Dorset October 2020

Spent a relaxing week in Weymouth recently. Birding was unspectacular but the change of scene was nice. 

A few photo highlights below. For more info and images, click here.

Click on the captions for high-res images.

The highlight was probably this obliging Kestrel hunting around the large car park at Ferrybirdge:

Kestrel hovering low down in the strong wind close to the car park

Intent on its prey! Less of a silhouette as Portland is in background

Perched on a convenient rock

Black-tailed Godwit in the weak late afternoon sun at Lodmoor

Grey Heron just after lift-off also at Lodmoor

More Kestrels - 13 October

Another excellent session in Pete Whieldon's Woodland Hide at Otterbourne, near Winchester. The weather was better than for my June visit, and the male was looking much smarter having finished his moult. 

The male and immature appeared alternately at about hourly intervals until a last, mid-afternoon visit when both appeared together. 

For a gallery of all my photos from the visit (and the previous one in June), with links to hi-res photos, go to this page on my website. 

Here is a preview selection (in each case click on the caption for a larger image): 

The male and immature posed nicely together very briefly

The immature coming into land - the only flight shot of this visit

The male on its own, before being joined by the immature

The male on a photogenic rock

The immature calling

Close-up of the immature - the benefits of the 45Mp sensor on the Canon EOS R5

Berkshire Downs, 7 & 9 October with the new Canon EOS R5!

I spent some time trying for some flight shots using the animal eye detection auto focus on my new 45Mp toy - the much sought after Canon EOS R5, which I pre-ordered the day after its launch in June. Even then it didn't arrive until mid September. 

This much vaunted AF option struggled to find the eyes but these wheeling Red Kites were pretty challenging subjects. Hopefully it will be more successful on better behaved subjects - a forthcoming session in a photo hide should be a good try out.  

Click on the captions for larger images.

Red Kite against blue sky 9 October

Crop of the photo above showing the benefit of those 45 Mp!

A slightly more distant bird against a less blue sky 7 October