2012 - Big Change, Little Time

So if you thought you had read your last 2012 Review Blog Post you were wrong, you haven't! I shall try and keep it short and most hopefully sweet. As many of you may have read 2012 has been a weird old year for me, moving the family home in March and April has brought far more photographic opportunities with a wide range of species alongside the River in Longparish, Hampshire, and although this is a plus and a positive for the year, leaving behind the home and country estate that you've spent the past 25 years of your life is a little sad.

2012 started badly for me with the loss of Paddy our 6 year old Springer Spaniel, and this wasn't the end of the pet related deaths as in July we lost Sweep our 3 year old Cocker Spaniel both to horrible freak accidents when out walking. As well as several close relatives and family friends. Not a year to remember!

But enough of the personal trauma. What about the wildlife? 

Well most of the early part of 2012 was spent trying to catch up with the Short Eared Owls of Bransbury Common. Usually unsuccessfully, although 2012 was an abundant wintering year for them. (11 counted one day by another birder) I still never really got close enough to get any shots I was happy with. Although watching 4 SEO's and 2 Barn Owls hunting together at the same time was pretty special. Definitely on the list for this years early expeditions, especially now as Bransbury Common is part of my new patch. I just hope the heavy rain from the past few months drains through pretty quickly.

January - Short Eared Owl (Barton Stacey, Hants)

With moving in full flow come March and April, photography trip time was at a premium and I had to make sure I made the most of my jaunts to see my girlfriend Nat in Shropshire, I had one especially cracking weekend where all the birds I wanted to see appeared and appeared well, a couple of firsts for me. Great Grey Shrike, Common Crossbill, Red Grouse, Dipper & some really close Red Kites.

March - Red Grouse (The Long Mynd, Shrops)

By May things were more settled at home, and the garden was starting to get up to scratch. Allowing a lot more time to be spent wandering the riverbank, footpaths and water meadows of the new patch. Also enjoying some time with the local Brown Hare population.

May - Brown Hare (Longparish, Hants)

Early June was a bumper month for me and my camera, a weeks holidaying in coastal Pembrokeshire brought some great birding opportunities and a chance to visit Skomer. A must for anyone with any interest in Sea Birds. A pretty special day was spent in the company of Puffins, Razorbills & Guillemots.

Early June - Puffin (Skomer, Pembs)

With the delights of Wales a distant memory, I started to dedicate a lot of time waiting for the local Barn Owl, who took up residence in the field next to the new house. Countless hours were spent trying to anticipate the best angle the best light and the Owl's next whereabouts. My best photograph however came on the way back from Cricket Nets, spotting Barnie out in the field I ditched the car in a nearby drive, jumped across the road with my camera and tripod and bingo! Who needed to spend hours in a midge bitten state waiting fruitlessly. 

Late June - Barn Owl (Longparish, Hants)

The Summer months seemed to last for ever, lots of time to spend out and about, but not a lot to see, my focus turned to Butterflies, Moths & Dragonflies the only constant source of entertainment. Highlights included a Garden tick in the form of a Purple Emperor.

August - Banded Demoiselle (Longparish, Hants)

September, some of the best weather of the year, and another outing with Nat, this time down to Weymouth, 3 RSPB reserves and some cracking species seen. None much MEGARERER than the Short-billed Dowitcher that had been present for a couple of weeks. Even more satisfying than the 20 ft views, was the fact that no one had seen it any closer than a blurred dot in the 2 weeks prior.

September - Short Billed Dowitcher (Lodmoor, Dorset)

October started with a pretty poor weekend in Exmoor, indifferent weather as you would expect. But no rutting action with the Red Deer at all. Things improved for the better towards the end of the month with what I think will go down as my personal highlight of the year. Another weekend in Shropshire and a visit to the moorland expanse of the Long Mynd. Bringing me an awesome half hour in the company of my first ever Merlin. 

October - Merlin (Long Mynd, Shrops)

As the weather started to get a little colder and Christmas approaching, my sister and I made our now annual visit to Slimbridge. We managed to pick a nice crisp morning with some beautiful light. Just right for the thousands of Waterbirds throughout the reserve, none much more striking than the beautiful Pintail.

November - Pintail (Slimbridge, Gloucs)

December, Go to work in the dark, get home from work in the dark. Dodge the raindrops, watch the mud. You all know the story, trying to find time to spend when it wasn't raining proved near on impossible. Outings were left to dry lunchtimes and one just happened to bring a wildlife encounter that I truly think will take some beating on a lunchtime ever again. I have been spending some time hoping to encounter the Rooksbury Otters on and off since they first appeared at the end of March. Sometimes successfully other times not. Having not photographed them since the spring, this close encounter was a welcomed to end to the year.

December - Otter (Andover, Hants)

So in conclusion a pretty good year I guess, and I can't complain at all, other than I guess not having enough time. A full time job along with a part time seasonal job (Groundsman) doesn't allow for as much wildlife watching as I would like. All of my encounters apart from the Barn Owl really come down to just being in the right place at the right time. Not being able to sit and learn patterns in behaviour and when and where I am most likely to see certain species.

I think my main aim for 2013 is to try and focus on a much narrower range of species and projects, hopefully to reward me more in viewing & learning about the wildlife I hope to photograph. I ended the year with a pretty average 156 Species of Birds so I am hoping to improve that dramatically for 2013 too.

Download it here - 2012 Species List - Excel File

Here is too 2013 - Best of luck one and all!

