Grey wagtail

For a few days we scattered live meal worms on a pebble shore of the river and provided a small plastic box packed with more. The local pair of Grey wagtails soon started to show an interest and started to visit frequently. We then set up a series of props. Rocks, logs and branches all with the plastic box screwed on behind out of view. Over several days we got many pictures in different settings.

The Grey wagtail is a good example of a bird I do not like to photograph in bright sunshine. The pale yellow colour burns out easily in the sun. They looked much better on bright cloudy days and even worked well in the rain.

Grey wagtail, Motacilla cinerea, single male by water, Warwickshire, April 2016

Grey heron

Every spring I try to visit the London parks as they have a lot of tame, approachable wildlife. The Grey herons at Regents Park are exceptional. The nest that has been very viewable  in recent years does not appear to be in use. At least there was no sign of young and no birds were incubating eggs. This pair did land on it from time to time, but were taking nesting sticks from it to a higher nest near by. From time to time they did display and almost mated.

Grey heron, Ardea cinerea, two birds on nest, Regents Park, London, April 2016. Canon EOS 1dx. 800mm lens. 800 iso. 1/800th at f10.

Long-tailed tit

Almost every spring I have a go at Long-tailed tits collecting feathers. They are very reliable feather collectors. If you provide them, they will take them. On the other hand they do not pose well for long so I was using a high iso and fast shutter speeds.

Long-tailed tit, Aegithalos caudatus, single bird taking a feather, Warwickshire, April 2016. Canon 1dx. 800mm lens. 3200 iso. 1/2500th at f5.6. From a hide.