Gulls

Gulls.....A misunderstood bird.....me thinks, most people think they are greedy birds, scavengers,and all the other things you say bad about a bird.

Most people will just walk past them and say its just a Gull

Well let me tell you this, since taking up photography, I have spent days, months even, watching these birds, the more time I spend there and watch them, the more I'm in awe of them.

I have noticed too, people say they are vicious and greedy birds, No No No, if you sit and watch long enough, they will never immediately get the food that's thrown into the water, you will notice the pecking order the Ducks Geese and Swans get their feed first, then you will see the gulls sneak in, and many a time I have seen the Ducks chase the Gulls away, when they are in the water, but in flight this is where they come into their own.,

To watch them fighting for the territory, is a true display of flying agility, swooping, turning sharply, up in the air one minute and diving down the next, always reminds me of  a dog fight from world war two, then to see them using the uplifts of the air to kept them stationary in the air waiting for the right time to dive down for
their food they have spotted, just goes to show their flight diversity, their knowledge, of uplifts and down ones to gain speed, is every pilots dream

A lot of people say their favorite birds, are birds of prey,  although I generally agree, there's nothing quite like seeing an Eagle soaring looking for their prey, I have to admit watching these birds, is on a par, I think they are the true masters of the sky, gymnasts, a force to be reckoned with in flight, clever, using the winds to conserves energy, and finding the best food source, true survivors of the sky's.

So the next time your out for a walk, maybe around the Reservoir, instead of saying they are just Gulls, stop, watch, and see them, for what they really are, natural, fast, fit, agility to die for, graceful flyers of the sky, because to me they are NOT just Gulls, they are the true masters of the sky's and a very misunderstood bird.

Enjoy my photo's

all Copy rights remain to myself, please do not copy the photo's 

  

Netherton Hill 14/03/2013

Never let it be said, that Netherton can't throw up a few surprises, cause I was sure surprised today, let me elaborate further for you. I/ have been visiting Netherton Reservoir for the past few months, so today I decided to take myself off, with my camera in tow to Netherton Hill ( which if you don't know where it is, is behind Netherton Church, School and Cricket pitch), I was going over there to maybe catch some bug shots, to no avail, I went on my merry way around the bottom of the Hill and saw the Murry Cows and the Horses so I thought I'll take some shots of them, started taking my shots and then I turned and looked over my shoulder for some reason and there at the bottom of the hill in the pool I saw what I believed to be a Heron, I shook my head and thought NO WAY!!!, it must be one of those plastic ones to attract them, well I knew the distance was really going to push the camera I had, but I did managed to get a shot, still believing it was a fake and then all of a sudden it flew off, lol I fell about laughing, I can tell ya, well I managed to get a couple of shots, they are not very good, but you can tell what it is, I hope.

I hope this is a rare thing, but I'm not sure, as I have only taken up photography in the past year, and maybe they always visit there, but for me it was the first time, so it was very exciting, even though, I messed the shot up, its something I'll never forget, but I will endeavour to maybe see it again this week, I hope, and I do hope its a regular visitor from now on

So below you will see what I thought was a plastic Heron and when it flew off, so the morale of this story, always believe yours eyes lol

 Murry Cows, very gentle cows, they wont come to you, but if you sit near them they will come closer to you but take my advise leave them to graze, I know its tempting to go stroke or feed them, but you will only stress the cows and they are doing a great job over there keeping the bushes down ;)

. See ya for now, Ill try catching that Heron another day, I hope, if anyone see's it let me know.

Reservoir over the last three months

Hi folke's its me again, I haven't been on blogging much and I'm very sorry for that, but I'm back with photos of the birds I have come across down by Netherton Reservoir, just to recap on why I do this blog, well its to show people who don't know the Black country very well, that nature surrounds us here and we are not just a black hole swallowed up by the bygone age of the Industrial Revolution, and that we have some pretty amazing wild life around these parts, and lovely places to visit with the kids and its all free, woo hoo,  from the Reservoir, to Dalton's Clay pit, to the Woods at Salt Wells Nature Reserve, to the Canal and Daphne's Pool, where you can see many different variety of Dragonfly there.

I'm very proud of where I come from and absolutely love the wild life that surrounds me,so onwards and upwards, what have I seen on my travels around here over the past few months, well loads and I'm just about to show you my best shots of the three months.

Gulls Gulls everywhere, notice I say Gulls and not Sea Gulls, a little tip for you there is no such thing has a Sea Gull, Herring Gulls used to follow the fishing boats, but here on the Reservoir we have a variety of Gulls

I'm not to sure what these little guys are called,(below) but because I only have a bridge camera, my zoom can't get to see them large enough to photograph them, but one day they will swim close enough for me to get them, they are cute little things but just can't get close enough, so frustrating at time lol

 Ah my favorite of the water birds, the Grebe, they never fail to grab my attention, nor the one fisherman, has he said where ever the Grebe is he will always fish near him, because that's where the fish will be

 These gave me a little smile when i saw them, Tufted Ducks lovely little birds

 This little Robin kept me company for most of January, every day he/she would appear singing and grabbing my attention, all of the Robin pictures are of the same bird, over the period of January, I thought one day we had grown accustom to one another, I just wondered the one day would he hop on my hand and he nearly did, then a car drove past and that was the end of that.

                                           

I hope you have enjoyed the pictures I have taken over the Winter months, cause I sure have enjoyed taking them, so come on down to the Reservoir, you never know what you might see, but if you see a mad woman with a camera hanging off some tree somewhere or lying on the floor, I think you will know its me, and stop for a chat any time.

Right till I blog again have a great weekend folkes and get out there, where ever you live, it costs nothing, this weekend weather permitting, ill be hitting Saltwells Nature Reserve or to me the woods, trying to catch the Woodpecker I keep hearing, but to no avail have I found him yet, but I will blog soon guys  ;)