Photographing a captive Goshawk...

Photographing a captive goshawk was a real challenge today. Even when working with captive birds of prey, achieving good images is anything but easy. Finding suitable perches and backgrounds whilst trying to cope with terrible light in a dark woodland are just some of the challenges. Add flight shots into the bargain and it becomes even harder..!  The image I had in mind was almost impossible to capture, due to such low light levels. In the end the best result was photographing side on whilst panning to capture a motion shot; even with this technique I found myself using ISO 1000  -  I think for the first time ever..!!

Towards the end of the day, the fleeting sun provided soft backlighting for a pleasing natural shot of a goshawk within its woodland habitat. Many thanks again to Ben...

http://www.naturephotographycourses.co.uk/     http://www.paulmiguel.co.uk/

Photograping wild Peregrine Falcons in Yorkshire!

Yorkshire has some truly fantastic sites for wildlife photography, but perhaps none quite as exhilarating as Malham Cove during the breeding season. Last Friday saw me on top of the cove watching a pair of wild peregrines flying against the perfect deep blue sky. These kind of mornings are what gets the blood flowing... truly inspiring... a special wildlife spectacle, played out in a majestic landscape. Peregrines have nested on the cove for the last few years, and whilst they are protected near the nest by law, here it's possible to photograph them from the public footpath.

These flight shots have only had slight cropping - showing just how close the peregrines can be! All were shot with a 300mm lens and 1.4 converter. I always think that trying to use a tripod or monopod is just a waste of time... these birds are so fast that you really need to handhold to follow them effectively. Still, it's tough..! A peregrine can be on the other side of the valley one minute and then right above your head the next. These images were taken on ISO 400 at shutter speeds between 1/1250 and 1/2000 of a second. I slightly decreased the aperture for some to increase depth of field - which seemed to improve the image a little.

Watching these birds drop like a stone then rise steeply above the cove is an incredible experience. I had a number of chances as both birds performed against the crystal clear blue sky - lit by bright sun.

The conditions were just perfect, and I'm itching to get back before the young fledge. Last year I pretty much missed the whole thing, so I'm more than happy to have these shots in the bag..

Next year I am planning to run a workshop concentrating on the bird life of Malhamdale - to include the peregrines. If you're interested in this wildlife photography workshop then send me an email or give me a call. It's certainly one of the most exciting wildlife shoots you'll ever have!!

Bempton Cliffs Wildlife Photography Workshop

Photograph the spectacular seabirds at Bempton Cliffs

I will be running a photography workshop to coincide with the busiest activity at Bempton Cliffs on the Yorkshire coast on Sunday 26th June. Price: £100 per person. Maximum: 5 people. The site is home to twenty thousand pairs of gannets along with breeding puffins, guilemots and razorbills.
The opportunities along the cliff tops are endless, with non-stop birds returning to their nests and landing on rocky ledges. There are some particularly good viewpoints which give perfect opportunities for flight photography against the ocean backdrop. Tuition will be given on flight photography techniques, exposure and composition and also on predicting behaviour. The gannets will be our main target, but the site is also good for photographing guilemot, razorbill, puffin, kittiwake and fulmar. In addition there is a bird feeding station which regularly attracts farmland species including large flocks of tree sparrow throughout the year.

Itinerary (subject to slight changes)

10.00am: Meet and discuss the day over coffee.
10.30am: Set out to visit the west or eastern viewing point

2.00pm: Lunch at the White Horse Pub, Bempton

3.00pm: Visit bird feeding station then visit different seabird viewing area
Late afternoon/evening: If the light is good then there will be the option of photographing til sunset with time to have a break and a rest beforehand.

Equipment: Any lens from 200mm upwards is large enough here; tripod/beanbag (beanbags are preferable and can be rested on the fence post when photographing seabirds); plenty of memory card space!! Bear in mind the exposed cliff top can become quite cold even in mid summer so adequate clothing is advised.

Email me: paul.miguel@ntlworld.com or phone 07759485791 to book a place. (A £30 deposit is required)

The Mirage of the Meadow

The last few months have been great for wildlife photography - and if I haven't always bagged the shots I wanted (on numerous occasions), I have at least witnessed some wonderful sights and revelled in the sheer joy of watching our British wildlife. Back in March I saw my first water vole, followed by another sighting last week. These squat little mammals are magical creatures, and I am figuring out the best plan to optimise potential images... it may take a while! I have had a number of other sightings too, including baby long tailed tits, running roe deer, a family of red grouse, and a mid air scrap between a sparrowhawk and heron..! But there is one experience which for me tops them all, and one which has left me both exhilarated and inspired...

It was two summers ago when I first witnessed a short eared owl on the local farm. Watching from the roadside, I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing, as this stunning bird methodically quartered the meadow in broad daylight. After this sighting, I never saw the bird again... until a couple of weeks back that is. Again the bird looked like it had been there for ever, as it repeatedly quartered the fields and flew around the hedgerows. A few evenings later, from the edge of the field, I was witnessing the same thing yet again, although on this occasion I was much closer. Camera in hand, I made my way slowly forward, keeping low in the grasses thinking, "there could be a grab-shot here." However, no sooner did I realise the bird was out of view, than a huge flying owl was virtually upon me. With purposefully direct flight, I watched the owl zip over my head, complete with hanging vole in tow. Instinct told me that I might be able to watch this bird at closer range. My 'roe deer' hide is situated at the edge of the buttercup meadow, and it was over this exact field that the owl was hunting. Knowing that owls can be creatures of habit, and thinking that this day might just happen to coincide with an abundance of voles for some reason, I headed for the hide...

In my hide I was now completely hidden, and perfectly situated at the field edge, should the owl return. Sure enough, my instincts were right, and within less than ten minutes the short-eared was back. It was clearly favouring this one buttercup meadow. I watched in amazement as the bird repeatedly quartered the meadow, covering almost every inch of ground. I was surprised to see just how agile the owl was, being able to change direction incredibly quickly and even do a good job of hovering at times. Every so often the bird would switch direction and disappear from view, as it dropped into the buttercups. The hit rate for this bird seemed impressive, and I watched it catch three voles in less than an hour, before making a bee-line across the hedgerow (surely a nest somewhere...)
This was a memorable experience to say the least. Photography wise I managed some pleasing flight shots - a little far away, but they did show the evironment well. That high impact flight shot with lovely back-lighting above the buttercups just didn't materialise... but the experience pretty much made up for it. This would have to go down as one of the the 'wildest' experiences I've ever had. To watch this wild bird of prey so intimately, and truly at ease, was indeed a privilege.

And what since that wild encounter..? Well, just like the previous years... the owl now seems to have completely vanished - just like it was never even there. I could be forgiven for thinking that I dreamt it... but this time I have the pictures to prove the owl is real!