Black & White Wednesday

Posted on December 16, 2020December 13, 2020 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., Ireland, irish landscape, wildlife, woodsTagged Black and white, black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., country walking, County Down, Dromara hills, Drumkerragh forest, Kestrel, Kestrel hovering, monochrome photography, Nikon cameras, nikon D750, Northern Ireland, Ravens, Sigma 150-600 zoom, Sigma lens, wild birds, wildlife, wildlife photography, woodland walks12 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.

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 August 26, 2020August 23, 2020 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., Coastal, Ireland, outdoors, wildlife, woodsTagged Black and white, black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., County Down, Days out, family, Ireland, Irelands wildlife, nikon, Nikon D7200, Northern Ireland, outdoor playing, outdoors, Sigma 17-70 mm, Sigma lens, wild birds, Wildfowl, wildlife, wildlife photography, wildlife watching, woodland walks, woods, wwt.org2 Comments

Going for gunpowder, another photograph from Castle Espie. On the way through the woods we passed the old gunpowder store. nothing would do but a look insider. Not sure if he found any and there was nothing on the evening news. So all good.

I normally post one photograph each week on B & W Wednesday but this week I am posting another from Castle Espie. A view across Strangford lough to Scrabo Tower. I meant to post this with another view across Strangford lough I posted a few weeks back.

Looking across Strangford lough to Scrabo Hill.

Some info below:

https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/castle-espie

http://celtandkiwi.com/scrabo/

Thank you for dropping by.

George.

http://celtandkiwi.com/scrabo/

Black & White Wednesday

Posted on August 5, 2020August 2, 2020 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., General, Ireland, outdoors, woodsTagged Black and white, black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., Castle Espie, forest walking, Kids, monochrome, monochrome photography, Nikon cameras, Nikon D7200, outdoors, playing, running, Sigma 17-70 mm, Sigma lens, trees, wild birds, Wildfowl, wildlife, Wishing tree, woods, WWTLeave a comment

Another photograph from Castle Espie this week. The photograph is of the Wishing tree at the start/finish of the Secret Swamp. The young man running towards it is my grandson, I had asked him to sit at the bottom of the tree. But running was his option not sitting, way to much energy.

The Wishing tree at Castle Espie, County Down, Northern Ireland.

In the photograph he is slightly blurred due to a low shutter speed I had set for him sitting. But I still like the effect, his wish was to run fast. I think he was granted it.

Camera: nikon D7200 with a Sigma 17-70 mm lens.

Data: ISO 320 : f3.5 @ 1/30 second : lens focal length 39mm.

Thank you for visiting.

George McNeill.

Early Mornings

Posted on April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 Posted in General, Ireland, irish landscape, outdoors, wildlife, woodsTagged bird photography, Bird watching, Blogging, Chaffinch, country walks, County Down, Dunnock, history, Ireland, Mistle Thrush, Mountains, Mourne mountains, Northern Ireland, outdoors, photography, roe, Roe deer, wildlife, wildlife photography5 Comments

My how life has changed for most of us, restrictions, work closures and social distancing to name a few. So for the last six weeks I’ve been at home, fuel prices are down the weather is great but I can’t go anywhere. Travel restrictions are in force so traveling to the coast is not going to happen. I have been walking in my local area and get out for sunrise most morning. I walk in a local wood for a few hours and explore trails that take me away from the beaten path. I don’t carry my camera every morning but will use my mobile/cell to photograph sunrise’s and landscapes in the woods. I post to Instagram most days, link at the bottom of the page. So any photos on this blog are taken with my Nikon DSLR. The following where taken over a period of time.

This shot is across County Down with the Mourne mountains in the back ground.

The remains of a small hill farm for days long gone.

Been trying to find out more about this Cross on a distance hill. (most of this photos are shot with a telephoto lens which creates a compressed perspective). I have been told it was a site of a Mass rock. Link: Mass rock

Will be finding out more about this cross and I have to find if there is public access to it.

A cool frosty morning in this shot with frost lying on the fields in the foreground and the hills on the other side of Belfast in the background. A view around 25 miles away. The next shot is to the west and is of Scrabo Tower above the town of Newtownards in County Down. Again this would be around 25 mile away. Link: Scrabo

Given the warm weather we have been having and the cold nights we get the valley’s full with mist early morning and late evening.

Where I grew up in Ireland these mists were known has ghost mists due to the distortion effect on objects around you. If you saw somebody walk into the mist you would understand why….

Going to finish the landscape side with another old hill farm shot, this you can just see through a gap in the trees.

Next a few of the wild life I have managed to photograph on my walks.

A one legged Mistle Thrush. Link : Mistle Thrush

Dunnock: Dunnock

Chaffinch: Link Chaffinch

A young buck and doe deer.

These photographs are of Roe deer. I was lucky to get these shots has the first sight or smell of humans and they disappear . I still had my camera in hand has I make my out of the woods, just rounding a bend I spotted them feeding. I slowly pushed into the foliage beside me and stood still. Having a 150 – 600mm lens on the camera helped me get these shots.

