spain – Hebridean Imaging

Photo Project 365 – Week 10 – March 2018

Posted on March 11, 2018 by YvonneB

This week’s theme is Season – Spring

I have to say that it is looking pretty spring-like here in Andalusia compared with the UK who have had lots of cold weather and snow. It has been very windy and rainy here with quite a few thunder storms but it has been warm, usually between 12 and 20C during the daytime so I can’t complain at all!

Visible migration has also been quite amazing some days in between the showers with hundreds of Black Kites and White Storks going over on some days, heading north.

Photo 365 project - Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Photo a day - Mobile Phone Photography — 64/365 Some type of asphodel growing everywhere at La Janda

Wow, I can’t believe I’ve done 70 days already, where has all that time gone…

This week i’ve been using the following while working on my project:-

My iPad which I love!!

Instax Share SP2 Printer

(note that there is now also a newer model out, the Instax Share SP-3 Printer)

Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 20 shots

though for my project I have now bought the Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 100 shots pack to get me started.

The sketchbook I am using for my journal is the square, black Seawhite 140mm x 140mm 140gsm artist’s sketchbook I have bought two of these and using a page a day I reckon each one should last me 6 months.

The above links take you to Amazon UK where there is information about each product. Any purchases made using the links given above will give me a teeny, tiny bit of commission which I will put to good use during future weeks and future projects.

Visible migration

Posted on March 7, 2018March 11, 2018 by YvonneB

Visited both La Janda and Barbate. Probably the only two places still accesible by vehicle after all this rain.

Between the rain showers the migrants must have been pouring across the Straits from Africa. Hundreds of Black Kites and White Storks were seen. There were also plenty of other migrants around – Short-toed Eagles, Booted Eagles and Hoopoes.

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Black Kites - La Janda — Black Kites taking a break from migration, resting up on the electric poles at La Janda

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Hoope - Barbate — Hoopoes seem to be finding plenty of insects anyway.

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Yellow Wagtail - Barbate — Quite a few Yellow Wagtails around at both La Janda and Barbate. This is one of the Iberian sub-species

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Black Kite - La Janda — Black Kite in flight shot

There were also lots of Serins around at La Janda today – some very bright ones in amongst them.

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Serins - La Janda — Looking very colourful!

Bluethroats

Posted on March 5, 2018March 11, 2018 by YvonneB

With all the rain all of the ditches are flooded. Bluethroats, being skulky little devils at the best of times have found a new favourite bush that I can park near, using the car as a mobile bird hide, I staked out the bush for two hours and managed to get some half-decent photos. The three birds (one which had colour rings) were active for all of those two hours – they seemed to be finding plenty to eat. Also present were White Wagtails and a lovely Black Redstart.

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Bluethroat - La Janda — Still skulking…

Plenty of other birds around too

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Black Redstart - La Janda — Black Redstart

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - White Wagtail - La Janda — White Wagtail – there were at least half a dozen of these guys in a small patch of washed up debris, finding plenty of insects.

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Barn Swallow - La Janda — The Barn Swallows were also busy hawking for insects over the floods

Some images of the flooded fields complete this post (the water height at the sluice down the main channel can be see in this week’s Photo Project 365 as I took photos of that on three different days).

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Floods - La Janda — The fields were flooded at La Janda for almost as far as the eye could see…

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Floods - Irrigation - La Janda — I somehow don’t think this irrigation machinery will be needed this week…

People often ask me what bird field guide do I use in Spain, well, I use the same one that I use for the UK, which is, in my opinion the best of all for Europe.

I usually carry the paperback version with me while out and about and have the hardback at home.

I also have this one though these days I pretty much know where to go and I have my own personal favourite spots

My equipment for bird photography: Canon 1DX Mk.II with 600mm lens and Canon 2x Extender

The compact flash card I use is this one, the Sandisk Extreme Pro, and I like it a lot, I have no problems with it buffering

Photo Project 365 – Week 9 – February and March 2018

Posted on March 4, 2018March 11, 2018 by YvonneB

This week’s theme is Buildings

Lots and lots and lots of rain this week. Hey, whatever happened to “the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.” Clearly disproved! Some of my photos this week were not strictly buildings, more structures but as it’s my own personal project i’m feeling free to interpret the projects as I wish. I’m sure you’ll understand 😀

Well the Seawhite sketchbook i’m using to put my printed out photos into is working out great, though it’s getting hard to close now and it’s only a third full! Don’t quite know what it will be like by the end of June – will report back then 🙂

My iPad which I love!!

