Blog Content — Gavin Vella

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Canon 300mm 2.8 IS

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Early Autumn Summary

I’m actually enjoying taking a little break from the blog lately but I do apologise to those that like to have regular updates. I’ve been in the process of changing out all my camera gear so there has been a lot of testing and less exploring. Here are a few photographs with the Canon R6, which is my first mirrorless camera and also my first full frame camera, so it’s taking a little time to get used to. So far though I’m really enjoying the focusing system, the noise performance and overall the speed. I previously used the Canon 7D mk ii which is a tank of a camera, but it’s beyond it’s life expectancy and the usability, despite still working, isn’t very inspiring, what with the fact that I have to turn the dial 8 times before it starts to do what I want it to lol, which isn’t ideal when photographing time sensitive wildlife.

SO! Here’s are a few photo’s from that transition. Same two lens combo: Canon 300 2.8 IS with 1.4 and 2x ii extenders, and a 100mm 2.8 Macro IS.

Starting with my last Nightjar photos of the year, in the form of a Chick which stayed quite late in the season with parents sticking close nearby.

I’ll end with a random doorstep photo of a young Sparrowhawk that managed to fly into my upstairs window. Thankfully only a few displaced feathers and he shortly flew off strongly, weaving his way back thru the woodland opposite my house.

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Llandegfedd Delivers

It’s always good to have a regular patch to check throughout the year, not only do you get to learn a lot more about the site but you also give yourself more of a chance of finding something significant. Sharing a patch with a more experienced birder also helps for sure! and I’m lucky to visit Llandegfedd with Craig Constance as he really is religious about birding Llandegfedd and this week it paid off with a striking Male Smew. Last year we had a Female but she only came onto the reservoir when the water level was high on the usk river and she didn’t stick around for long. You need to time your visits in accordance to the weather and we learned a hard lesson this morning as the fog put a lot of birders off this morning, but an avid birder on the damn waited till the fog started to clear and managed to spot a Great Northern Diver leaving the reservoir and carrying on south. It goes to show how easy it is to miss migrant birds.

You’ve already spotted the pics below, but whilst watching the Gull roost we were graced with extremely good views of Jack Snipe from Petingale hide! I’ve been closer, almost standing on some in the past, but I’ve never had extended views like this. It was truly magical, and an experience I’ll never forget. I love birds that camouflage themselves. They don’t have to be colourful, but if they do have vibrant colours like this Jack Snipe, it is certainly a bonus.

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Forest of Dean

Day's trip at the Dean in some beautiful weather today. Spent most of the day at Cannop Ponds and the water was very busy. I spent a lot of time chatting to the locals too about wildlife. Met a guy called Ray Buckley also who is a local wildlife photographer, I've seen his photographs before online and he's captured some fantastic forest photos of the dear and wild boar. I've personally not seen one for a long time so was glad to be told of a place nearby where I might find some. I stumbled upon a loan pregnant female that was feeding on acorns in quite a busy area. She wasn't at all phased by people as you can see, the image was taken at 300mm and I found it hard to fit her all in half the time as she was too close. While chatting about her to the locals in the car park, I was approached by an angry man who went out of his way to shout at everyone for getting too close and that "wild boar are the worse thing to have ever happened to the forest". While I can understand his frustration and concern about the increasing numbers of wild boar, I didn't appreciate being shouted at from the off, without any reason to say such things, simply the fact that I was holding a camera, he Assumed I'd be getting too close. I suspect his anger is being aimed at photographers because of the few minority of photographers that have been visiting this area, feeding the wild boar in order to get closer shots. Personally I don't agree with feeding them as their tolerance to people will inevitably result in those individuals getting shot. It's certainly a controversial subject and I'm sure a wildlife TV series will be about soon about the ongoing problems that residence are having in the Forest of Dean. I hope you enjoy my photographs from today. 

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Light before the storm

Before Storm 'Brian' hit, we had one day with promising weather and thankfully it landed on my day off! How convenient. Despite this, the day very much started un-prepared as I arrived at Blaenavon without a tripod, binoculars and without a spare battery! Typical school-boy error. Either way, I manage to stretch my single battery life as long as I could and I literally filled a memory card on one bird! The Rock Thrush showed extremely well, partly due to someone putting down thousands of Meal Worms.. A much welcomed food source I'm sure but perhaps not the best idea to keep feeding it as it will need to move on eventually and it has a long way to go. I have to thank John Marsh, the finder of the bird and also the guy responsible for me now using a 300mm 2.8 IS. To say i'm overwhelmingly happy to have this lens is an understatement as it's been on my wish list for quite some time. In-fact I now have to find something new to say when my girl friend asks me what I want for Christmas. (I've been saying a 300 2.8 jokingly for years)...

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