Tag: Nikon cameras

Rathlin Walk 3: the wildlife

Posted on Posted in Coastal, General, Ireland, outdoors, wildlifeTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

My last post was about the walk out to Rue lighthouse. This is the photographs of the wildlife I took while out on the trail. I hopefully will give them the right I.D, so I hope you enjoy the photos.

So the first photos show the Eider duck.

Eider Duck.

Next up is three photos of a Curlew ( NUMENIUS ARQUATA)

A few more minutes along the coast a few more ducks showed up, I think these might be Male Mallard (eclipse) and a Wigeon (rufous female) at the back. The next photo is of a Wigeon (rufous female)?

Wigeon

The first bird to be photographed has I move away from the coast is a Stonechat (male) sitting on a wire fencing.

Male Stonechat

The Coot is up next, this is a very common bird here in Ireland found on all types of water ways.

Coot.

The next bird I post on my last blog post has a Golden eye, after looking closer I think it’s a female Tufted Duck

Tufted Duck

I’m now off road and walking up towards the clipp top trail when I hear the call of a Buzzard (BUTEO BUTEO)

Buzzard

Buzzard

Just before the cliff top trail a flock of Curlew’s flew pass.

Curlews in flight

The next batch of photographs were taken from the ruin cottages down by the coast near Rue lighthouse

Rock Pipit.

Seals and Eider Ducks

The walk back to Church Bay was by road, and it along the first mile this photo’s were taken.

Again I heard the call of Buzzards, this time there was two riding a thermal over the hills I had just walked. They were at the limit of my lens but I got this shot above.

This I’m not sure off but might be the Devil’s – bit Scabious.

Black Bird male. these birds will start to change their diet at this time of year. Feeding on more fruits in this case black-berries .
Common Carder bee

I have just got back to walking along the coast, a small sandy beach nests in the rocky coast line. I blimb down a take a seat on a sandy bank at it’s edge. It’s from here I get some of the small waders feeding here.

Dunlins feeding along the waters edge.

The last two images are Little Ringed Plovers .
I believe the two images above are of a Rock Pipit.

These are the last birds I photographed before entering the village. Again I’ll leave you with this photo of the Kelp house .

thank you for viewing

George mcNeill.

Rathlin Island

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Rathlin island sits about six miles off the north coast of Northern Ireland and around 11 miles from Scotland. In the spring/summer months sea birds in there hundreds converge here for the breeding season.

The Island is a dog leg shape around 8 mile long and around 1 mile wide, there are three lighthouses at the three points. The south lighthouse is closest to the N.Ireland shore, the East lighthouse looks out towards Scotland and it here that Robert the Bruce hid in a cave close to the lighthouse during the  First War of Scottish Independence against England. He fought successfully during his reign to regain Scotland’s place as an independent kingdom and is now revered in Scotland as a national hero.

Looking across the Irish sea to Scotland 11 miles away from Rathlin. Island..

rathlincommunity.org

Its’ at the other end off the island the main centre for sea birds lies at the West lighthouse. It’s a reserve run by the RSPB and a bus runs from Church Bay out to the centre. The first thing is the noise from Thousands of sea birds fill the air and the other can be the smell that can fill the air if the wind blows in the wrong direction. But the sight you will never forget.

This is the top of one of the sea stacks, covered mostly with Guillemots.

Guillemots on another sea stack,

https://abhainncruises.com/portfolio-items/rathlin-island-trip/

The above photo is from abhainncruises.com and is a view of the west lighthouse. It’s different from the normal due to the light being at the bottom, you can see it here in this image situated in front /bottom of the main building.

The next images will be from the main viewing platform which is on the left of this image.

Kittiwake nests on the ledges high above the shore. These are true seagulls, with non-breeding period spent entirely at sea.

Razorbill, note they lay there eggs on the rock without a nest. Another bird that is rarely seen outside the breeding season. It spends most of it time far out at sea.

Razorbill. A beautiful bird with it’s striking marking on the bill.

Fulmar: to me this is one of our most beautiful seabirds, And to watch them fly in to land is a marvel to watch. They approach at high speed looking like it not stopping, then land so softly. Or to watch them hang on the wind coming off the cliff faces, truly amazing. has the next photograph shows.

Fulmar: Hanging on the breeze.

Fulmar: hanging the breeze.

This is all from Rathlin at this time. Planning a walk around part of the Island soon.

thank you all for viewing, take care

George.

Before I go I’d like to say hello to Evelyn and her mum who chatted to me on the ferry back to Ballycastle. Thank you for taking time to look at some off my images and enjoy your life at university.

ATB George.

https://www.rspb.org.uk

http://www.rathlincommunity.org/visit

52 week Black and White

Posted on Posted in 52 week Black and White, Coastal, Ireland, Motorcycling travel, outdoors, photo rallyTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Week 9

This week I’m in Downings (Na Dunaibh) in the north of County Donegal.

This photo is of the Laurentic Gun at Downings Pier.

Laurentic gun at Downings Pier.

The following links give the history of the gun the ship and the gold that it was carring when sunk. .

https://www.inishowennews.com/LGun.htm

https://www.whitestarhistory.com/laurentic1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Laurentic_(1908)

Thank you for visiting.

George ☘️

52 week Black and White

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Week 9

Hello and welcome, here we are at the start off another month. So this week’s photo comes from County Meath, Ireland and the grand gateway to Rathaldron Castle a few kilometres from Navan town.

