Summer is a glorious time for wildlife photography, but one still has to adapt. Instead of worrying about how many thermal layers I was wearing (Winter was pretty harsh) I had to consider how much heat I could take – and this summer we were in for a heatwave. Provisions actually became an issue, and carrying water. I bought myself a 1 litre canteen but that didn’t last more than a couple of hours and it added to the extra weight on my poor back.

Still, while the sun’s out, let’s make use of this great light. I discovered nice little shaded spot by a tiny pool of water where nobody is likely to go, and noticed a variety of birds in the vicinity. I decided to return with my camo netting and set up a little hide.

This long-tailed tit snacks on something yummy and wriggling.

It was great to see several juvenile birds. In this case, a long tailed tit sings to an unseen audience.

This juvenile blue tit also sings to me while I happily snap away.

This Moorhen has a right feast packed away in its beak.

And so does this sparrow 🙂

Finally, an insect not tucked away in a bird’s beak.

I think I disturbed this black squirrel while having a bite.

My first grey wagtail sighting. It seemed perfectly happy basking in the sun, but I didn’t get to experience the ‘wagtail’ dance. That’s something for the future!

It’s still possible to do some landscape shots with my telephoto lens. These are the fields – green with growing corn – close to where I live.

Stay tuned for more summer shots!