Being totally fed up last Friday, (22nd), I wanted to relieve the boredom by getting out. The Friday before the last bank holiday weekend of the year is always a problem - go to the coast and it is too busy, the same story for most places so in the end, I decided to travel north to Welney WWT - not too far and if very busy, an easy drive home.

Cambridgeshire is plagued by road closures at present and the drive to Welney was no excception so I had to take the long way there, through the fen villages and there was my first subject in a harvested field near Coveney - a mother and juvenile Roe Deer.

Welney was not too busy so I stayed longer that I had expected with a few rather distant Ruff from the observatory

but the action started from the south hide of the observatory with a few Yellow Wagtails on the observatory roof

and then some Juvenile Barn Swallows patiently waiting to be fed.

Finally, the opportunity came to catch the adult feeding one juvenile.

I was happy with that so decided to go home. On the way, I always check the feeders from the cafeteria for Tree Sparrows but, for the second time, there were none there, just House Sparrows - disappointing.

August has proved to be a quiet month for my photography, mainly due to holidays, but last week, a friend had arranged to visit Tom Robinson's hides near Bourne in Lincolnshire so I decided to join him. Getting there for 7.00am was a shock to the system, especially finding that the bridge at Stamford was closed and the diversion took my nearly 30 miles out of my way. Still, I arrived with my friend and another couple of photgraphers already there as well.

Only one Kingfisher showed, a rather scruffy male. Apparently, it was keeping the female and this years fledgelings away. Still, it made several visits and the sun was shining - what could go wrong!!!

Well, a couple of days before, I had upgraded the firmware on my Canon R5 MK2, like and idiot, did not check it, and it had reverted the whole software to factory settings - no back button focussing, eye focussing etc. So I struggled with it, missing several chances of diving and emerging from the water but still managed some shots in focus.

Mid afternoon, we moved on to the hide for Brown Hares, in nearby Rutland and just at the end of the runway for RAF Cottesmore (now unused). Good hides, but the only problem was - no Hares!!! Evenyually, one appeared  and came close enough for a distance shot.

Very frustrating as, in a distant field, we counted 11 Hares feeding and when we left the hide to leave, near dusk, several more suddenly ran from the within the grass etc. in front of the hide.

Such is wildlife photography!!!

The last few days of July were an almost non-event, despite three trips out with the camera.

First, 25th July, and an afternoon at my local RSPB reserve - Fen Drayton Lakes. The only birds within range (and they were distant) were some Common Terns feeding young on the floating island.

Second 28th July and a late afternoon/evening at RSPB Fowlmere hoping for decent shots of the Water Voles that everyone else seems to find, and the Marsh Harriers feeding young. Result - no siting of the Water Voles and only the male Marsh Harrier that brought food into the nest once. Apparently, the female disappeared a couple of days before my visit leaving the male to bring food to the one young in the nest that was almost ready to fledge.

Result, a few photos that were all deleted as not being up to scratch.

Third, a full day visit on 30th July to Frampton Marsh RSPB. Also very disappointing as there was very little water around the reserve and any birds were mainly clustered aroung the few remaining pools and too distant for photography. The 360 hide was closed for the morning for some running repairs but the was no water near it anyway. The Reedbed Hide eventually provided closer views but that gave me the opportunity to try the R5 MK2 with the RF 200-800 lens and the RF 1.4x Converter, effectively shooting full frame at 1120mm.

First a Lapwing.

and then a family of Little Ringed Plovers that were a real challenge in the cloudy conditions. First an adult

and two of three juveniles.

Apart from a shot of a juvenile Goldfinch,

that was the sum total of the days events.

My summing up of the camera combination - most shots very soft (I was hand holding) and, due to the cloudy conditions, shooting at the required 1/2000 sec minimun with that combination resulted in IS0 3600 and upwards.  So only really applicable in sunny conditions.

Hopefully, matters will improve from mid-Augst after my return from holiday.

Friday 27th June and I wanted a change of scenery but with as little effort as possible. We all have those lazy feeling days (gets more often as age advances) so I decide to drive to Welney WWT for a few hours photography, concentrating on the Barn Swallows that nest at the back of the hides.

Well, the idea was mildly successfull

and some rather surprising shots that I only realised during editing.

Anyway, after a few hundred shots of flying Swallows, most of which were blank, I moved on to the other hides, firstly finding a juvenile Blue Tit

and a passing Gadwall

but it was all quiet so few other opportunities but I couldn't resist a final few shots with the Sparrows around the feeders from the veranda - just House Sparrows - no Tree Sparrows surprisingly.

So a mildly successful few hours.

This session was with Tawny Owls - 25th June - at Kevin Robsons set-up at nearby Fen Drayton, the third year running for me, this time to concentrate on the Owlets.

A total of four have fledged and three posed together.

and one of the eldest with probably the latest to fledge showing the size difference.

While the mother only made a brief appearance, the four Owlets were on show almost continually for a couple of hours and, as Owlets do, kept us entertained amd at times amused.

Another enjoyable time with Owls.