Instax Share SP2 Printer

(note that there is now also a newer model out, the Instax Share SP-3 Printer)

Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 20 shots

though for my project I have now bought the Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 100 shots pack to get me started.

Eyebrowed Thrush photo makes Birdguides weekly review

Posted on February 28, 2018March 1, 2018 by YvonneB

Just goes to show, it doesn’t matter where you are you should always have your camera handy! The Eyebrowed Thrush – a last minute dash over to Cadiz to twitch this bird after hearing about it during lunch on the 24th February paid off nicely. The fourth record for Spain though two of those had been recorded as dead birds during Song Thrush hunting (yes, I know, I also wonder what the heck is the point of shooting Song thrushes??).

The bird was very confiding and seemingly not put off by the canoodling couple on a bench nearby (who likewise didn’t seemed put off by us birders hanging around with our bins and cameras). As there is a plentiful supply of food in the form of olives on the trees and a nice water fountain the bird might hang around a little longer…

Click here for the full Birdguides weekly review – scroll down there for the write up on the thrush in the Western Palearctic news.

eyebrowed thrush - cadiz - spain - bird photography - rarity - 2018

Photo Project 365 – Week 8 – February 2018

Posted on February 25, 2018March 11, 2018 by YvonneB

Still in southern Spain and the weather so far has way surpassed my hopes – warm, sunny and bright blue skies. Looks like there will be bit of a downturn next week though!

This week’s theme is Landscape

My iPad which I love!!

Instax Share SP2 Printer

(note that there is now also a newer model out, the Instax Share SP-3 Printer)

Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 20 shots

though for my project I have now bought the Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 100 shots pack to get me started.

Photo Project 365 – Week 7 – February 2018

Posted on February 18, 2018March 10, 2018 by YvonneB

This week’s theme is to take the daily photo using the Hipstamatic camera app rather than using the iPhone’s native camera. Some of the images have had further editing work done on them (because I like to play!).

My iPad which I love!!

Instax Share SP2 Printer

(note that there is now also a newer model out, the Instax Share SP-3 Printer)

Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 20 shots

though for my project I have now bought the Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 100 shots pack to get me started.

GONHS trip – La Janda

Posted on February 17, 2018March 11, 2018 by YvonneB

It was great to meet up with old friends (and also to meet some new people!) today at La Janda for the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS) outing. As La Janda has kind of become our local patch while we’ve been here we were asked to lead the convoy, stopping in strategic places where the birds were.

The official report on the days outing can be found on the GONHS website at: www.gonhs.org/news/101-la-janda-outing

Bird of the day for me was the Spanish Imperial Eagle that was sitting on the irrigation equipment – a distant but great view!

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Spanish Imperial Eagle - La Janda — Distant even with my 600mm lens!

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - Spoonbills - La Janda — Just love Spoonbills!

Mid afternoon we all headed over to Benalup for a long lunch – one of the best things about birding with the Gibraltarians 🙂

Hebridean Imaging - Yvonne Benting - Bird Photography - Spain - GONHS - La Janda — Watching the massive House Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow, Chaffinch, Serin and Brambling flock near Benalup

Photo Project 365 – Week 6 – February 2018

Posted on February 11, 2018March 10, 2018 by YvonneB

This week’s project is Abstract

I wasn’t too sure what I would do for abstract. I mean, what is abstract? What does that actually mean? I have to say though that I have really enjoyed this week it has given me the opportunity to be a little experimental and imaginative. See what you think…

My iPad which I love!!

Instax Share SP2 Printer

(note that there is now also a newer model out, the Instax Share SP-3 Printer)

Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 20 shots

though for my project I have now bought the Fujifilm Instax Mini Film – 100 shots pack to get me started.

Photo Project 365 – Week 5 – January and February 2018

Posted on February 4, 2018March 10, 2018 by YvonneB

This week’s theme is Creative

A full month now done and it hasn’t seemed to onerous. There has been the odd day when i’ve got side-tracked and almost not taken a photo creating a bit of an oops moment and last minute panic. So, onwards to the next month. Travelled to Spain on the Portmouth -> Santander ferry this week (thankfully calm!), three nights while travelling then arrived at the final destination, in southern Andalusia, on Saturday afternoon.