2026 July – December

_{Northern Gannet @ Bempton Cliffs June 19th 2026. 1/3200s f/5.6 ISO 500}

Welcome to my photography log which is all about the journey not the image quality! This is more blog than gallery. A gallery would contain the best images I’ve taken, whereas this is record of what I’ve been doing, where I’ve been and what I’ve been taking photographs of.

This space captures the images I’ve created since upgrading my camera in the summer of 2024. After two decades with a Canon EOS 350D, I’m now shooting with a Fuji X-T5, paired with the Fuji XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8, Fuji XF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 and Fuji XF 500mm f5.6 (the most used lens).

My favourite Photographs of 2026, see here.

To see the photographs which document the U3A Bird Group walks, see here.

Click on any image to enlarge it. Best viewed on a larger screen rather than a mobile phone.

This website is hosted on a small NAS server in my office at home. You may have to be a little patient whilst the page builds.

I can be contacted at richardW5oaks@gmail.com.

Previously:

2026 January – June

2025 July – December

2025 January – June

2024 August – December

October 16th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

Tice’s is very samey these days. No new birds, and now that the water is so low, photographs really do look like they are being taken in a quarry, which is was. The water level is now well over 3 meters below the spring peak, but no one cam be sure as the water level gauge sits above the bottom!

The most exciting thing to happen was finding this Greater Spotted Woodpecker, shame there was dark cloud rather than sun.

At least a dozen Northern Shoveler sheltering from the breeze before flying off the other side of the workings…

Lapwing all facing into the wind as normal, Moorhen and Teal.

Grey Heron still can’t make up where they want to stand.

Cormorant

October 14th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

A nice sunny start this morning though it wasn’t long before the cloud came over. The Grey Heron were very active. With the water levels being so low, it forces the fish into a smaller and smaller area making them easier to catch.

October 13th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

A quick 30 minutes just before the sun went down….

October 7th 2026 – Tices Meadow

A warm sunny day on the meadow. I ran into Pere, Richard and Colin in the hide whom I’ve not seen on the meadow for a while because I’m usually not there at the right time of day, so it was nice to talk birds for once and not solicitors and subsidence.

I got a bit carried away with taking images of the Black-headed Gulls in flight. I finished with over 3900 photographs to process and somehow cull down to a more reasonable number. I’m not good at being ruthless when culling so there are more here than there should be.

This Grey Heron flew over tight in front of the Hide and immediately picked a fish out of the water. It then proceeded to take ages before taking it down, it washed in the water repeatedly but kept putting down in the mud and getting it filthy in between.

Black-headed Gull.

Grey Heron

And some of the rest…

October 3rd 2026 – Kings Pond

An hour walking round the pond at lunch time. I was able to nice and close the Cormorant.

Little Grebe.

Mallard.

Brown Rat.

Moorhen.

Canada Goose.

Pekin Duck.

Watercress Line Steam Train on the line right next to the pond.

October 1st 2026 – Thursley Nature Reserve

Very quiet at Thursley, not much to photograph at all. After the aircraft, Stonechat, Crow, Little Grebe

September 30th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

Standing outside this morning I decided I did not need anything over my T-shirt. That was until I was in the lower Hide by the water and the wind was making sure I regretted that decision. Yesterday evening I was here without my camera and saw the Pintail which have been present for a few days, but did not see them this morning.

First up, a Magpie and the Mallard.

A Cormorant feeding on fish.

Grey Heron

Landing!

September 25th 2026 – Spurn Point

Rather than spend money on a hotel for one night, I decided that I might as well sleep in the car and use the money to pay for diesel. However this is unexpected consequences. I noticed at Midnight that a patrol car drove thought the car park, which is pretty remote, and completely empty apart from me. Some time in night, certainly after 1am I realized the patrol was parked next to me, and I think what woke my up was an office shining a touch into the car. I opened the door to speak with them, and they are both armed! They told me they had a body camera turned on, and wanted to know what I was doing etc. One of them took my driving license back to their car for a few minutes. One suggested they needed to check I wasn’t in mental distress, as if being woken up with by the torn light in the middle of nowhere itself wasn’t a distress. They informed I was not doing nothing wrong by sleeping in may car and they seemed to accept I was there of photograph birds, they had wallet!

