Coots mating, ducks in trees and other sightings…

By Words | Published February 14, 2011

This is by way of filling in some gaps from the recent posts with some photos that didn't quite fit in with other entries. The first set is one of the last sequences taken in Regent's Park (my daily commute to London has come to an end). Captured last Friday, it's a pair of coots mating. And in case you're having trouble seeing her, the hen is almost entirely submerged.

The hen, when she finally surfaced, made a bit a splash!

Friday also produced another 'odd shot'… a duck in a tree. This was a first for me and I had to look twice to see if it really was a duck.

I thought it might have been a goose 😉

The next tonight was taken on Saturday while I was photographing the kestrels. It's a skylark.

To end I've picked a couple of photos taken today. The first is a sparrowhawk passing overhead (at a fair distance).

Lastly, a photo of the moon. This was actually taken during the day but has been converted to black and white, and the background darkened.

Nature Blog Network
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D. The first 7 were with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The final two were taken with the EF 400mm f/5.6L USM.

This entry was posted in Bird of Prey, Birds, Moon, water birds and tagged , , , , , .

16 Comments

  1. RobinL February 15, 2011 at 12:02 am #

    Words, very nice. Looks like the hen Coot is a bit of a glutton for punishment! Either that or she just kept eating under there.
    The Skylark is very pretty. I don't think I've seen one before.

  2. wellisteffi February 15, 2011 at 5:02 am #

    Excellent imagines,Words. :up:
    It looks almost like trying to drown a duck the other.
    If you live ducks so as dangerous as me.
    I was even viewers of such action.
    The moon image is great.

  3. serola February 15, 2011 at 8:02 am #

    A perfect moon shot and wonderful pictures of birds as well :up:

  4. lokutus-prime February 15, 2011 at 3:02 pm #

    Beautiful shots! :up: What lens did you use for the moon shot?

  5. Words February 15, 2011 at 9:02 pm #

    Robin, the skyarks are great little birds. They hover and then sort of parachute down, singing the whole time… as if the song is what keeps them in the air.

  6. Words February 15, 2011 at 9:02 pm #

    Lokutus, hi and thanks! I used the Canon 400mm f/5.6 for the moon photo.

  7. Words February 15, 2011 at 9:02 pm #

    Sami, thanks. I prefer photographing the moon in daylight and then converting. It seems to produce a better image.

  8. Words February 15, 2011 at 9:02 pm #

    Steffi, thanks. I have some photos of ducks as well 😉 Those were taken a year or so ago.

  9. Dudley February 16, 2011 at 12:02 am #

    Those ducks trying to be Wood Ducks?

  10. wellisteffi February 16, 2011 at 4:02 am #

    The post is just like me.
    However, it is reassuring that have survived
    all the ducks. 😀

    http://my.opera.com/wellisteffi/blog/2011/02/05/the-duck-klitschko

  11. serola February 16, 2011 at 7:02 am #

    Originally posted by Words:

    I prefer photographing the moon in daylight and then converting. It seems to produce a better image.

    Thanks for the advice :up:

  12. SittingFox February 16, 2011 at 7:02 pm #

    Lovely shot of the lark! Not the easiest species to capture on camera.

  13. Words February 16, 2011 at 10:02 pm #

    Adele, the lark more or less landed next to me. They're not always so thoughtful 🙂

  14. Words February 16, 2011 at 10:02 pm #

    Andy, ah so wood ducks are tree-dwellers. I didn't know.

  15. Words February 16, 2011 at 10:02 pm #

    Steffi, it's the same the world over it seems!

  16. wellisteffi February 17, 2011 at 4:02 am #

    As with children.
    They dispute is also everywhere in the world. :rolleyes: