January 2021
So, we start the year with Lockdown 3.0. I managed one quick trip to Leighton Moss at the very start of the month before everything closed down again. There were a few bearded tits in the reeds along the causeway but, with the pools frozen, not much else to see.
The middle of the month brought a bit of snow so I enjoyed a morning photographing the birds in the garden and then a nice walk in the afternoon to keep up my daily exercise. I don't remember seeing a blackcap in January before so catching one in the snow was nice. It turned up a week later to be included in my RSPB Garden Birdwatch, with 14 species in total.
Bearded Tit
Blackcap
Reed Bunting
Robin
Reed Bunting
Chaffinch
Robin
Dunnock
Chaffinch
Buzzard
Robin
Sheep
Grey Squirrel
Bearded Tit
Bearded Tit
Bearded Tit
Wren
Blue Tit
Blue Tit
December 2020
The year ends in Tier 4, which feels a lot like Lockdown 1.0 and 2.0. Just before the new restrictions were imposed I managed a few trips out, to South Walney to watch the seals, to Coniston for a bit of landscape photography and along the Solway Estuary on the north coast of Cumbria.
Who knows what 2021 will bring but short walks from home may become the norm again.
Blackpool
Grey Seal
Coniston
Coniston sunset
Kestrel
Kestrel
Kestrel
Kestrel
Mute Swan
Marsh Tit
Coal Tit
Coal Tit
Blue Tit
Robin
Blue Tit
Grey Heron
Young Coot
Marsh Harrier
Early December 2020
You wait all year for an otter and then three turn up at once. I had a brief view of an otter at Leighton Moss late on Saturday afternoon. When I returned early on Sunday morning there were two out, fishing and fighting, and they hung around for about half an hour. They were a long way off on both occasions but cheered me up almost as much as the vaccine news.
Otter
Otter
Otters
Otter
Otters
November 2020
In November 2015 I didn't take a single photo I was happy with so at least 2020 has been slightly better. England has been in lockdown for 4 weeks, with a ban on non-essential journeys, so everything below was taken locally. The last of the autumn leaves have gone but many of our winter birds have arrived. Maybe December will bring a little sunshine and happiness after a year that has been miserable for many.
Nuthatch
Nuthatch
Blue Tit
Robin
Black-headed Gull
Treecreeper
Grey Squirrel
Shoveler
Blue Tit
Nuthatch
Fieldfare
Nuthatch
Lapwings
Blue Tit
Fieldfare
Blue Tit
October 2020
Be careful what you wish for. After my rant at the end of September I had a positive test for Covid 19 in October and have just spent 2 weeks in self-isolation. Thankfully I didn't become as ill as many people have but I still feel very tired and breathless when I exercise.
I did manage a few trips out before and after my mid-month isolation but none of the photos are great. With another 4 week national lockdown starting this week it doesn't look like November will be any better. Back to walks in the local area but without the spring sunshine.
Goosander
Little Egret & Redshank
Great Crested Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Marsh Harrier
Grey Squirrel
Coot
Little Egret
Little Egret
Morecambe Bay
Goosander
Goosander
Goosander
Goosander
Great White Egrets
Great White Egret
Little Egret
Great White & Little Egret
Kingfisher
Kingfisher
September 2020
I hate to say it but I think I preferred life under lockdown. Maybe I'm not a people person but three trips to Leighton Moss have been ruined by other visitors with no idea of social distancing. The staff have tried really hard to mark out the floor and remove some of the benches but when strangers sit next to you and start shooting through the same window they're clearly less than a metre away. I've watched others ignore the signs and just move the furniture. Hand-sanitiser goes unused and masks are either missing completely or worn under the chin. Rant over!
Marsh Tit
Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Ennerdale
Little Egret
Little Egret
Marsh Tit
Marsh Tit
Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Red Admiral
Redshank
Marsh Tit
August 2020
The Lake District is very busy with people taking holidays in the UK so we've been trying to avoid the crowds. Still not much wildlife about locally but the second collection of photos below are mostly taken at Leighton Moss.
The final week of the month was spent at RSPB Mersehead, in Dumfries and Galloway. We had booked a cottage there at Easter but managed to move the trip to August instead. Unfortunately the hides were still shut but it was lovely to have the whole nature reserve to ourselves at 6am. Storm Francis caused flooding on the access road so we were trapped for 36 hours but I can think of far worse place to be stuck. There were plenty of Roe Deer, Buzzards and Rabbits about and I was lucky enough to see an Osprey fly along the beach with it's catch. Most mornings there were otter prints on the beach but unfortunately we never saw any.