After the short and very early visit the Kilnsea Wetlands I set off to walk down the spurn and see what I could find.

Black-tailed Godwit and Teal.

Common Seal come shore after eating to digest. This one seemed completely at ease with my presence, but I was the only person around. I kept quite a long way away and used my longest lens with 1.4 teleconverter so as not to stress him/her.

The tide was out so some of birds were roaming the mud feeding. Curlew, Ruddy Turnstone, Oyster Catcher, Bar-tailed Godwit and Red Shank.

I moved south down the spurn, and the incoming tide was pushing the birds towards the shore. I was limited as to where I go, areas are roped off to protect potential nesting areas. I saw a group of birds moving along the beech on the high water mark line. I sat myself down in advance of them, kept low, quiet and didn’t goo waving my long lens around too much. They knew I was there but stopping thinking of me as a threat and carried on moving along the tide line feeding. Evening coming close enough for me to fill the frame.

Bar-tailed Godwit (2nd Image) , Red Knot (3rd image), Ruddy Turnstone (5th image), Oyster Catcher (7th Image)

Walking back north towards the car I managed to capture Little Egret, Juvenile Herring Gulls and a Kestrel.

September 25th 2026 – Kilnsea Wetlands

I started the morning as soon as the sun rose, and drove 3 minutes north to Kilnsea Wetlands. The light was both difficult because it was so low in the sky and good because of some of the effects it had on the light depending on the direction was camera was pointing in relation to the sun.

First I passed some cattle and a rather sick looking Linnet (large bald patch on side of the head).

I was passed by flock of Pink Footed Geese which I could struggled to get a good image off, and a lone Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Ringed Plover (new to me) and Dunlin.

There are a couple of Little Egret but always distant. I’ve struggled to figure out which image best shows what I was seeing, so you be the judge. The colour changed a lot as the sun moved in and out of cloud whilst being still low in the sky. It also changed dramatically depending on the direction the camera was pointing.

Northern Shoveler are arriving back in the UK after leaving in the spring. Linnet landing on the bush.

Reed Bunting and Stonechat.

September 25th 2026 – Spurn Point

I’m still going through all the image I took this day, so they will take another day or two to appear here. Since changing lens is inconvenient and probably not wise in a sandy environment, I took a few wide shots with my phone. Its quite a nice place isn’t it! And I pretty much had it all to myself.

September 25th 2026 – Spurn Point Video

I don’t normally bother taking video, but after taking over 5000 images I decided to give it go. However, I did not have my tripod with me and I was hand held at 1000mm which is no mean feat. As you can see I didn’t manage to keep the camera very steady, and it was pretty windy.

Bar-tailed Godwit

Red Knot

Common Seal

September 24th 2026 – Spurn Point

A very long day, starting before 6am when I left home and drove to Lincoln to visit my mother in her care home. Then, over the Humber Bridge and on to Spurn Point.

This is my first visit and and have to say its well worth the drive.

My first sights as I headed south down the point was this Kestrel. If you can get close enough they are relatively easy to capture because once they spot a potential meal they flap furiously to hover in the same spot which gives you a few seconds to get the shot. You just need a fast shutter speed such as 1/4000s and a stop of positive exposure compensation. Even using spot metering the underside of the wings will be very underexposed without dialling in some exposure compensation.

Next I came across my first Northern Wheatear and later in day another one on the beach.

Always nice to see a Magpie even if they are very common.

Bobbing around in the sea, a very recently fledged Northern Gannet. At this stage they have so much baby fat and down feather that they float very well. They often start floating life on the sea for a few weeks whilst they build up their wing strength and get hang of catching there own fish.

Lots of Bar-tailed Godwit.

I saw Redshank wandering around the sand looking food all day, but late in afternoon there were flocks which must have been over 100 strong.

Brent Geese and Cormorent.

A first for me, Pink Footed Geese, though not the best image but it was late in the day and the light was going. They headed east over the coast presumable off the Europe. And a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Shelduck flying along the coast line in the last of the sun.

I saw a good number of Curlew, which are endangered, my first every sighting of a Ruddy Turnstone. The second is a recently

and of course…

September 23rd 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

This Perrigin Falcon appeared to be limping…

Great White Egret with Grey Herons.

