Musk Ox in the snow

I went with friends last week to photograph the musk oxen in the snow amidst the mountains of Dovrefjell National Park in central Norway.

Our first visit took place in heavy snow and required us to hike about 5 kilometres wearing snowshoes to where the oxen were grazing in an area of thin snow. The blowing snow made focusing difficult and all camera controls were done in manual mode.

There were 8 bulls in the group and they spent most of the time lying down to protect themselves from the winds, although occassionally they stood up to shake off the snow from their thick winter coats.

A second visit was done in more favourable weather conditions although they had then moved a further 3 km farther along the plateau.

I've uploaded a set of photos to my website and they can be viewed by clicking here....

A few images are also below.

Musk Ox

Musk Ox

Musk Ox

Bittern up close

When I was on the phone to my friend in Holland last week, just prior to my meeting him for a trip to Norway I was bemoaning the fact that I'd seen a Bittern at Marazion but failed to get a photo.

"Don't worry, I've got one over here for you in my greenhouse" was his reply!

"Oh yeah, pull the other one!", was my response.

But sure enough when I got there he showed me this bittern that he had saved from a frozen pond at the back of his house. It had been close to death and was very thin. Fortunately it responded well after a few days of force feeding with fish and now it has put on weight and is feeding itself from a bowl of fish in the corner of the greenhouse.

I was amazed to see the variation in size when the bird got agressive toward "the hand that feeds him" and when I first looked in at him and he stood motionless with his bill facing the sky.

I know these aren't true natural history photos but it was a treat to get that close to the bird and great to see it doing so well for it would surely have died without the intervention of my friend Kees.

Take a look at a few pics and I'll post some more on my website when I get time.

Bittern

Bittern

Bittern

Bittern

Along the shoreline at Marazion

Spent a few hours on the shoreline at Marazion and Penzance yesterday afternoon.

The light was the usual dull colur but it was a Cornwall Wildlife Trust Photographic Group field trip so we just "went for it"..

The tide was out an awful long way and the gulls seemed to be eating starfish, perhaps they were easier to find on the spring tide,

Dunlin and Sanderling

Bar tailed Godwit_01

Bar tailed Godwit_01

Purple Sandpiper

Turnstone bathing

Great black backed with starfish

Great black backed with starfish

Black Redstart

Black Redstart

Ducks

Following on from Thursday's visit to Walmsley here are a few ducks taking advantage of some unfrozen open water.

Drake Wigeon flies in above a drake Shoveler

 

Drake Wigeon

Drake Pintail

Drake and duck Mallard

Drake and duck Shoveler

Drake and duck Shoveler

Drake Tufted Duck

Snipe

I had a couple of hours to spare this afternoon and it was good light so popped out to Walmsley to check out the birdlife.

Most of the reserve was frozen with a few holes in the ice where the ducks were dabbling.

There was a snipe feeding fairly close to the hide so here are a few shots as it fed in the sunshine.

A snipe on the ice

Snipe

Snipe

The ducks will follow later when I've processed all the files!