Regaining enjoyment from a hobby I tried to entail as a career.

Due to work commitments and the poor lack of Spring weather ... I haven't really felt inspired to go out and take photos. I also found that my degree has somewhat ruined my hobby of Photography (the deadlines, the briefs and the tutorials) and therefore, I have been trying to regain some enjoyment from it. It only really came back to me when I went for a walk around Bude Canal (One of the best nature reserves in Cornwall in my opinion) with a friend from uni and my current partner Jon. We went for a couple of walks around the area and I actually felt compelled to bring my camera. 

I actually made a new year resolution to carry my SLR everywhere I go, however I failed to do so. The idea behind the 2013 challenge was to never miss a photo opportunity again (as I have done countless times before). If you are a keen wildlife observer THEN ALWAYS CARRY YOUR CAMERA! Trust me ... I could have won Wildlife Photographer of the Year so0o many times if I took my camera everywhere with me!

So Growing up in the City of Hull (rhymes with dull what more can I say) I decided that I wasn't going reside in a city environment for the rest of my life but start a new life in the countryside where I feel more at home. It has some of the most beautiful landscapes and natural history in the UK. <--- Fact. 

Anyway ... enough rambling. Here are a few photos from Bude Canal and some of the reasons why living in Cornwall has been the most inspirational of my life.

 Long Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

Canadian Goose (Branta canadensis)

Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) - who should have migrated back to Scandinavia by now! 

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

 Dunnock (Prunella modularis)

 Fungi

 Possible Field Mouse nest?

A nesting mother Goose

Snap!

First of all, let me wish my contacts and viewers a very Happy and fulfilling New Year! One thing I promised myself this year was to get back in to photography and enjoy it. So now that I have moved to Bude, where the sea is blue and the beaches are clean (just saying), I have been busy exploring new grounds and vogue-ing up the wildlife and taking in the scenery. 

Here's just a few snaps:

If you do anything this year, be creative. It's one of the most rewarding experiences. (:

Black headed Gulls Laurus Ridibundus)

Break Water, Bude

Break Water

Break Water ... again

Gull

Jon!

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

Canadian Geese (Branta canadensis)

Swan (Cygnus olor)

The most Southerly Point (:

The Most Southerly Point is probably my most favourite coastal location. Why?  Because it's captivating and is a home to my favourite bird specie, the Gull. Even during tourist season you can find solitude as you walk along the cliff tops and take in the breath taking scenery, more noticeably, the blue sea, the introduced Chough, the invasive Hottentot Fig, the sound of the Black Back Gull, the salty air and the friendly pass-a-byers. When the tide is out there's opportunity to go exploring around the rock pools. Something that interests me more than most because I never had the experience when living in Yorkshire. To end the day ... go enjoy a refreshing drink at the Southerly Cafe.

Sparrow then, Sparrow now....

Oh yeah ... I found this photo from the 'Hulton Getty' collection, I can't find the exact photographer himself but this photo is taken in the 1920's long before the sparrow population declined. I just felt a comparison of photos really puts in to perspective the reality of the decline because the photo below isn't something you see today with so many sparrows in a colony, or at least the UK and across Europe.  

                                                      London, Hyde Park, 1920.

                                    St Ives, Cornwall, 2012

A little something about nothing...

So yeah, went to St Ives again today in order to do shoot. My main object was to include people in my photography to fulfil my project brief, which is to show the relationship the monogamous little sparrows have with us as human beings. They live amongst us more than any other wild bird making them dependant on our existence. However the paradox was that there were far too many people in my way, uncontrollable children screaming, people with their dogs off their leads etc... thus scaring off every bird in sight .... annoying. Also to top it off the weather stayed murky and cloudy which didn't make my images look attractive. But hey ho ... there's always tomorrow. Here's a few 'nothing special' snaps:

House Sparrows often find good nesting homes in crack and crevices of buildings.

The Starlings (Sturnidae) are darling little birds that are also sadly on the red list, exactly like the House Sparrow. They have a very unique clicking call along with a high pitch tweet, which is very distinctive. They're very beautiful upfront with the most gorgeous metallic plumage, similar to that of the Feral Pigeon (Columbia livia domestica).

Herring Gulls (Larus Argentatus)

I find it amazing that these scavenger omnivores are on the Red List because they're everywhere! Their erratic behaviour unfortunately is frowned upon by locals but their hardy characteristics are endured by the locals and tourists who flock to Falmouth. I actually find these birds rather handsome and if you have a little patience, they're interesting to watch; a definite icon to coastal towns.  My photos below are of a pair who use to visit my decking everyday, they don't bother me in the least and occasionally I will throw a small amount of food out to them.

In an issue of Cornwall Today (July 2001) it was estimated that there were/are 6000 gulls in Cornwall.  They are relatively smart birds as a male will fly to another town and if he sees chicks then he knows he can return later to find a potential mate. They are classed as pests but in fairness some of their behaviour can be dealt with by taking a few simple steps:

• Don't eat your food around the Docks where food snatching is most common, these areas are general habitats/basking spots for gulls. Why would they go hunt for raw fish when they can have it battered and with chips?
• If you have a problem with the so called pest on your property, don't deal with it yourself, especially if you don't know what you are doing, leave it to a professional. Gulls WILL protect their eggs and hatchlings at any cost.
• Cover your bin bags up at night and weigh them down with an object, it works for me and it will work for you.
• Don't shoot gulls! It can put you at risk of the firearm law amongst many others.. Do yourself a favour and read up on it.
• Stop whining to the media about the seagull community. People already know what they're like and it's just giving them another excuse to dislike them. This happens to many other species too! It's unfair to lead them to their persecution 
• If it says don't feed them, THEN DON'T FEED THEM. It will only encourage them to call others and it will cause a scene. I know that I stated I feed them occasionally, however I do it on my own property. 

The pictures below are of a pair of gulls are frequent visitors and pose no threat to me, they're actually quite sweet in their own hardy way. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone.

... Get use to it, they're here to stay!

House Sparrows

For the final year of my degree, I have focused on the lives of the House Sparrow and how they have adapted to living amongst us, in fact, they have lived amongst human beings longer than any other wild bird. The sad news is, is that they are rapidly declining through the modern changes of civilisation, so spare a little thought for the House Sparrow and try to make your garden welcoming! 

- Note that the male sparrow is identified by his black bib as well as the ranking within the colony.

- A young sparrow bathing in the early morning

- We usually meet these magnificent birds in the gutters of our housing.

Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?

– Ross Kennedy