I have a list of the birds and animals still to photograph, so my early morning walks will continue while work is suspended.

Thank you for joining me on my walk.

Stay safe and well.

George.

High tide seals.

Posted on March 20, 2020 Posted in 365 Shutter Release Challenge 2015, Ireland, outdoors, wildlifeTagged Coastal, County Down, gulls, Hightide, Mute swan, Nikon cameras, nikon D750, seagulls, seals, sigma 150-600, Sigma lens, Wildfowl, wildlife, wildlife photography4 Comments

It was high tide on the County Down coast and I knew then would be little happening concerning wildlife. But also knowing high tide brings the seals to Cloghy rocks. It was a high tide has it covered the rock but the seals were there.

Heads and tails has they lay on the rocks below.

Next a couple of gull shots.

Blackheaded gull still in winter plumage.

Herring gulls.

The old windmill overlooking Portaferry.

And the final image a monochrome shot of a Mute swan taken on the Qouile River, Downpatrick.

Thank you for visiting and wherever you are stay safe.

George.

Mud Walker and Thank you..

Posted on December 22, 2019 Posted in Ireland, outdoorsTagged Coastal, County Down, Ireland, Mud, mud flats, photography, redshank, sea birds, sea shore, waders, wild birds, wildlife, wildlife photography9 Comments

Hello my friends, well the rain stopped and the sun make a weak showing. So nipped down to the County down coast which is a half hour drive from home. The tide was out and there where plenty on bird life around. but it was to far out on the mudflats for photography. Would have waited for the incoming tide to push them back to the shore but the light drops here around 3.30pm (2.45pm when I got there) and will be dark an hour later.

There were just a few Redshank’s close to the shore, feeding on whatever lives under this liquid mud. So without boring you I’ll post a few photos of these small waders.

Grabbed a few shots of Rooks flying from the tree behind me.

The next shots were me just playing around with a redshank photo in B&W.

I hope you enjoyed this quick trip to the coast with me.

Before I go I want to wish you all Season’s Greeting, and THANK YOU all for your support over the year.

May all your wishes be granted in 2020.

Happy new year.

George..

Black and White Wednesday

Posted on February 20, 2019 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., outdoors, wildlifeTagged beach, bird photography, Bird watching, Birds, black & white, black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., Blogging, County Down, Grey Wagtail, monochrome, monochrome photography, nikon, Nikon cameras, outdoors, Rocks, sigma, Sigma lens, wildlife, wildlife photography2 Comments

This week’s photo was taken last summer on a beach on the County Down coast. It is a Grey Wagtail sitting on a litchen covered rock.

IMG_20180127_201912_183 Enjoy your day and thank you for visiting.

Black and White Wednesday

Posted on February 13, 2019 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., outdoors, wildlifeTagged black & white, black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., blackandwhite, Great black backed gull, gulls, monochrome, Nikon cameras, Nikon D7200, sea birds, sea shore, seagulls, shore, sigma, Sigma lens, Strangford lough, wildlifeLeave a comment

Great Black-backed gull. First winter plumage. These gulls are the largest gull we get in the UK and Ireland. At a height of 64-78 cm and a wingspan of 150 – 165 cm. These gulls are as large has most geese.

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This shot was taken on the shore of Strangford lough, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Black and White Wednesday

Posted on January 16, 2019 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., General, outdoors, wildlifeTagged art, Birds, black & white, black and white photography, Blogging, Blur, Magpie, monochrome, monochrome photography, nikon, Nikon D7200, outdoors, photography, sigma, Sigma lens, wild birds, wildlife, wildlife photography3 Comments

Has with last weeks photo this weeks follows a similar train of thought. With little detail and blur in the image. A couple of years back I read a book that looked at how a photograph does not always have to be in focus. While unpacking some boxes from storage I came across this book and decided to explore this idea. While not being an award winning image, it is fun to step outside the box or should that be my box.

The Magpie.

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Thank you for visiting.

George.

Black and White Wednesday

Posted on November 21, 2018November 21, 2018 Posted in Black and White Wednesday., outdoors, wildlifeTagged black and white photography, Black and White Wednesday., forest park, Hillsborough forest park, Hillsborough Lake, Lightroom, monochrome photography, Mute swan, nikon, nikon D750, Silver efex pro 2, swan, Tamron lens, walking, wildlife, wildlife photography4 Comments

This weeks shot come from my Sunday walk around Hillsborough Forest Park, County Down, Northern Ireland.

The Mute Swan.

This was edited in Lightroom then finished in Silver Efex Pro 2 which is a B&W editor.

Thank you for viewing and feel free to comment.

George.

George McNeill Photography

Tag: wildlife

Black & White Wednesday

Black & White Wednesday

Black & White Wednesday

Early Mornings

High tide seals.

Mud Walker and Thank you..

Black and White Wednesday

Black and White Wednesday

Black and White Wednesday

Black and White Wednesday