I returned to @RSPBMinsmere today for another Bittern watch after the freezing weather to find the Mere still frozen and no snow. During a five hour session, I noticed in the corner a Common Snipe in a hollow in the reed beds preening it's self revealing their stunning plumage.

Wishing everyone a happy New Year. This photo of a Bittern was taken several years ago, I was under island mere hide, laying with my head on the ground and the camera lens elevated up under the boards and is slightly cropped to centre the image. The Bittern was that close to me.

As we come to an end of another year, I have taken the time to reflect on this years photography adventures which have taken me to all four corners of England. I asked myself, could I have another good year like last year, the answer is simple, they just keep getting better, a few of those moments 😊

WISHING One and All a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful, Healthy Happy New Year. I would like to thank everyone who has commented, liked and for your positive words of appreciation for my photography. Enjoy the Christmas spirit which we all share at this time of year 😊☃️🎄☃️

More of these wonderful little Crested tits from my workshop with @PeteWalkden1973 in Scotlands ancient forrests last week. There are many photos to choose from, all equally to my eyes a pleasing result. Once again spending time with this magical species, I never tire of seeing them every year ☺️

Few more photos edited from my trip to Scotland for the Red Squirrels with @PeteWalkden1973 These photos show the diverse and typical enviroment you would expect to see Red Squirrels in Scotland. I was privileged to be able to see and photograph them. A favourite for all to see😊

Tomorrow I will be on my way to scotland for my Crested tit workshop with @PeteWalkden1973 over the next few days. Another year has past and I still look forward seeing these Crested beauties in the ancient forests of Scotland. Red Squirrels possibly on this trip all being well😊

I returned to the Crossbills with a couple of friends who had come a long way to see and photograph them. They were not disapointed, albeit they had to wait six hours for them to appear. No 4 photo, the black is the underside of a car in the car park, which I found fascinating and interesting 😊👍

I went to Wesleton Heath again today as the weather was excellent but cold and windy. This Kestrel was hunting over the heath and came down many times, but did not catch much. Each time it would return to this Oak tree and wait, then fly down to the ground trying to catch it's prey.

I still felt there was more to be had from the Crossbills, with the puddle, reflections and light. All I had to do was get the Crossbills to come down the right time of day and for the light to be in the right place. The golden glow is a reflection of the trees lit up by the sun.

Dropped into Island mere hide, @RSPBMinsmere this morning at 8.00am, and at 8.30am we were all rewarded with this view of a mother Otter with her two cubs. The last time I saw this activity with Otters was back in 2017, so this was an absolutely wonderful way to begin the day😊

Look who popped into the garden again today, This lovely Sparrow Hawk, looking for a warm meal on a cold wet day in November. He looks ready to catch his next meal, those eyes are seeking out his likely prey. I think it was looking at me photographing it through my kitchen window 😆😉

After about a seven hour wait, finally we had a visit from a male and female Crossbill. By that time the puddle was in the strong late afternoon sunlight, and there were many shadows all over the car park and main road. This created a high saturated colours and shadowing outcome.

This is your chance to make sure our future is wild 🐾 For the next 10 days, generous match funders are doubling any donations we receive. Please help us reach our ambitious target of £100,000 and start creating a wilder tomorrow today👇 https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/appeal

COP30 debates protecting biodiversity today. Glyn Evans says even our gardens can make a difference ! Since urban gardens make up 30% of green space, individual efforts add up to big change. Read his ideas here eastangliabylines.co.uk/environment/...

A few of my favourites from this year. We are lucky to have such stunning birds either visiting or residents of Suffolk. There have been many more, and they are really wonderful to see. I share these images to show and tell a short story about the birds, suported with my photos.

Spending lots of valuable time with one species, gives you a better understanding about their behaviour. Most of all, some wonderful moments witnessed/captured in the same puddle time after time. Sometimes there was no body there, and that peace and quiet is good for the soul especially these days 😊

Back in 1997, there were just 11 booming male Bitterns left in the UK – almost extinct. Thanks to conservation by @rspb.bsky.social and @naturalengland.bsky.social 283 booming males were recorded in 2024. Les Cater shares his story and stunning photos of these rare birds ⤵️

I am having a break from Minsmere for a while, and not really wanting to see all the other rare birds that are about with crowds of photographers and birders. Instead I had a quiet day back out watching the Crossbills. This one took flight, leaving the puddle after a good drink😊

Hi everyone, if you want to read about my Bittern encounters and studies over the last seven years, then you might like this. It's an article I was asked to write 😉 eastangliabylines.co.uk/environment/...

Hi all, If you have time, please take a look at my article that the East Anglia Bylines have kindly published. My thanks to them for making this possible, and wonderfully presented by East Anglia Bylines.

3 Days turned into 5 with the Crossbills, as I was asked by friends and visitors to help them find, see, and photograph them. For some it was the first time they had ever seen one. Sharing the experience with others was a pleasure, and I have made more new friends in doing so😊😉

This is the result of 3 days and many hours waiting to get this and a few more images exactly as I planned it. This particular photo really does show the beauty of these unusual birds called Crossbills, and to get three males in this pose was exactly what I hoped to achieve. 😊

I have been going through my Bittern files, and there are many, to many, but I have found some lovely images I had yet to process from several years ago. This is Island mere hide back in those days, from under the hide. Some great setting sun moments, some lovely Bitterns @rspbminsmere.bsky.social

After two weeks waiting for this Bittern to leave its little clump of reeds where it would be all day feeding, this morning the Bittern flew just up the channel nearby. It emerged for a change, made it's way along the edge of the mere in the open and not hide in the reeds. @rspbminsmere.bsky.social

