Cold Weather Visitor

This lone Fieldfare arrived in my garden as it snowed heavily, feeding on nothing but apples from dawn to dusk for 5 days.  It vanished the day the snow thawed.

February Brambling

A couple of shots of a Brambling at Titchwell, Norfolk in February:

Not a Waxwing Winter

This single Waxwing at Sprotborough seems to have got the wrong message and made the journey to the UK this winter - one of only a few in the country at present.  Not surprisingly, it has found a nice cotoneaster to hang around.

Thanks for looking!

Hawfinch at Broomhill Flash

The lone Hawfinch currently visiting Broomhill Flash - early morning at drinking pool:

Hawfinch Action

Better late than never! With a couple of spare days over Christmas, I finally managed to locate some Hawfinches.  A group had been present around the church in Darley Dale, Derbyshire, for a couple of weeks.  I didn't expect so many; a flock of around 20 in the area, and whilst they were generally quite distant, a few occasionally appeared nearer to the road.

Thanks for looking!

Autumn Highlights - Scops Owl & Rock Thrush

Scops Owl, County Durham, September 2017:

Rock Thrush, Pwll-du, Gwent, October 2017:

My Winning Image in the Bird Photographer of the Year 2017 Competition

This is my winning image from the Bird Photographer of The Year 2017 - 'Wing Formation' in the Attention to Detail category:

This Cormorant was fishing in dark light under a bridge on a lake.  It emerged from the water onto a rock to spread its wings in typical Cormorant fashion. The bird was close which meant I was able to capture the formation of the wing feathers and the wonderful colours that are found in the detail - blues and purples, which are normally invisible at distance.  The bird somehow manages to separate each feather, presumably to allow air to pass through. I included the bill in the composition to show that it is a Great Cormorant.
Taken with Nikon D7100, 300mm f2.8 lens, 2 x Converter. Focal Length 600mm; 1/800 second; f5.6; ISO 1,600

Presenter Chris Packham's comments can be seen in the awards presentation here (21m 10s in..):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-Uc9NNkK8

The image appears in the book 'Bird Photographer of the Year 2' which can be bought here:
https://www.bto.org/research-data-services/publications/bto-books-and-guides/2017/bird-photographer-year-2017

Three other images of mine appear in the book:

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Jackdaw & Red Deer

Oystercatcher & Knot

Some press of the competition can be found here:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/aug/31/bird-photographer-of-the-year-2017-in-pictures 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4809210/Bird-Photographer-Year-awards-2017.html

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4393955/bird-photographer-of-the-year-2017-entries-winners-pictures/

http://www.discoverwildlife.com/gallery/bird-photographer-year-2017


Thanks for looking!