Robin

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, (1/250s), ISO 2200, Nikon Z 6 Morning, low cloud, slight crop (less than APS-H), note that there isn’t enough DOF to cover both the eye and the front wing – at f8. Kingley Vale

Beeches

Sigma 100-400 OS C @100mm, f8, Photomatix merge (3 exp., 1.3 EV), Nikon D750 Sunset; on the slopes adjacent to the Kingley Vale reserve (the furthest northerly point).

Oaks

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @42mm, f2.8, Photomatix merge (5 exp., 4 EV range), Nikon Z 6 October evening Ebernoe Wood

Kingley Wood

Sigma 100-400 OS C @160mm, f8, Nikon D750 Late morning (November)

Apple Tree

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @58mm, f2.8, Photomatix merge (3exp., 1.3EV range), Nikon Z 6 Late afternoon (two hours before sunset), front-lit, wild seedling apple. A faster aperture wasn’t a factor here (besides the f2.8 was needed to cover most of the tree with focus), it was the perspective (58 mm). Eyeworth Wood

Forest

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @63mm, f2.8, Nikon Z 6 Noon, Kingley Vale

Eyeworth Wood II

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @58mm, f2.8, Nikon Z 6 At sunset; yew three

Bramshaw Wood

Sigma 100-400 OS C @100mm, f5, 3 exposures Photomatix merge (by 2/3 EV; EXIF of the last shot retained) Morning, beech tree

Eyeworth Wood

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @58mm, f2.8, (3 exposures, 2/3 EV apart in CS 3) Nikon Z 6 Sunrise (6.25 & 6.34; 14.09 2020) southern England

Oak

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @40mm, f2.8, 1/160/200/125s, Nikon Z 6 3 exposures 2/3 EV apart merged in CS 3 (several series - last shot 18.41) Frame Wood, southern England

Pony

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 360 (+ 1 EV - underexposed), Nikon Z 6 Late afternoon; Frame Wood; I used the white box tracking on the mammals on this trip. It now was very useful after the latest FW update for the camera and FTZ adapter – with the AF uncooperative 200-500/5.6 VR and TC via FTZ. southern England

Frame Wood II

Sigma 100-400 OS C @100mm, f6.3, Nikon D750 Morning, diffuse sunlight southern England

Forest

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @53mm, f8, Nikon Z 6 Early afternoon, Frame Wood southern England

Elephant in the Street

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @70mm, f2.8, Nikon Z 6; Purley, South London

Honey Bee

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 220, Nikon Z 6 Minor crop, bramble flowers; the iconic bee of systemic and cultural importance looking for morning nectar. Europe produces about 60% of honey for its market (as does the US). The current number of beekeepers compared to 2017-19 period grew in the UK by over 6%, by almost 30% in France and over 24% in the Czech Republic (it fell sharply in Bulgaria and Lithuania). South East

Sparrow III

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @680mm, f8, ISO 110, Nikon Z 6 Crop (slightly more than APS-H), NR (8:00 morning); the male is also keen to feed the fledging young. Sparrows chirping is still common in calmer parts of Greater London with lots of gardens, and it seems livelier this year. A recent study of molecular sequences of over a thousand genera of songbirds put the age of the sparrow genus at about 14 MY old. The previously photographed whitethroat’s genus is older, about 18 MY old. That means that a roughly the same looking warbler remembers our common ancestor with gibbons. The early, evolutionarily simpler songbirds (passerines) woke up to a changed world in the aftermath of the K/T asteroid event (about 66 038 000 years ago). The established order of niches was turned on its head and the conflux of consequent changes accelerated the evolution of basal lineages of the archaic songbirds. They adopted nesting in open nests soon after the event while their toes went from two at the front/two at the back to three forward/one backward to improve the grip on the branch (some 65 MY ago). Today the sparrow possesses a sophisticated foot with tendons autolocking mechanism that gives them a pretty easy, energy-efficient way of perching. South East

Sparrow II

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @680mm, f8, ISO 140, Nikon Z 6 Morning (8:01; wrong time in exif); The first wave of marsh crane fly is peaking and the sparrows have plenty of them in their territory. Larval stadium of the flies cause significant damage to crops on farms so chemicals are used to prevent getting it out of hand (unless you are Riverford farmers). Bushes and hedges extend sparrows and other nesting birds coverage, bringing them close to healthier fields. These then bring fewer allergies and immunity factors to our kids and ourselves. The birds and their populations are healthier too. The thing is that choosing fast money ways may bring a better tomorrow to some, but it won’t bring a better future to their kids and everyone else. I have a feeling the female house sparrow would hate to be our missing flower on that rosebush. South East

Sparrow

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @680mm, f8, Nikon Z 6 A pair of sparrow is fledging their young; the female perched on the branch in the morning (7:54). If you have watched the house sparrows (a member of 47 sp. of true sparrows) in the natural environment carefully for some time, you will notice that there are different to finches (228 sp.). Despite some morphologic similarities, they look, behave and move very differently. They also belong to different families taxonomically. Rosebush flowers don’t last usually long but rival flowers of the tropics. Similar for their characteristic scent. South East

Whitethroat

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 400, Nikon Z 6; NR Morning 7:02 (the exif time currently 4.30 ahead); Oak dominated mixed woodland breaks into patches of shrubs and further bushes scattered across a wild, ancient chalk meadow. Male (in the image) of this warbler sings in shorter powerful bursts. Apart from that only occasional glimpse of a patient observer reveals his presence. The pair is successfully nesting in a shade of woodland among varied bushes in a sea of a man high bramble, nettle and other robust herbs. The transitional zones are diverse, sought after habitats and a good source of food, insect in this case.

Parakeet

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f10, ISO 800 (+1EV); Nikon Z 6; rose-ringed parakeet; shot with Hoya Fusion filter without the hood (testing) into the light source at f10 (for depth of field), heavily overcast (early afternoon; exif time incorrect)

Hunt

Nikkor 200-500 VR @500mm, f5.6, ISO 2000; Nikon D750 late bright-sky evening (May); gotcha At the time of writing, the kits are much larger. They are like bunches of springs and watching their cat-like agility when they play is breathtaking.