Wildlife Painter and Photographer. Landscape and Portrait Commissions undertaken. Olympus and Lumix Micro Four Thirds system user since Jan 2011. MASTER YOUR OMSYSTEM CAMERA & TELEPHOTO LENS IN 3 COMPREHENSIVE SESSIONS: Email: tom.whiley@live.com MASTER YOUR POST PROCESSING TECHNIQUES FOR A VISUALLY COMPELLING IMAGE: Email tom.whiley@live.com

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

20260624 Turtle Dove, Kelling Heath

20260624 Turtle Dove
Supplementary feeding of Woodpigeon causing gigantism...

 
20260624 Turtle Dove
2 birds purring and active.

20260702 Common Buzzard
Hanging into a stiff wind, Bayfield Est.


Tuesday, 9 June 2026

20260609-12 Western Reef Heron, Caernarfon

 

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Signalling 1st for Britain...
A crippler... as a dark morph.

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Bird flew up from loafing position into Little Froyd Bay,
landing in front of the 4th day twitchers..!!

20260609 Western Reef Heron

20260609 Loafing site in Foryd Bay.
All creatures great and small scampered to see this 1st for Britain...
Then scampered back to The Dales.

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Leaving to roost in Caernarfon Harbour this evening.
Of the 2500 images taken over 4 days is this the most visually compelling...?

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Feet dipped in cadmium yellow...

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Longer and deeper bill than Little's.

20260609 WRHeron
Pale grey in tibia.

20260609 Foryd Bay
At high tide in silvery evening light.
OM 9-18mm F4, at F8 all is sharp to horizon....
The bird had flown up high to the North with one Little Egret to roost in trees at Caernarfon Harbour.

20260610 Black Swan
Of Foryd Bay...

20260610 Western Reef Heron
Alongside Little Egret at Caernarfon Harbour.

20260610 Western Reef Heron
Balancing exposure on both morphs in the field was tricky...

20260610 Western Reef Heron
Cannot resist a shot of Grey Heron... this one will be permanently etched in the minds eye.

20260610 Western Reef Heron
Throat bulging appeared to be a proximity threat.

20260610 WRHeron

20260610 WRHeron
Sun came out for the seaweed shot.

20260610 Caernarfon Castle
And the harbourside carpark. 
Twitcher JR of Anglesey reckoned about 1000 here on Sunday...!
Also mentioned that the BBRC are happy with the bird... already??!

20260610 4th day Twitchers
A relaxed affair with a few flash points.

20260610 WRHeron
Shot from the South side of the harbour with the light.
Processed for a true colour balance.


20260610 Grey Heron & Caernarfon Castle

20260610 WRHeron
MC20 once again pulled back to 1600mm...?? ISO 10000
Within the reach of the MC14.
MC20 can only be used on well sunlit targets.


20260610 Western Reef Heron
Egretta gularis gularis
Dark morph.

20260611 WRHeron
Dull and rained most of the day on 11th and The Reef stayed way out in the estuary.
The bird came into the near shore at 1640hrs, actively hunting.

20260611 WRHeron

20260611 WRHeron
Top dynamic shot.

20260611 WRHeron

20260611 WRHeron
The bird froze and looked up at my position for the first time...??
Did a back flip into the stiff breeze and shot over to the far side of the loafing bay...