Roe Deer
Roe Deer
Mersehead Beach
Rabbit
Carrick Lane
Black Water of Dee
Roe Deer
Roe Deer
Sunrise
Buzzard
Buzzard
Pied Wagtail
Kestrel
Portling Bay
Sandyhills Bay
Solway
Port Warren
Doach Wood viewpoint
Red Squirrel
Osprey
Osprey
Buzzard
Ringed Plovers
Mersehead Beach
Otter Prints
Otter
Rabbit
RSPB Mersehead
Wheatear
Meadow Pippit
Big Water of Fleet Viaduct
Merlin
Beach Barcode
Mersehead beach
Roe Deer
Great Tit
Great Crested Grebe
Cormorants
Cormorant
Grey Squirrel
Grey Squirrel
The other Borrowdale
Robin
Robin
Brown Rat
Brown Rat
Grey Squirrel
July 2020
The summer months are never the best time for wildlife or landscape photography. Sunrise and sunset are too early and late, the light in the middle of the day is very harsh and all the birds and mammals seem to go into hiding. I've been out and about a lot more, and had some nice wildlife encounters, but all too brief for a decent photo. I've seen fox, stoat, red deer, roe deer and hedgehog but didn't manage to get a picture of any of them.
Leighton Moss now has 2 hides open during the day but there isn't much to see on the water. South Walney also has a couple of hides open but with so many people walking or fishing on the beach there wasn't much about. I drove up to Langholm Moor for a change of scenery and saw a few raptors but all too distant for photography.
Maybe August will be better.
Great Crested Grebe
Marsh Tit
Marsh Tit
Treecreeper
Great Black-backed Gull
Chiff Chaff
Tufted Duck
Sedge Warbler
Sedge Warler
Grey Squirrel
Great Crested Grebe
Marsh Tit
Jay
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Linnet
Meadow Pippit
Blackpool
Great Crested Grebe
Robin
Treecreeper
Great Crested Grebe
Coal Tit
Chiff Chaff
Buzzard
Hen Harrier
Langholm Moor
Marsh Tit
Moorhen
Reed Bunting
Great Crested Grebe
June 2020 - Staying Local
With the lifting of some of the lockdown measures a number of local nature reserves have partially reopened. Some of the footpaths are open at Leighton Moss although the visitors centre and all the hides are still closed. It is very difficult to access any of the water but there is still plenty of wildlife to see, especially the young birds in the trees and shrubs. Foulshaw Moss has a one way system on the boardwalks to avoid passing people but it can be quite slow going walking around. Lovely to get out and about a bit more though.
Wren
Robin
Common Frog
Common Lizard
Young Blackcap
Common Blue
Grasshopper Warbler
Beautiful Demoiselle
Marsh Tit
Moorhen
Nuthatch
Wren
Moorhen
Marsh Tit
Young Marsh Tit
Blue Tit
Bluetit
Treecreeper
Marsh Tit
Red Deer
Marsh Tit
Eels
Marsh Orchid
Mute Swans
Wren
Coal Tit
Cormorant
Grey Squirrel
Cormorants
Common Blue
Little Grebe
Wren
Herons
May 2020 - Lockdown Walks
Common Lizard
Blue Tit
Roe Deer
Blackcap
Grey Squirrel
Shrew
Osprey
Beautiful Demoiselle
Wood Pigeon
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Dandelion
Blue Tit
Buzzard
Common Lizard
Heron
Pied Wagtail
Chiffchaff
Buzzard
Blue Tit
Grey Wagtail
Stonechat
Tawny Owl
Blackbird
Stolen Eggs
Reed Bunting
Roe Deer
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
Pied Wagtail
April 2020 - Lockdown Walks
Wren
Field Vole
Bluebells
Goldcrest
Highland Cow
Poppy
Buzzard
Roe Deer
Blackbird
Blossom
Robin
Chiffchaff
Yellow Tip Butterfly
Goldcrest
Lambs
Field Vole
Song Thrush
Tawny Owl
Chiffchaff
Robin
Chaffinch
Wren
Greater Stitchwort
Lamb
Carrion Crow
Buzzard
Field Vole
Goldcrest
Highland Cow
Ransoms
Chiffchaff
Lamb
Bluebells
Song Thrush
Grey Squirrel
Buzzard
Goldcrest
Chiffchaff
All the pictures above have been taken on walks during lockdown. I'm very lucky to have countryside on my doorstep and I've carried a Panasonic G9 with a 100-400mm lens during my daily exercise.
Self-isolation and Lockdown - Stay safe, sane and sanitised!
All the pictures below were taken from my back window during 14 days of self-isolation.
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
Blackbird
Long-tailed Tit
Great Tit
