Bird photo of 2009

[Jonners]

I enjoy looking at the Gallery, and all the superb photos that end up there, but I enjoy it even more when I read a little about the background to the photo. I thought it might be good, as the end of the year is almost upon us, to invite all you bird photographers to offer to this thread the favourite photo you have taken of a bird in 2009, together with your reasons why. It doesn't have to be your best, or of the highest quality, but just YOUR favourite photo that YOU have taken. And instead of filling this thread with comments about others' photos, let's leave those under the relevant photo in the Gallery or Image Library.
I'll start the ball rolling with this photo of a Little Grebe I took at Lackford Lakes. I hadn't seen any Little Grebes in years, but have seen several this year, and this little fella ticked all the boxes for the description in the book - dumpy, powder-puff - it was worth getting up early for him and the rest of his family who came fishing past the hide. Wonderful

[AshLee]

I cannot think of a more awe-inspiring sight (balanced by this poor shot ) of the Hobbies I saw this September hunting dragonflies over a lake. A first for me!

[Fourwings]

Hmm, I had to give this one a bit of thought, but I think this image of a Sanderling has to be my favourite bird image from 2009.
The Sanderling is a bird that I have tried to get good images of many times but have failed miserably. They are incredibly fast and quite small, therefore most images tend to look down on them to varying degrees.
This image was one of several that I took on a beautiful bright late October day at Titchwell beach in Norfolk. I had started out by trying to stalk the Waders on the beach with no success at all, but after sitting and watching the birds and how they were reacting to other photographers I decided to try something. I walked up the beach a bit and lay face down on the wet sand about 10 feet from the waters edge. Eventually the efforts of the birders trying to get close to the birds further down the beach paid off for me as a group of Sanderling ran right upto me and then started to feed less than 10 feet from the end of my lens. They didn't seem to care about the sound of the camera shutter or me lying there.
I got 20 odd cracking close images of these wonderful little birds before they moved on, I'm just glad that it was such an unseasonally warm sunny day because I got a very wet chest and belly and it took an hour or two to dry out, but it was well worth the discomfort.

[Kayleigh]

This one has to be my favourite I was in Scotland at a country house where I saw the swans they had young and someone with a dog came and the male swan started hissing at the dog.

[loripo]

I love this one - I took it in St James Park in the summer. Posted it for ID as I didn't realise they were Mandarins in eclipse. I think the subtle colours are actually much more attractive than their full finery

[tameblackbirds]

great to see this on the river in Bewdley miles from the sea

[david156]

Hi.



I took this from the east bank at cley in norfolk a couple of months ago. It was an early chilly morning at this heron was just standing on mud. Then to my delight it started hunting and moving towards me. I even remembered to get the reflection in. I was very pleased with the out come being a novice.

David.

[willing to learn]

To be honest I am hard pushed to pick a favourite, but watching the Peregrines at Derby and photographing their behaviour, was both relaxing and rewarding, I have learnt a great deal in taking birds in flight. Also made some good friendships the world wide. This is not perhaps the best photo, but the young falcon in the photo and I were to cross paths quite a few times.
Regards
Colin

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by Fourwings

I walked up the beach a bit and lay face down on the wet sand about 10 feet from the waters edge.

Yay! It's "Horizontal Steve"!

Well what a tough question! So many to choose from but I'm going to go with this puffin...



I know it's a bit of a cliche shot but this is a bird I've dreamed of getting close to for over 40 years and although I've glimpsed them flying low over the sea several times I had no photograph to show for it. But in late May this year I finally managed to get to the Farne Islands during the breeding season. The morning weather was unkind so it was not possible to land on Staple Island and the "All Day Bird-watching Trip" turned into a half day on Inner Farne. But that's okay 'cos I'm going back there in 2010!

Dave P.

[pammosley]

Hard choice to make I`ve gone for my Long Tail Tits. Taken at Birmingham Nature Center back in January. These birds are one of my favourite, chattering away & flitting around. I like this photo because I think it`s comical