A Coot running for it….

And the rest… starting with a Jay and finishing with the Kestrel.

September 22nd 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

An evening visit to the meadow. The light wasn’t great and although sunset was not close the sun was not high in the sky and behind cloud. I also had the 1.4x TC attached which makes f8 the fast aperture I can use, which combined with the light meant the ISO was higher than ideal.

September 16th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

Its been a horrible week, but finally calm enough to get out for a couple of hours.

September 9th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

I should have worn a hoodie! Its the first time in a long while that its been cool enough for it when the sun wasn’t out.

I got a bit carried away taking photographs of this Grey Heron!

Mallard, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Canada Geese with a strange white goose, Great Crested Grebe, Coot.

Canada Goose, and a distant Common Sandpiper.

Stonechat.

September 7th 2026 – Farnham

I dropped Coralie off at the Maltings and so took the chance to spend some time walking around Farnham with my camera. A rare outing for the XF 16-50mm too! Don’t forget you can click to enlarge.

September 6th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

Nice and sunny and warm. I must have sat in the hide by the water line for well over an hour just enjoying the view.

Common Sandpiper

September 2nd 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

The forecast was for Thick cloud and moderate breeze which turned out to be correct but with added rain. I decided to chance it and not bother with a waterproof and with some brisk walking just about got away with it.

September 1st 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

Late afternoon, and pretty quiet.

August 28th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

Really pleasant until the rain arrived :-). Today I saw my first Kestrel at Tice’s.

Red Kite and Black-headed Gull.

Canada Geese, Coot, something spooked the Herring Gull into flight and a Fox looking for lunch.,

Lots of Canada Geese, some taken whilst it was raining and a Herring Gull.

August 25th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

I haven’t been out much lately, life is getting in the way!

The lapwing came close enough to show off the colours!

House Sparrow, Wood Pigeon and a Magpie.

Pied Wagtail

Grey Heron, Goldfinch, Tufted Duck and Herring Gull, and a flock of Starling.

Common Sandpiper. Frog making a lucky escape in the first image.

Grey Heron, Swan, Canada Goose, Tufted Duck in flight.

August 8th 2026 – Waverley Abbey

I visit to Waverley Abbey with Coralie this morning.

August 7th 2026 – In The Garden

I was sat on the patio when this Red Kite flew over. I was not prepared so its only using 1/1600s and no exposure compensation, but its not too bad considering that it was a snatched shot.

August 3rd 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

Another very warm day on the meadow. This Magpie seems to have something going on with his eye!

Juvenile Starling.

Nice to be able to see the colours on the side of these Lapwing.

And some Lapwing in flight.

A friendly Crow getting very close to the hide.

Greylag, Little Egret, Cormorant, Greylag again.

Cattle, Lapwing and Grey Heron.

July 31st 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

To change things up a little, I started off using my XF 16-50mm lens, and only switching back to the XF 500mm once I reached the lower hide.

July 29th 2026 – Jacobs Well

Another attempt to see if I could see the White Stalk. Another failure, but I did get some nice Starling and Common Buzzard images.

Common Buzzard.

Crow.

July 28th 2026 – Tices Meadow

Very pleasant on on the meadow this morning. Nice to finally find a Common Sandpiper close enough to get a reasonable image of it. The Lapwing were playing ball too.

Deer.

Cormorant eating lunch.

Little Egret and Common Sandpiper.

Flock of Jackdaw and some Crows.

And the rest…

July 25th 2026 – Tices Meadow

Very quiet on the meadow today. Most birds were very distant today. The water level on the working is down 2.6 metres since the peak, and probably has a lot further to fall given the warm weather we’ve been having this year.

Lapwing in flight.

Grey Heron and Little Egret in the silt pond.

Cattle.

And the rest….

July 24th 2026 – Caesers Camp – Farnborough Air Show

Another hot afternoon taking photographs of the flying display. As you’ll see haze was a huge problem both yesterday and today. Add to that the huge crop required reduces image quality. The only solution is to get closer, maybe I can find a better location to photograph from in 2 years time.

