Today the weather forecast was for sunny spells with any cloud burning off by mid morning.  When we left home it was 9 degrees and rising with a watery sun hidden in a cloudy sky.  By the time we reached the RSPB reserve at Ken Dee Marshes, it was very dull and misty with a max temperature of only 6 degrees.  So much for the weather forecast.  Instead of getting some nice light for a change, I ended up with the same old story here, ISO 1600 and loads of noise.  Still it was another chance to practice with the Sigma 150-500.

There was a lot more activity on the water today, unfortunately it is a bit further away so a higher crop neccessary.  This Heron decided to turn up before he was chased away by some gulls.

This was probably my favourite shot of the day.  A pair of Canada geese flying low over the marshes.  The high iso and large crop along with the dull conditions suited a mono conversion to my mind.

Yesterday saw me at Bellymack Hill Farm where I managed to get some shots of Red Kites.  These birds are an endangered species that was reintroduced to Dumfries & Galloway in 2001, and now numbers are starting to increase.

I spent yesterday at the RSPB hides at Ken Dee marshes.  The conditions weren’t the best, it was a very dull day with snow on the ground and intermittent  rain showers.  The poor light made it a stern test for the new Sigma and the D300.  All these shots were taken at ISO 1600 and have had noise reduction applied.  For the conditions, I think they have turned out pretty good.

Today saw the arrival of my new toy.  This monster is a Sigma 150-500 lens.  It’s a bit large and quite heavy, but hopefully I will get some good wildlife shots with it.

I managed to get out for an hour between snow showers today to try it out.  First impressions are that I’m hopeless at tracking birds in flight and wildlife isn’t an easy discipline to master.  Loads of practice required I think to be able to even follow birds in flight without getting a good shot into the bargain too.  This is my first reasonable shot from the lens.  A pair of oystercatchers taking off, startled by someone trying to point a lens in their face.

Hopefully more pictures will follow soon once I get back out and get some more practice!