Yesterday morning @RSPBMinsmere it was busy at Island mere hide with members of the heron family feeding well. The Bittern, Great White Egret, and the Grey Heron were putting on a show who could catch the biggest fish, in this case Rudd and Roach. I think the Bittern edged it😉👍

This is what happens when a Bittern takes up residence in an area of reed beds in front of Island mere hide on the left the last 10 days. A GW Egret kept bothering the bittern by going into those reeds on the edge of the mere to fish. Excellent territorial behaviour response 😊👍@rspbminsmere

Bearded tit female quietly moving through the reeds when I was under Island mere hide @RSPBMinsmere while I was watching the Bitterns. It was lovely to see her, as we all go for the males, but I think the females are as beautiful in their own right. What do you think 🤔 😉😊

One of the under estimated larger birds of the marshes, the Great White Egret. This image was captured this week on a grey cloudy day with a moment of sunlight breaking throug, gave this image a slightly back-lit affect. Personally, I like days like this as it makes you creative.

While waiting for the Bittern to show today, we had a visit from the wonderful male Kingfisher at island mere @RSPBMinsmere I decided not to crop it to much, otherwise you loose the surroundings in which he visits at least several times a day.

This Bittern has occupied a part of the reed bed left of Island mere hide @RSPBMinsmere Over two days in about 5/6 meters X 2 meters strip of reed bed, has repelled all that came close to it. A GW Egret tried to invade the patch, this was the response. He/she will not budge 😂

Excellent start to the Autumn Bittern season here @RSPBMinsmere Today over an six hour session, we had seventeen bittern flights, with two of the bitterns being very big, likely to be males. The weather was not great, but just for a moment the misty clouds filtered some sunlight.

I have posted this photo of the Turkestan Shrike we had for eight days at Dunwich heath, only to show how you can get the best out of a poor light day. This was taken when it was cloudy right at the end of the day the light goes flat and this enables you to get a better expossure with natural light.

It seems the Turkestan Shrike might have finally gone, no more reports today. I think all of us hope he gets home or as close as he can safely. I really have enjoyed watching a Shrike doing what they do when catching prey. He gained a great deal of repect and affection from me 😊

One of those moments when you get the chance to do something different, today was that day. Turkestan Shrike Dunwich.😊😉

Saved some of my best images from three days at Dunwich Heath to last, although there are more, I will not put anymore up for a while after these. I cant think I have had better days with such a wonderful bird like this rare Turkestan's Shrike. This is one stunning bird to see and photograph😊

Later in the day after nearly everyone had gone, the Turkestan Shrike flew off from where it had been all day. I got to a small gorse bush out of sight not far where it had been hoping it would return, it did and I had it for at least an half an hour quietly on my own. Magic 😊

With a very early start I got to see my very first Turkestan Shrike today on Dunwich heath. A stunner and not one to get to close to, so just enjoyed the fact I saw it. I decided not to crop this image much, as it as good as it gets under the conditions we had today. Just Enjoy

Crested Tits from last years crested tit workshop with @PeteWalkden1973 Going back this year to see these wonderful birds for the third time. Beautiful ancient woodlands with these magical birds is something not to be missed. Got to be one of my favourite birds to see every year.

This has to be one of my favourites from this years Bittern watch/observations. From under the hide at Island mere @RSPBMinsmere early spring, shows the beautiful blue lores on a male Bittern ready for the breeding season, albeit he was a young bird he is an excellent example😊👍

Red Footed Falcons hunting over Carlton Marshes Suffolk, a few weeks ago. Stunning species and these views are my very first of one.

At the end of every year, I take the oppertunity to go over to the Heath and from around December to February I observe and photograph the Dartford Warblers. As this is pre season to the year ahead breeding time, this alows me to see and photograph them safely before they seek out females to mate.

I am now back to my Bittern studies of bittern behaviour during the spring mating period and right throug the summer. The time commitment is high and here are some images from a week under a hide watching these male bitterns emerge from the reed beds to feed, and one male was booming in front on me.

Bearded tits at RSPB Minsmere captured in the sunlight on a frosty cold day. Using the the freedom of the light, the back ground, and by standing to one side as the bird climbs the reed stem it then bends away from the reed bed. This isolates the single reed stem over the chosen back ground nicely.

Love this time of year, it's when you get the best views of Bullfinches in their beautiful plumage. This male Buffinch I have now seen twice at RSPB Minsmere over this last week feeding on the dried out Blackberry fruits from last years summer.

The latest @suffolkbirdgroup.bsky.social The Harrier is now out with members and will be my final one as editor after 7 years! Thanks to all the contributors over that time, including @lesjwc.bsky.social who provided the front cover image for this edition. #SuffolkBirds

I have added to my ongoing thread about Bittern behaviour at RSPBMinsmere on my web site mywildlifeimages.com On the web site you will find my own observations, my own personal views about Bitterns and records gathered. Also there is an substantial info collection as well from my past encounters.

Finally got around to getting a few more photos done from our holiday in Scotland back in July this year. We had some very wet weather, and these fantastic little Siskens visited the feeders every day while we were there, allowed me to photograph them from the cottage door 😊

While on duty yesterday @RSPBMinsmere I managed to get good views of the White Rump Sandpiper, albeit from a great distance and in appalling weather conditions. So, photos not great, but enough to identify it as it seems. To think it comes from Northen America/Canada apparently.

One of the most overlooked birds in the woodland scene, the Pheasant. This male was sitting in a dead tree about 8ft off the ground preening it's self today RSPBMinsmere I had to stop and watch this stunning bird being caressed by the autumn sunlight through the leafless tree's. Such beautiful birds