Some of the castles history can be found at this link: http://www.navanhistory.ie/index.php?page=rathaldron-castle

Rathaldron Castle

Thank you for viewing, have a great week.

George ☘️

52 week Black and White.

Posted on Posted in 52 week Black and White, motorcycling, Motorcycling travel, photo rallyTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Week 5

Another Irish photo rally point this week. It comes from the town of Pomeroy in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

http://www.irishphotorally.ie/

It is number six on the Irish photo rally map.

The lady with the golden hair, Pomeroy, County Tyrone

If you would like to see the colour photo it’s on my Instagram account.

Vision_of_Seoirse

Thank you and wherever you are in the world be kind to one another ☘️

52 week Black and White

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week five.

So with a mini heat wave this week I got out on the motorbike. I done one off the Irish photo rally points. http://www.irishphotorally.ie/

For those that look at the I. P. R site this photo is number five on the map.

This is the old Water pump/post office in Donaghmoyne in County Monaghan.

The date above the door is 1857, not sure if it was a post office from that date.. Today it could be somes home.

The m/c is a BMW r1200gs and me and this old girl has covered many happy miles. Hopefully a few more this year.

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., Ireland, irish landscape, wildlife, woodsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 12 Comments

Welcome to another B & W Wednesday, hope all is well in you in your part of the world. The norm of this post is a single photograph. I will be posting a few images if they are related to the day and place they where photographed.

So the location is in the Dromara hills close to my home. The morning was heavy fog but around 11.30 am the sun was burning it off and opening the views to that layered effect.

This was taken has I climbed up through Drumkerragh forest has the fog was thinning.

With the fog clearing quickly has I walked higher up into the forest the sound of crows and ravens filled the valley with there calls. Pairs flying from tree top to tree top it gave me a chance to get a few nice images. This one below is off a couple of Ravens on a dead tree.

Raven ( Corvus corax) is a member of the crow family.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/raven/

In spring if you ever get the chance to watch Ravens do their courting flight, please watch them. They love to fly and at times you might think they have a death wish has they race towards the earth.

Here’s a link to a short Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFKcj9aN7ZI

My next encounter was a small bird of prey, a Kestrel. I saw it sitting on a tree top and slowly made my way towards it. I lost sight of it and then has I rounded a group of trees there she sat. I got a few images has she sat looking around her but a bunch of twigs was spoiling them. Then she took off and came my way drifting on the breeze looking for prey. Nearly above me she started to hover and that’s when I got the following image.

Female Kestrel.

Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ) belongs to the falcon family of birds.

Kestrel:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/animals/birds/kestrel/

These are another fun bird to watch has they hover in the sky looking for small prey on the ground, when spotted the drop at great speed onto there prey.

Kestrel hovering, this is a great slow motion film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0D-J0cgJME

Kestrel hovering and the dive in real time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaRSihpIU34

Hope you enjoyed a little part of my morning walk and a few of the wildlife we have here in Northern Ireland.

Take care and stay safe.

George.

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., General, petsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Hello to my visitors, hope you are all keeping well where-ever you are in our crazy world. This week I would like to meet a home invader. Been caught in my living room, sitting on my sofa, in my kitchen. But is always welcome to come in and get petted. So the other morning I was going out to the coast to do some photography, it was sitting on the doorstep and the sun was reflecting off the white van. So I grabbed the camera and took three or four photos. I turned one into this weeks B & W image. It was only when I looked at the finished photo I thought this is a grumpy looking cat. But it a very friendly and adores getting attention. Did you notice it sits with a front paw up like you would see some dogs do. It always sits like this, at first I thought it might have a sore paw ( hence the grumpy look) but seems to walk and run ok.

Grumpy cat..

So this my house invader, always welcome to come in.

I used a Nikon D7200 fitted with a Tamron 70 – 200 mm SP lens.

Photo data: f/4, 1/60 sec shutter speed. ISO 100 and lens focal length 78 mm.

Thank you for visiting and be kind to all living things.

George.

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on Posted in Black and White Wednesday., irish landscape, outdoors, wildlife, woodsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Out early Sunday morning and went up to my local woods, Drumkerragh Forest. A misty view of the forest and Slieve Croob mountain greeted me. Has I set off with camera bag and monopod on my walk, I hoped the sun would burn off the mist. After three hours of walking and into my final mile the sun started to do its job.

This was taken with a Sigma 150-600 mm lens, shot at 240mm. I love the way a telephoto lens can give the appearance of compressed distance between distant objects in a scene.

This area has a large number of ravens around the woods at this time of the year. Walking towards some dead trees just of the trail. Two landed close by on one of the trees.

Missed the first one in but caught the second one landing has seen above.

This next shot is a silhouette shot edited in Silver efex pro, I use this to edit all my B&W images.

Again it contains a lone Raven sitting calling across the valley.

The start of the walk did not look promising from a photography point but I ended the morning with a few good shots to edit in the evening.

Thank you for visiting and stay safe.

George.

Black & White Wednesday

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This weeks image was taken around five of years back when I was playing around with lighting and having no model at hand it was yours truly in front of the camera. So here is one of those images from that evening.

I was using a fixed light to my right and a reflector on my left side fixed to a spare tripod. It was shot on a Nikon D5300 camera with a Sigma 17- 70 mm lens at 55mm , ISO 100, f/5.3 and 1/100 second shutter speed.

I have been sorting through images stored on hard drives I used has backup . So expect to see a few more image from the archives in the future.

Take care my friends,

George.