[SA Chris]

Little Ringed Plover and Tufted Duck in "the water hole" (foundations that have filled up with water) opposite our office.

[andy_e]

I was there on Sunday Tim! Perhaps our paths crossed! Still got a tern-related lump on my head... Fantastic photos as per.

[tlr]

We were on the islands on Saturday, I think you probably had the better light on Sunday. Amazing place though, I loved the terns.

[SA Chris]

Great shots Tim. Id it easy enough to book? We were in Fife recently and wanted to get to The Isle of May, but were told to join a waiting list. Bass Rock is even worse.

[SamT]

Its piss Chris.

Rock up anytime in Seahouses and choose from any of the many outfits offering boat cruises.  Trips every day, weather permitting.

[tlr]

Yeah, I booked via the Billy Shiels website. There is nothing to pay though until the day in case the weather is too bad to sail.

£40 pp for the all day trip landing for 2 hours on each of the two islands. The kicker is the £27 pp for landing on the islands, free if you are a National Trust member though.

[andy_e]

Or £18 for 2 1/2 hour trip plus an hour on one of the islands (£9.45 or free if NT) like we did.

[cheque]

Has anyone else see the massive numbers of tiny bees(?) at Stanage? Just back from the edge at the top of the popular end, there are swarms of the tiny things, coming in and out of holes in the (currently extremely dry and sandy) earth. I don’t remember seeing them before, certainly not in these numbers.

[SamT]

Not seen the bees, but did see a Hen Harrier quartering the ground behind the Cowper stone on Saturday evening.

Pretty chuffed as I've not really clearly seen one before

[bigironhorse]

Spotted my first kingfisher last night down by the river near froggatt. Flying across the river amd perched for a while. Amazing, couldn't believe what i was seeing!

[Johnny Brown]

Not seen the bees, but did see a Hen Harrier quartering the ground behind the Cowper stone on Saturday evening.

Woah, good tick! Male or female? Still lots of eared Owls in Burbage ex-plantation.

[SamT]

Right - OK, so wheres the egg on face emoticon. 

I was driving towards the bridges from town, spotted something quartering over to the right/behind the cowper stone.

I'm sure I've seen recent comments on here about Hen Harrier sightings - over big moor/houndkirk (though a quick search now doesn't show any) so assumed it to be a harrier.

If there's eared owls in Burbage (which I've not ever seen mentioned on this thread) then its much more likely one of these.  We didn't stop or get bins out or owt. 

Jumped to the wrong conclusion it seems. Soz

[cofe]

The owls in Burbage are a great sight at the moment. Good views from Higgar East.

[fatneck]

Couple of lizards on the footpath above Burbage North last Friday. Don't recall ever seeing British lizards before so was delighted!

[Will Hunt]

IMGL0978 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

This photograph encapsulates perfectly why I will never set foot on the Farne Islands again. Millions upon millions of screaming birds shrieking their derision at every peaceful passer by. We found a picnic bench and attempted to have our packed lunch. It was like a Hitchcock film. I can't see why anybody visits these islands. You wouldn't hear that millions of football hooligans had been confined to a small rocky promontory in the North Sea and were living off an endless supply of free Tenants on tap and think, "Ooh, we simply must take the children".

And then there's the birdwatchers, practically jizzing with excitement at seeing a lesser-shagged cormorant.

Do you know there have been a load of monks who have actually lived on these infernal isles? How (and why) they have managed this, I cannot comprehend. They generally become saints, but if that's what's required to be canonised then count me out.

[Will Hunt]

IMGL0978 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

I mean, look at the little bastards. They've absolutely defiled that person and they still have not had satisfaction.

[SA Chris]

Don't go to Bass Rock then, looks like shit upon shit.

[fatneck]

A few Choughs, Gannets and Terns on the Llyn last week. Loads of seals too. Also, a flotilla of 30+ Red Breasted Merganser at Beaumaris - I feel like I've seen this spectacle before?

A photo I'm pleased with - A Chough and Crow or maybe a Raven? Interested on people's thoughts...

Chough and Crow by Simon HUthwaite, on Flickr

[tlr]

I'd guess at crow, but it's hard to judge size in silhouette. Doesn't look bulky enough for raven to me.

Some recent shots, including a few in the garden with a borrowed 500mm f4, which I now want rather badly!

IMGL7605 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

IMGL7644 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

IMGL7641 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

IMGL5869 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

IMGL7460 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

Pleased to get a chiffchaff in the garden

IMGL6734 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

3 owls in this picture

IMGL7134 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

17 points I reckon on this stag

IMGL7068 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

And finally a crap shot of an Osprey,  but this was taken at Fox House!

IMGL6953 by Tim Russon, on Flickr

[SamT]

Flippin Heck Tim, some incredible shots there.

Do you do this professionally i.e. do you sell to magazines etc. 

If not, why not!!!

[fatneck]

Superb as ever Tim! 

[tlr]

Do you do this professionally i.e. do you sell to magazines etc. 

If not, why not!!!

Thanks, but no, I haven’t sold any wildlife images yet. There are a lot of brilliant photographers out there.

I have sold a couple of framed landscapes from my website, www.peakpixels.co.uk, and done the photography for the L’Eroica Britannia event for the last couple of years. And you might have seen some of my shots in the Peak Bouldering Guide, but I can’t give up the day job just yet unfortunately.

[SA Chris]

Do you ever enter WLPOTY? To my untrained eye your shots are as good as many of the "urban view" ones in there.

[Will Hunt]

A grass snake today, in suburban Chesterfield of all places. Never seen one before.

[tlr]

Do you ever enter WLPOTY? To my untrained eye your shots are as good as many of the "urban view" ones in there.

Again, thanks, but from what I see these days the images that do well in WLPOTY have to be more than nice, competent wildlife pictures. Looks to me like they either have to have an interesting back story, tell a good story themselves or have merit in an artistic way. And it is surprisingly expensive to enter; it’s no wonder the prizes are good! Maybe I’ll try one day, but I don’t think I’m anywhere near at the moment.