Wildlife
James Lowen
29 March 2014 I adder good day today, herpetologically speaking. Early doors, a site in north Kent produced three Adder, a grass snake and a slow worm. Plenty of Brimstones on the wing too. No idea yet what the fly is - but on the case. Then RSPB Rainham Marshes was littered with armies of Marsh Frogs, and a rustle of grass inferred a Common Lizard. Birds were few, but a limosa Black-tailed Godwit in spanking nuptial plumage and a hoary Spotted Redshank were briefly enjoyable. Nice to see David Bradnum, Nick Cook and Mark Hows.
24 March 2014
Three reasons to celebrate today! Wild Travel magazine has published (a) my article on an April wildlife-watching weekend in Devon and (b) my feature on family wildlife travel in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands. Bird Watching magazine has published the first part of my quarterly series called 'Beyond Birdwatching'. Click on the underlined magazine links to access the full articles.
22 March 2014
House-selling and -buying has taken up much of the past fortnight, but I've ventured out on odd occasion to check on the change in seasons. A territorial Herring Gull, a wintering Black-throated Diver hinting at the imminence of its nuptial finery, a swarm of too-young-to-breed Smooth Newts and the year's first Adder are the results. The latter - while not much of a photo - was most pleasant. For me, spring is never sprung until I have watched a coiled viper unfurl.
9 March 2014
Today the Independent on Sunday has published another edited extract from 52 wildlife weekends. This is about seeing serpents in the Suffolk Sandlings. Or, less eloquently, looking for Adder on Dunwich Heath. Given this weekend's fabulous weather, I hope some readers followed the recommendation...
Click on the thumbnails to read
2 March 2014
I've just received a copy of the reprinted 52 wildlife weekends. Whilst not a new edition, the reprint takes the opportunity to correct a few errors (e.g. the bee on p142 now really is a Shrill Carder Bee!). Even better, the inside front cover now features some press praise for the book. Click the pic to enlarge and read the reviews.
1 March 2014 During my highly enjoyable photoshoot with a confiding Grey Phalarope in Sussex back in January, I had identified a potential 'moneyshot' moment. This Arctic wanderer - see blog from 14 Jan - had selected a children's paddling pool as its temporary territory. So the 'shot to get' was surely child and wader in the same field of view. But could I get it? The answer is affirmative. Mid-morning, a warmly dressed toddler bumbled into the pool enclosure, spotted the strange swimming bird and leaned out to touch it. The opportunity lasted just five or so seconds, but I had the right lens (70-200 f4 L) on my second camera body and fired off a rapid burst. And it worked. The resulting images have made it into print: as 'photo of the month' in Bird Watching magazine and as part of 'The Big Picture' (photo of the month equivalent) in Birdwatch magazine. The other part of TBP was a cracking shot by my buddy Josh Jones, taken with the wide-angle lens that I sold him a year back. If only I had taken such a fine image when I owned that piece of glass...
28 February 2014
The final instalment of my monthly column in Bird Watching magazine has been published in the March issue. As of the April issue, I will have a quarterly feature on British wildlife-watching, season by season. Looking forward to it!
And then... the species that I pledged never to twitch, no matter how close, no matter how long-staying. "Too boring, too much like our own species." Eventually and suitably contritely, I relented and found myself watching Britain's sixth American Coot. Long-staying for sure, but hardly close: at Loch Flemington in Nairn. And certainly not exciting. We gave it 15 minutes. That was enough...
27 February 2014
Birdwatch magazine has reviewed my book 52 wildlife weekends.
In the magazine's March issue, David Callahan considers the guide:
"full of field- and travel-gained wisdom... Own this book for inspiration and encouragement... Something you haven't seen will be described in terms that mean you may well drop everything and go and see it".
See the full review here, see highlights from all reviews here, and buy the book here.
25 February 2014
I have long yearned to be present at the display of a male Capercaillie. My encounters with this dusky, northern 'turkey' have always been brief: birds feeding in trees, a female flushed from the ground, or a male gliding through Caledonian pine forest. This week, dream finally became reality.
Passport in hand, and appropriately named companion Dave Capper by my side, I flew to a northern country, and then headed into its forests. Here we chanced upon a male Caper, proud of its terrain, its stature and the quality of its genes.
The two slideshows here are the result. More images are on my photographic website. Keep clicking 'next' to see more.
To appreciate the experience, you really need to have the soundtrack playing simultaneously. This is a bird recorded in Italy: pop-corking, crackling insanity!
Enjoy? We did.
23 February 2014
After recent escapades involving poor shots of rare birds, time for some good images of common birds. It was a pleasure to turn my lens on two of Britain's more regular avian fare. Rarely do we appreciate the beauty in mundanity.
A Mute Swan in Thetford was a good test of whites and blacks. And a drake Mallard in Kent was a simply stunning adjunct to the unashamed materialism and bling of the adjacent Bluewater shopping centre.
20 February 2014
I have been naughty. Indeed, doubly so.
My return to twitching rare birds took another development when a Myrtle Warbler (a North American 'mega') was found in County Durham. My 'previous' with this cute, yellow-rumped species was a dismal, drenched dip in Bristol 20 years ago. So the opportunity to join a carload with new-dad David Bradnum, plus the slumbering Wanstead duo (Jono Lethbridge and Nick Croft) was not one to turn down. The bird was rather elusive, but eventually we got some views of it in the open. With this record shot the result. Not great, but better than nothing - and a fun day out.
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