Waxwings, yippieeeeeeeeee!!

Wow! What an utterly fantastic day!! Glorious sunshine, and another good day for wildlife. For about a month, I have been aware of Waxwings visiting the area. Waxwings are a visitor to the UK, but rarely seen here. According to the RSPB website, only around 100 Winter in the entire UK. I had often seen pictures, and longed to see one. They are gorgeous and unusual looking birds, so it's a given for me.

Just before Christmas, I read on the Bournemouth Echo website that Waxwings had been spotted by Sainsbury's, Pitwines. So off I went, in the freezing cold to spot them. As I arrived, I saw them flock above me, then land in a tree across the road. I hot footed across the car park, trying to get one picture, and as soon I got close, they flocked off! I waited for at least an hour, then walked for about another hour, but they were gone. I was gutted, but at least I had seen them.

I kept checking the bird watching sites to where the Waxwings had moved, and attempted to follow them, but no luck for days. The problem with Waxwings is they are Nomadic, meaning they never stay in the exact same place for long, they stop to feed, and once they have stripped the berries, off they trot. So you have to be lucky to catch them. It's far easier to spot the photographers following them than the birds!

So today, I checked the Dorset Bird Watching website, and took a note of exactly where they had been seen. Three separate roads, in the area of Broadstone. Not too much of a long walk, but it is when the Waxwings can fly, and I can't. I set out with a determination today, and took Callum with me. I knew for him to get his own pictures, and see those birds, it would be a unique experience for him, sure to boost his confidence. Not many children his age will see them, let alone photograph them. We weren't disappointed, because after around 20 minutes of walking, we spotted them.

We first spotted them high in a tree. We walked looking up, and ended in the car park, round the back of Tappers funeral services, who had a hearse with the back doors open, and I'm ashamed to say, I didn't notice as I got snapping. Whoops :/

I realised we had the best shots we were going to get there, so we moved along, back towards the Broadway, and maybe a more respectful location! The birds took off and landed in a tree on the opposite side of the road. Within 20 seconds, they took off again, to roost high in a tree, but five minutes or so, they were back to feed on a much better tree to photo them. Callum and I had sat on a bench, right opposite the tree, and began snapping shots. They repeated this cycle about four times before they flew off. After weeks of trying, it was all worth it. So here are some of the shots.

This is a shot of *almost* four of them. The one's at the top of the tree seemed to keep a look out. As you can see, they are beautiful birds, and definitely worth the wait to see them properly :)

This next one is just taking off after feeding. I was pleased to also capture a falling berry.

This next one speaks for itself. Waxwings, in flight.

Last but not least, this one is Callum's. He did a great job, he is proud of himself and I'm proud of him too. :)

To finish off the day, we were also aware of Starlings flocking in their "Murmuration" of up to 100,000 birds locally, so we picked up our daughter from school, and watched the sun set;

The Sun was already setting fast, which made capturing the Starlings very difficult, but here are two a pictures none the less. :)

Not the best of shots, but I am still pleased to watch them. Yet another wonder of nature. It was wonderful to see them join together, and make their patterns in the sky.

Another day where the worries and stress of life, can be forgotten for a while. Callum said earlier, he feels excited, like he's looking forward to something but he doesn't know why. I think he's just had a nice day, and so have I, and I was pleased to share with it all with him.  :)

Life through a lens.

With the weather being extremely wet, I have missed my walks, that's for sure. It's not exactly fun even trying to forecast Rain in Britain. It's about as exciting as forecasting Ice in the Arctic. I have begun to really dislike dull, damp days, as it really stops me being able to get outside and enjoy my hobbies. Photography and walking are so much better in the Sun! Especially the Winter Sun.

If you like dry weather, you are in for a treat. I can't see much of a change for at least a week, although it probably will get cloudier as the week goes on. My advice is, enjoy the Sun while it lasts, and if you get the chance, have a walk and see what mother nature has to offer. It certainly helps with the January blues. It will be cold though, although not perishing, but you will need to wrap up warm. Plenty of Frosts overnight as well. ....................................................................................................................................................................

On to my day. I have my son off school at the moment, and seeing as he shares my hobbies, I have to dedicate most of this blog to him, in fact today, he is, in the main, my subject.

You may be wondering why he is out of school. He is 14 yrs old, has special educational needs, and a disability. He is a very anxious boy by nature, but he has been bullied over the past year, terribly. Bullying is part of growing up and life, sadly, but bullying hit another low over the past two months. Little did I know, my son was subjected to two months of humiliation at the hands of four boys, and my son has become a nervous wreck. Due to the sensitive and personal details of this bullying, it took a lot of encouragement to get him to open up and speak about it, not only to us, but the school.

We strongly believe that bullies get their power from intimidation into silence, so speaking out is the right thing to do. We contacted the school, and hoped that they would be able to act, but they can't, because the brave bullies deny the attacks, and there are no witnesses, so the school are powerless to act, and it has done nothing more than make a bad situation worse. Hence why my son is out of school. As a mother, it's tough to live with the fact that you can promise your children a resolution, and it doesn't come. So my son will stay here until we get one.

So with that in mind, my son is a perfect subject to demonstrate why I love photography and wildlife. My son has the weight of the world on his shoulders at the minute, but outside with his camera and wildlife, he is thinking of nothing more than what he is seeing, and what he is doing. This set of photographs, I call, life through a lens, and I chose Monochrome, because I see our hobby as simple, black and white.

I call this one observation. You have to be observant if you want to take photographs of wildlife.

                     

I call this one anticipation. You have to have a keen eye, and learn to anticipate what might come next in an almost, unpredictable situation.                      

                                

This one is concentration. You have to concentrate hard in order to get the best pictures.

                                    
This is appreciation. You have to be able to appreciate your subject to show it justice through the lens. 

                                                
I call this one, frustration. Sometimes the shots don't work out, and you have to accept it's just one of those things. Frustration in my photography, is rarely met with anything less than a smile.

                
I call this one joy. Good pictures, bad pictures, wildlife and photography always bring joy.
                     

                                      
         
This brings me to the final picture, and the reason I chose my son as my subject. In every picture there is no sign of stress or anxiety. He is simply relaxed and no one would guess he wasn't anything other than happy. It's called "not a care in the world"
                                                                       

                                           


I am proud of my son, and pleased to dedicate this blog to him. I want him to know that he is important to us in every way. I hope he can start to build an invisible shield from the bullies to protect himself, believing how important and loved he is. I appreciate every thing about him, even if I don't say it every day. 

People spend a lifetime trying to fit in, and it makes them miserable, as true acceptance comes from no one but yourself. Always be yourself, enjoy life, and never feel afraid to say or do what you think is right.  I love you Callum, and thank you for being my subject. You inspire me.