The Climb To Clee

The prospect of the afternoon off of work and the weekend spent with my girlfriend in Shropshire, cheered me up as I left Andover at half 12 and made the near on 3 hour journey north west towards Ludlow. The plan to drive through and spend a couple of hours on the Long Mynd, soon changed when I realised I was busting for the loo, not usually a game changer, but as I drove over the open expanse of Clee Hill 5 or 6 miles before Ludlow.

I decided with the clock just passing 3pm and the early November sun already dropping down low towards the distant mountains once I had got up on to the Long Mynd time would be pretty limited. So an impulsive turnoff to Titterstone Clee summit settled all doubts, firstly to relieve the bladder, and secondly in the hope in picking up some upland specialists. Ring Ouzel being number one on the wish list.

As soon as I parked up above the old quarry and stepped out of the car, The change in temperature hit me, to say the wind is pretty keen would be a bit of a understatement. It was freezing! I'm not sure if its the change in temperature and altitude or the fact that I'm overweight and physically unfit, but the fairly steep ascent up towards the radar station nearly killed me. 

After reaching the summit, I found a nice sheltered spot on the eastern face hiding from the wind and regaining my breath, the view from here is pretty spectacular and I chastised myself for not carrying my smaller lens as the afternoon sun covered the surrounding miles in gorgeous soft orange light.

On the bird front I must admit I was pretty disappointed, no Ouzels or Raptors in sight, the only activity, the 50 or so Ravens that flew, cronked and exercised rather aerobatically quite low over my head, even with a few impressive barrel rolls that sprung out of knowhere.

Ravens

Ravens

As I descended down the slightly more rocky south face I still held hope for a Blackbird type thrush, but nothing, just the sight of two distant Merlin being chased by 5 or 6 Ravens. Once back at the car I did swap lenses over, but having missed the best of the light I left a little annoyed having watched the Sunset from a high vantage point and not being able to photograph it. As usual a massive fail on my part!

Sunset In Wales

With pretty horrid weather all day on Saturday I didn't have the opportunity to get out with the camera anywhere, and resulted to photographing the odd garden bird from the bedroom window on Sunday morning as the Sky's cleared. Dunnock & House Sparrows quite vocal in the hedge at the back of the garden.

Dunnock

Cock Sparrow

http://www.facebook.com/MartinClayPhotography Up to date pictures and sightings, prior to me getting around to writing these blog posts, As mentioned previously I am currently running a competition over on my Facebook page so please feel free to have a look and enter. 

Merlin Magic

Female Merlin

Its fair to say that encounters like the one I had on the afternoon of Sunday 22nd October, don't come around to often. Having sat indoors all morning, impatiently waiting for the fog to clear so we could pop out for a mooch. Destination the upload moorland of the Long Mynd, Midday passed and still no break in the fog, by this time my impatience had grown to rather frustrating levels, I hate sitting indoors at the best of times, especially when I've got time to be doing something I love.

As 1pm approached my frequent trip to look out of the window wielded some result, patches of blue sky appeared through the mirk, and the whole outlook looked generally brighter. The gear was packed and loaded into the car, and as we made the trip from Craven Arms up to Church Stretton by 2pm most the upper slopes appeared bathed in autumnal sunshine.

I said to Nat on the way, I'd be happy with one of 3 species today, Red Grouse, Ring Ouzel and most unlikely Merlin. Having seen Grouse up there earlier in the year, I favoured the odds on that result. And after half and hour of scanning the heather in various different spots, ears wide open for the call of a wild Red Grouse, we still remained Grouseless. As we crept down the road a little further, Nat spotted a falcon like blur cross the road in front of us. After a swift pull off the road, I picked it up again way out on the moorland perched in a low scrubby leaf less bush. After locking the big lens on it and a bit of checking on the phones Bird App I was pretty convinced it was a female Merlin. My first ever. And although a long way away I had a picture to prove it. (see below) After around 5 mins of having its back turned to us, she took flight, swooping low over top of the heather dropping down on some prey and disappearing off over the dip. So the most unexpected in the bag!

The first Sighting

So with Merlin in the bag I was feeling pretty good, a new tick for the year and a lifer in the process. We headed back in the other direction still on the look out for some Grouse. As the road descends off of the Mynd the moorland gives way to more agricultural ground, this usually signals the time to turn around and head back across the moor home.

Typically as the road is single track with passing places its a quite frequent occurrence to have to pull over for another vehicle. At this particular stop I happen to look to my right just before the coming car passed, and spotted a bird sat atop a bale of heather, slightly randomly atop of the Long Mynd several patches of heather have been cut and rolled into round bales. Praying the passing car didn't disturb the perched bird a mere 40 feet away, I readied the binoculars and the camera. Another Merlin, also another female, we had only travelled about a mile down the road so probably the same bird. Magic!

So down came the window and out popped the lens, I happily snapped away, all the while shaking like a sh**ting dog, I wasn't sure if it was the excitement of a fairly close encounter or just the fact I couldn't hold my camera steady with the car vibrating.

Spotted from the Car Window

Chancing my luck I told Nat to drive on very slowly up the road so I could get level with her, still she sat perched seemingly totally oblivious to the car. More shots taken and a lot more shaking, pushed me to make a decision, we parked in the next pull in a good 50 yards up the road, and I got out set my tripod up and slowly walked back down the road to see if I could get a little closer and a whole lot steadier.

It turns out I did get a hell of a lot closer, walking down the road till I was level with the bale 25-30 feet away. The falcon didn't appear at all bothered by my presence or the stiff movements I was making trying to get some different angles without spooking her. After about 15 magical minutes of watching and photographing she just launched off and was gone. A truly awesome encounter one I am sure will never happen again.

As I walked back down the road

The scene from the road

My favourite Merlin shot

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