July 23rd 2026 – Caesers Camp – Farnborough Air Show

I don’t have a ticket for the Air Show and I’m too tight to pay for one as I prefer the miliary air shows really. I managed to find my way up to Caesers Camp for the first time and it does give a good view of Farnborough Airport but there are plenty of haze in air which spoilt the longer range shots. In fact, conditions were a better tomorrow. There are best of what I managed to take.

July 17th 2026 – RSPB Bempton Cliffs

I stayed overnight in the car park and was up and walking the cliffs shortly after 5am.

It was a cloudy start to the day with flat light, but on the horizon there was some colour in the sky which I tried to use as a background for some of the photographs. The Gannets fly down to land on the cliff face, so some images are also shot through the grass which grows on the top of the cliff.

You can see a Gannet chick here, still a long way from fledging the nest. But, once they do they do not come ashore again until there 3rd year.

Everyone loves a Puffin!

July 16th 2026 – North Landing, Flamborough

Visited mum in her care home in the morning then drove north over the Humber Bridge to North Landing. This time remembering to pay the bridge toll before getting a fine. The tide was in so rather than go down toward the beech I walked south along the cliff tops. I intended to go as far as the lighthouse, but spent so long taking photographs that I had to turn back without getting anywhere near it.

On my first visit, I struggled to find any Puffins, last time I photographed a few, this time there were too many to count. I think its a question of getting you eye in and once you have a feel for where they like to be you starting seeing lots of them. I even managed a capture a couple of Pufflings too.

This is a Puffin coming into to land on the cliff face, reverse flapping to slow down.

Kittiwake and Herring Gull

A Puffling between adults.

Cormorant.

Kittiwake Chicks.

Guillemot.

July 16th 2026 – RSPB Bempton Cliffs

After the afternoon at North Landing I drove a few miles north to RSPB Bempton Cliffs to see what I capture in the glow of evening light. Lots of Northern Gannet flying around as usual.

Razorbill, Kittiwake Chick and Great Black-backed Gull.

Barn Owl hunting as the sun went down.

July 15th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

My first time out with the camera for a week, too much life occurring for the past few days. Tice’s seems quiet at the moment, not as many birds as I’d expect but its been that way most of this year. Perhaps my expectations are wrong.

July 8th 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

A very hot walk around the meadow this morning, a forecast high of 32c.

I rarely photograph Butterflies but I was sat on bench looking over the meadow, and the Gatekeeper Butterfly are landing on this yellow plant right in front of me.

Some fauna and a Bee.

Coot, Mallard forming a queue to pass under a fence, two Herring Gull, Egyptian Geese, Mallard and Greylag Geese.

Juvenile Moorhen and Canada Goose.

Great Crested Grebe.

July 6th 2026 – In The Garden

A few weeks ago I bought a 3m x 4m piece of camo net on eBay. The intention was to hack together a simple hide for use on the patio so that I could photograph birds, without a hide of some sort most birds keep their distance. Well, that was a miserable failure and it blew over in the wind and left my burning in sun. After some experimentation I have found that best solution is the open a door downstairs and hang the camo netting from the curtain rail. This way I can sit on a chair with my long lens and the birds have no idea I’m there. The added benefit being that I’m am not sat outside melting in the sun.

These are Greater Spotted Woodpecker and I even took a 2 minute video of it feeding on Peanut Kernels. I also discovered that we don’t have just one woodpecker using the feeders, we have a pair, but apart from one brief moment they only come to the feeder one at a time.

July 4th 2026 – In The Garden

Sat in the garden for a while hoping for some peace and quiet. At one point there were 4 tits all trying to feed at the same time.

July 2nd 2026 – Thursley Nature Reserve

Rather quiet, no sign of Goldfinch, Linnet, Dartford Warbler, Crossbill etc.

July 1st 2026 – Tice’s Meadow

There are still surprisingly few birds out on the workings. But I did get some nice in-flight shots. I took a shed load of photographs of a Common Buzzard but they are almost all very soft. I think at some point my right index finger had presses the function button turning off Bird tracking, and it took me quite a while to realize.

Most of todays in-flight images were taken with the bird backlit which makes it difficult to bring out the detail under neath without it looking washed out. This is despite using exposure compensation in camera, sometimes as much as +2 stops. I wonder if bracketing would help.

I thought this was a Hobby until I got home and checked in google lens, but its actually a Peregrine Falcon. They look remarkably similar!