulls here, but they only have metal rings and I haven't been able to see them.
There are two pairs of Great Crested Grebes on the Serpentine and one pair on the Long Water. This pair, resting just on the Serpentine side of the bridge, will probably move just the other side of the bridge where there is a good nest site under an overhanging oak.
This pair will probably nest on the island, where they were displaying.
With the big camera it was possible to get a much better close-up of the Little Grebe in the Italian Garden ...
... and without it I couldn't have got a decent picture of a Buff-Tailed Bumblebee on the paperbush in the Flower Walk. Insect shots are done at full zoom from 8ft (2.5m) away, the minimum distance for the 200-600mm zoom lens. This arrangement has the advantage that you don't disturb the insect.
A Grey Squirrel enjoyed the sweet sap in leaf buds.
Great to read of your recovery Ralph, and enjoying the re-enhanced mix of shots though I hadn't felt anything missing hitherto. Jim
ReplyDeleteThere were some subjects that I couldn't photograph with the little camera, so I didn't. And often the resolution was a bit coarse, even when reduced to 1600 x 1200 pixels.
DeleteHow did the tour lugging the big camera go? Did you notice anything amiss later?
ReplyDeleteI love me some magpies, but they truly are a nuisance for small birds. That Wren looks frantic with worry,
Tinúviel
No problems. Luckily my feeble arms still seem to be working well enough to hold the big camera steady.
DeleteI think Wrens always look frantic.