{"id":10945,"date":"2025-01-31T16:23:18","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T16:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/?p=10945"},"modified":"2025-01-31T16:23:19","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T16:23:19","slug":"january-2025-and-new-lens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/january-2025-and-new-lens\/","title":{"rendered":"January 2025 and new lens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Back in the early days of having a digital SLR, a Canon EOS 1000D, I had a Canon EF-S 55-250mm lens with which I got some good wildlife photos. I sold that camera, with 18-55mm lens, and the 55-250mm lens this week because I had not used them for a long time. The last time I used the camera was when I gave it to a steeplejack to take photos from the top of Salts Mill chimney in 2012<\/a>. At that time I had already replaced it with a Canon 7D so I was not too worried about it being dropped from the top of the chimney. The 7D was then replaced with a 7D Mark 2, which has now been replaced with an R7. During the life of the 1000D I replaced the 55-250mm with a Sigma 150-500mm. Not quite like for like but it meant that 55-250mm stayed in my bag. The 150-500mm was replaced with a Sigma 150-600mm, bought at the same time as the 7D Mark 2 at the Photographic Show at the NEC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few months ago I attended a roadshow at Wetherby Racecourse<\/a> and had a go with the new Canon RF 200-800mm lens. With my 150-600mm I found that many photos were taken at 600mm and were still cropped so so I now own the 200-800mm, bought mid January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post includes photos taken with the 150-600mm and the 200-800mm as well as a few taken with the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 DC DN. It incorporates a couple of visits to Denso Marston Nature Reserve, a visit to High Royds Pond, a visitto Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits, and a couple to Crag Hebble Dam, Shipley Glen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With all these equipment changes I need to update the page about my Camera Backpack<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As usual you can tap\/touch\/click on an image, not its caption, to see it in better quality in the gallery. You can also leave comments or subscribe to the site – leave your email address and you will get notified when I publish something new.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Denso Marston Nature Reserve in the frost and snow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the first visit to DMNR the snow was still on the ground and some of the trees were covered in frost. On both visits it was cold and quiet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Pond<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Frost<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Siskin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Jay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Blue Tit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Cormorant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Brook Hill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Bullfinch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Cherry Stones<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A few Long Tailed Tits were flitting about and I managed to spot Siskin. At one time Jays and Blackbirds were making a heck of a racket and going from branch to branch on a couple of trees. It may have been the Jays spooking the Blackbirds but I spent a minute or so watching and looking for Tawny Owls. The last few times I have had Blackbirds spooked it has been caused by Tawny Owl quietly perched in a tree. No Tawny Owls were spotted but one Jay did quieten down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The landscape views above were taken with my Sigma 18-500 lens, including the view over Brook Hill. The wildlife photos that are before the Brook Hill shot were taken with my Sigma 150-600mm. The Bullfinch and Cherry Stones were taken with my new Canon RF 200-800mm. I have added the Bullfinch as an example of what the lens can do. It will only mean anything to me and the person I often meet on the reserve. We could hear the Bullfinch and then spotted a little shadow at the top of a tree. Seeing so much of its shape and colour in the photo is very different to what we could see with our own eyes. It looks as though the base of that tree, with the Cherry stones, is a mouse nest. I can’t see a bird or Squirrel getting into a Cherry stone through such a small hole.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Moon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We have had a few clear nights and soon after getting the new 200-800mm lens I went out and took a handheld shot of the Moon. I could probably have got a better shot if I had used a tripod or rested my elbows on a bin, like I did the last time I took a photo of the Moon, and played about with the camera settings to get optimal aperture and ISO but I am more than happy with the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Moon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So this is the first photo taken with the new lens apart from those of a couple of ornaments on our mantle shelf.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

High Royds Pond<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I have been to High Royds Pond a couple of times recently and seen Snipe but they were always in the distance or well hidden. So it seemed like a good idea to take my new lens along to see what was there. The header image is from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first things you see when getting to High Royds Pond are the Mallard, Black Headed Gulls, Moorhen, Coot and a fair number of Mandarin duck, and if you are lucky a Teal trying to keep out of sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Mandarin Duck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Teal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Snipe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Snipe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Crows & Buzzard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Red Kite<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the near side of the furthest reed beds were several Snipe. This probably means that on the far side of the nearest reed beds there would be Snipe too, but of course they were hidden from view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I heard raptor cries a few times and saw Red Kite in the distance. A Buzzard also flew over, being hurried on its way by a couple of Crows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On the same day as one of the visits to High Royds I also walked around Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits. I had hoped that the Teasel would be attracting flocks of Goldfinch but it looks as though the snow and wind has flattened them. There were only a few Teasel and those were on the edges supported by Brambles. So no Goldfinch. I didn’t even see any birds on the river. I could hear Blackbird, Wren, and saw and heard some Long Tailed Tits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before getting back in the car I crossed the road to see what might be on the flooded field. Several Black Headed Gulls were floating on the water and further over in the field were Magpies and Crows. Rather surprisingly, on the near edge of the water were a couple of Meadow Pipits. And then flying across the road was a Red Kite. Its photo is in the gallery above.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Crag Hebble Dam<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I had a couple of visits to Crag Hebble Dam and on both occasions saw Kingfisher but most of the time it was too far away and obscured by twigs and branches. Also on one visit a Jay allowed itself to be photographed. So many times they manage to be on the wrong side of large branches or tree trunks. On one visit, in the field next to the Dam, slurry was been spread and it looks as though it was causing worms to come to the surface to be then picked off by the Herons. I was a little surprised at how much was being spread in the dip of the field. I wonder if any manages to leak into Loadpit Beck?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Kingfisher<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Jay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Spreading slurry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Heron<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Redwing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We are still getting Redwing in our garden and this one was taken through the kitchen window.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My new lens on visits to Denso Marston Nature Reserve, High Royds Pond, Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits and Shipley Glen. Snipe, Kingfisher, Siskin, Mandarin Duck, Red Kite and Redwing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[159,154,157,4,35,161],"tags":[187],"class_list":["post-10945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ben-rhydding-gravel-pits","category-denso","category-high-royds-pond","category-paul","category-photography","category-shipley-glen","tag-canon-rf-200-800mm"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/R7_C9523_v2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3kGoX-2Qx","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10945"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10993,"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10945\/revisions\/10993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marfell.me.uk\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}