The online presence of Tim Collier. Photographer, course leader, lecturer and blogger.
This set of images are beginning to acknowledge the context in which the geese and swans birds are experienced and were all taken at Pilling, Lancashire. Rather than always trying to get closer and closer and thus denying the space that they exist within, the aim is to give over a more holistic experience of being in the landscape with the birds.
A chance to see a rare vagrant gull on my doorstep was too good to miss and so last week I took a visit to the Ogmore estuary in South Wales and was not to be disappointed.
The relationship between the cliff top and the sea has always fascinated me. The space that divides the two is somewhere we rarely venture. I’m not a rock climber and even then you’re still grounded, all be it to a near vertical incline.
An early morning start at Llyn On gave a very atmospheric sighting of a Great-northern Diver. The photograph at the beginning of this post shows the breath coming directly after it called, a very erie sound with low mist hanging on the water.
During my recent illness and recovery I’ve been lucky enough to have some good friends who have helped me through some difficult times. Some of them have taken me out and about knowing that I’m never better than with a camera in hand and enjoying the act of making images.
In between the long spells when the Bitterns remained well hidden, there were other things going on.
I spent a few hours in the ‘doorless’ hide at Forest Farm yesterday, being so close to the city has its problems but it’s a great little spot and always provides something of interest. There had been at least a couple of Bitterns there over the last weeks and quite possibly three!
A couple of difficult birds to locate and photograph; the Grasshopper Warbler and the Corn Bunting.
Getting access to the Seaforth reserve took a little bit of time and effort, particularly as I’m not on the spot. You’ve got to apply to the port authority police and then have an a short interview with them and get passes for the car and yourself. The previous post looked at the site itself and framed it with respect to the book ‘Edgelands’ This post will look at some of the birds I’ve photographed at the site during a few recent visits.
Over the weekend I spent three or four hours in the Michael Powell hide at the WWT reserve. On most occasions, if you give it time, the Kingfisher will show from this hide and today was no exception.
Following on from the previous post here’s some of the images of the Grey Phalarope taken last year.
On a recent brief trip up north, Barrow and Liverpool I managed a few short forays out with the camera. The images in this post were taken at Askam pier, about a hundred yards from where my brother lives.
I’ve managed a couple of good days in the last week at the farm. The squirrels are playing complete havoc with the feeding station by the river, total destruction of some so called ‘squirrel proof’ feeders. A bit more creative thinking required!
You are always looking. If photography and the desire to respond to what’s around you is deep within, you never stop seeing. It’s also impossible to go anywhere without the means to photograph.
Any chance of having a go at photographing the Hirundines and Swifts and I’m there. I love watching them, get excited about seeing the first ones arrive and continually marvel at their extraordinary life cycles.
Early on the second morning I decided to locate at the far end of the reserve and stay for a couple of hours to see what turned up.
Two of the specialities of Dinas are the Redstart and the Pied Flycatcher, both in good numbers on and around the reserve.
At the far end of the reservoir and towards the evening there were good numbers of swallows ‘hawking’ low over the water. They were also using a fence nearby  in between forays.
I was in London yesterday for a conference related to how the higher education sector can move towards a greener and more sustainable curriculum, something I’m really interested in.
This is a reserve I love visiting, particularly at winter and this time of the year.
