Taylor Park, St Helens - 03.12.2025 It's been some time since I last posted on the blog that's not so say that I haven't been active with trips to Scotland and Central Spain all done in the last few months. I haven't bothered doing reports as they've more or less been repeats of trips done just a few months earlier. Now early December and a male American Ring-necked Duck that's been hanging around for time has reappeared in St Helens. Frequenting two lakes, one public the other private, but mainly the private lake it's a case of waiting for the right opportunity and more importantly some good ..read more

The Rock - 13.03.2024 I've been meaning to catch up and photograph The Knife Angle for a while as it's been on it's travels around the region but never quite managing, but today I've finally caught up as it's currently on display at the Rock in Bury. Greater Manchester.  I've only a fews days opportunity as I'll be "off the road" figuratively speaking by which time the sculpture will have moved on to Taunton in Sumerset, so It's today only or another missed opportunity. The weather isn't good today hoping for nice light instead it's light drizzle as I set off on the short drive, happy d ..read more

Queens Park - 05.01.2024 Full of a virus I'm not really motivated to get out happy just to go over some old images and brows the interweb, what I did note was a couple of Red-breasted Geese have made it to the UK. RBG breed in artic tundra with a few wintering in Western Europe and a lesser few associating with geese wintering in this country, currently one at Cley in Norfolk and another at Martin Mere in Lancashire and surprisingly one turning up on a local park lake which is likely to be an escapee even thou the absence of a leg ring. Literally only a fifteen minuet drive it's a location I ..read more

Crosby Marine Lake - 19.12.2023 Over the last few days images have started to appear on the interweb of a Black-throated Diver that's turned up a few days back on Crosby Marine Lake, some of the images looking rather good thinking I must make the trip. The marine lake being rather large is generally not suited to photograph especially if the diver remains somewhere out in the middle, if that's the case there's no chance getting an image, but wait, the diver has a preference to fish no more than twenty meters out along the carpark side of the lake, sounds like a plan ! The weather currently c ..read more

El Taray - The Film If you ever make the trip down to Castilla la Mancha to visit El Taray you'll likely meet Francesco who is one of the guides that take you to the various locations on the estate. I came across this film in Spanish, which gives a flavour of what to expect on a trip. The arial work shows the vast the area the estate covers. Francesco doesn't speak English but the group had many funny moment using Google Translate to muddle our way through conversations.....oh and he drives fast ! Anyway here's the film featuring Francesco......"click" to open page full screen ..read more

Day 8, AM - La Vega Our last day of the trip and another 5.0am start, but it's only for a morning session before we return to the hotels for a quick wash and brush up and head to Madrid for the flight home. Being the last session of the trip it's always good to go out on a good one, and we are in luck as we are heading back to La Vega for a session with raptors, as mentioned previously harrier's, kite's, eagles and buzzards are the likely targets. First up and in quick as a rat up a drain pipe is the resident Red Fox, grabbing all the food it can stash before the big eagles appear, I ju ..read more

Day 7, AM - Vega Mazon. It's still dark and the midges swarming in thousands above my head, I have a fantastic hat with a midge net especially for this situation the only issue it's in a case back in the UK...plan B...keep moving ! Driving along rutted dirt tracks in the dark with just headlamps that have seen better days with all the expensive gear jumping up and down in the back of a pick-up is not the best experience, I've started carrying my tri-pod to save it getting knocked around whilst other peoples Gitzo's are clanking around in the back of the truck.....tip ! It's just getting ligh ..read more

Day 5, AM - BOP's ! I'm splitting the today's post into AM and PM just to make it a little easier to read. This morning we are Vega Mazon one of the iconic locations on the El Taray Estate for BOP's....Eagles, Harriers, Kites and Buzzards are the targets, some resident seen through out the year.  This location is probably the furthest away from the main area on the El Taray Estate requiring about a thirty minuet drive and occupying vast area of open scrub land, the lack of human activity probably the reason why this area is so attractive.  As we arrive already a large eagle is spotte ..read more

Day 4, AM - Bee-eaters We are stood at the meeting location Casa de Labor are we are told "it's bee-eater"...I ask where ? and the gent points to a "pop-up" about a hundred meters away on a mound, right, ok, so off two heat out. It's a two man pop up hide, no, really a one man hide ! so with the bags out side we we set up. About 20 meters away the a branch that the Bee-eaters have been taking advantage out quite close to where they are breeding in a bank over a stream, you just have to wait, and wait and wait. Occasional we get a visit of a single bird, no pairs, no interaction, but at least ..read more

Day 3, AM - Masiega This morning it's a boat ride to a floating hide amongst the reeds on the edge of the main Elguna de El Taray (lake) species with luck will be Reed Warblers big and small, Bearded Tit and any wildfowl cruising passed but only if  your very quick. I'm looking out onto a small "ribbon" flatten reeds which Reed Warblers, Great Reed Warblers and hopefully Bearded Tits frequent, but the light's not good enough currently as I'm shooting through tinted glass the downside I'm loosing one stop of light. A reed warbler appears crashing through the reeds it's a Great Reed Warbl ..read more