Fatal Attraction
From a human point of view close contact with a pair of Adders may prove fatal but from the male adders point of view he may spend days courting a female.The male in this weeks blog photo approached the female for several days before they got together under a protective stone. He had already fought […]
Glorious Short Eared Owls
With fantastic evenings this last week it was great to visit the Pennine hills to watch the Short Eared Owls. Sadly, fires on some moors have destroyed the breeding habitat so we can only rejoice in the prospect of rain to come to enable the Shorties to breed successfully. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
A New Pennine Grebe
When you have been photographing birds for more than 60 years there are not many birds that turn up on a Pennine reservoir that you have not seen before. However, in late February, on a reservoir near Burnley,an immature Red-Necked Grebe appeared after a long flight from probably Germany.It liked the water that much that […]
Barn Owl Delights
With Spring days upon us now is the time to re-visit old Barn Owl breeding sites and hope that luck is with you. Some of the males only come out at dusk and fewer still will hunt at first light which is the best option for a photograph. Like all wildlife photography your results are […]
Welsh Crossbills
One of the attractions of a stay at Rivercatcher is that you are close to the Welsh pine-forests where Crossbills like to breed. Unfortunately most of my encounters with them have involved young males who do not possess the spectacular red adult plumage. As compensation you may wish to visit Wales highest waterfall Pistyll Rhaeadr […]
The Food Pass
When you have been photographing birds of prey for more than fifty years the challenge eventually is not the bog standard photo but the food-pass photo – that split second moment when the prey is passed from the male to either the female or the young. Your failure rate is extreme – either they have […]
Corncrake Hopes
I have spent the last 49 years visiting Islay and filming its Corncrakes. During that time the number of calling male Corncrakes has fluctuated from less than ten to more than one hundred.On Islay the Whisky industry rules and to facilitate its growth many flower-rich pastures have been turned over to growing Barley, which is next […]
Harrier Years
As we endure awful weather for filming wildlife it is perhaps time to reflect on the 52 years that I have been filming Hen Harriers. For the first forty years I took cine films which were seen all over Britain. In more recent times I have taken digital photos of the adults returning to feed […]
Pretty Boy
There is no doubt that the male Parrot Crossbill is one of the most spectacular and illusive British birds. Every year some breed in the Highlands of Scotland but in England they are rare visitors. So rare in fact that in more than seventy years I have only come across one flock – so enjoy […]
Earliest Ever
In 1958 I found my first birds nest (a Blackbird’s) and in the 67 years since I have recorded and photographed thousands more – but never in January. So filming Herons building a nest on the 30th January, last week was an exceptional event. The male was bringing sticks to the female who then placed […]