Ring ouzel

Ring ouzel, Turdus torquatus, Single male on berries, Wales, November 2018

Olympus Em1 Mk2. 300mm f4 lens plus 1.4 extender. 1/640th at f5.6. 3200 iso.

In my twenties I would go to the Elan Valley in Wales to find their nests, but they have not bred there for some years as far as I know. In the autumn they do pass through and feed on the few rowan trees found in the car parks. The valley is a wet place with 70″ of rain a year and I felt that 35″ of those fell while I sat with them for two days. At least I was in the car.

Redwings

Redwings and fieldfares are not so easy to get close to in the early winter when there are so many berries available. They start off eating the rowan and sloe berries, before turning to hawthorn later in the year. It is worth effort trying to get close to them on sloe, because they really struggle to eat the large berries. Taken on the Olympus Em1 Mk2 with a 300mm lnes and 1.4 extender.

Song thrush

It is usually easier to photograph the winter thrushes later in the winter when there are less berries for them to chose from, but I have been putting more time and miles into it this autumn looking for suitable places.

Song thrush, Turdus philomelos, Single bird in Rowan tree, Warwickshire, October 2018. Canon EM1 Mk2. 300mm plus 1.4 extender. 1/2000th a f8. 800 iso.