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Weird day at Pollardstown Fen and ID Required
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I’ll be asking for a few ID’s today. I went into Pollardstown Fen form the Milltown end this morning with all my gear and the hide with the hope of seeing the Kestrel or getting some close ups of the ducks or Reed Buntings.
The place started off being dead. It’s like that sometimes. I was about a (slow) half hour in when I saw something swimming in the canal. It was about 2 to 2.5 feet long, brown fur. It wasn’t as big as the only other Otter I’ve ever seen (about a mile from the Slaney down home). It slowly went ot the other bank and swam downstream past me. I was so stunned to see it that close that I didn’t get a good shot of it. I’ve got some underexposed and blurry shots. It climed into the reeds and eventually stuck its head out to look at me before diving back in and disappering for good. It could have been a mink but aren’t they black? I know there are suppsoed to be otters there and I have seen tracks before. I’ll post a shot later. It was smaller than what I’d seen before so maybe it was a juvenile.
I was down at the end and was getting something to drink when the damned Kestrel flew over a treeline and right over me. I could have had a frame filler but my camera was hanging from my neck. :evil:
I set up the hide where there had been lots of Reed Bunting activity. Other than a long distance shot of a Stonechat, I got nothing. The place went dead again, as it does. I think it was either John Dunne or Fintan who once said to me that the Fen was weird. That it is!
I was heading back up when I decided to rest up at the canal junction near where I saw the otter (?). I also knew it was a place where ducks sometimes come up from the inaccessible lake/pond. I literally laid low for a while. I was proactively metering when a duck swam out and into shot. I swear it heard the lens focusing becase it turned tail immediately as soon as the USM whirred. One shot and it was gone. I’ve no idea what it was.
Another 15 yards up and I was checking out what looked like a swan “slide” into the canal. I turned around and saw this little fella in the grass:
1)
I took a few shots with the 100-400 but switched to my cheap Sigma 70-300 Super Macro. It’s probably one of the least expensive items in my bag but I can’t bring myself to sell it for the ?70 I’d probably get for it.
I could have moved the frog (?) or the grass around it but I’ve no idea if this little chap is endangered or not. I reckoned I’d be happy enough with the shots I was getting.
2)
I shot at F8 but of course I forgot that macro gives you a tiny DOF. Luckilly I focsed on the eye that was of interest to me.
Any idea what it is and if it is endangered?
Back near the Hangmas pub I was checking out an area where I normally see a Heron. Then I saw some ripples in the water. Usually it’s a coot/moorhen or a duck but I saw only the rippels. Frogs. Lots of them. I mean LOTS! They were enjoying *ahem* the activities of Spring. Lots of their offspring filled the water. I’ve another shot on another CF card that I’ve yet to copy.
Now, I’ve gotta make use of an Easons voucher to buy a bird ID book before John Griffin or Noely start screaming at me ;-)
EDIT: it looks it’s a Common Frog
Excellent work!! Not the typical shot of the subject but it end up great!!! What really grabbed my eyes was that reduced dof. The colours and the light are amazing too. Lovely work :wink:
Thanks Erin.
I lay down in front and around it to take the shots. I let the grass around it to decide what directions I was shooting in. I probably could’ve picked it up to plae it ina cleaner location but I don’t think it would have been the right thing to do, especially when I didn’t know if it was endangered or not. It stayed there for the 20 or so minutes I was shooting. Even when I stepped away to pack up it stayed there.Drop dead gorgeous that first shot Aiden. Incredibly
sharp around the eye. In fact, I think I can just about
see your reflection there. Next time dress more appropriately…Rob.
I actually do have one where you can see my reflection :-) I guess frollicking around a National Park in the nip just aint right :)
joe_elway wrote:
I guess frollicking around a National Park in the nip just aint right :)
Well, leastways not in this weather. Perhaps when the climate changes
a little for the better… :lol:Rob.
Have to say Aiden….I love reading your commentaries on your shots as much as the shots themselves. You really need to look into putting together some kind of nature photography book…you have a great way with the words my friend :D
Btw…you really need to reconsider hanging about river banks in the nip…some of those critters bite…hehehe!!
Thanks Robbie. I think a photo is a little better if there’s a story to go with it. It makes them more memorable.
i agree with all said. I love the frog shots. Ive never been to the fen. Often passed it going to race my greyhounds down the road, never even knew it was there. Hope to get there soon. As a boy i used catch frogs all the time. Ive never photographed one yet. id love to. wont get one as good as urs aiden but id still like to do it.
Now’s the time. There’s LOTS of them just a short walk down from the Hangmans pub in Milltown. You’ll find them easy enough by the plashing sounds their “activities” are causing.
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