Latest shoots at Bissoe

I make my way to Bissoe a few times every week in the hope of find something new and interesting. Since my last post - videos of some common birds at Bissoe - I have decided that I simply haven't shot enough video over this past term to put together a film worthy of a degree project.  It's a real shame, but stopping filming means that I can focus of my stills photography and, hopefully, produce a volume of work I'm really proud of.  So without this sounding too much like my project logbook, I now have a much clearer focus for this assignment.

Over the past few days I have photographed some new species at Bissoe Valley and also managed to take some shots I have been trying to get for a while.

This Blackcap did not stay very long as I had just left my hide to photograph a nearby Song Thrush.  I thought it was a Coal Tit at first, as they had been all over my strategically placed bird feeder.  It's the first time I've photographed one and if it returns I will try and improve on this shot.

Whilst, rather unfortunately, photographing some Great Tits, I heard some crows making a lot of noise.  I turned and saw two buzzards being chased by crows swooping at head height about 20 metres away from where I was stood.  GUTTED! I had a 500mm lens on me but they had flown off before my brain could register what just happened.  I had forgotten how big they are!  Anyway, they both perched up in nearby trees.  The first one flew off as soon as I emerged to photograph it, but this second one stayed a bit longer -  long enough for me to get a basic shot.  It reminded me that I need to start photographing these birds more.

On a clear night a few days ago, I headed out to see how Bissoe looked at night.  Unfortunately the moon  wasn't shining, so it didn't light up the foreground much.  However, the dark sky was ablaze with stars - it turns out there's much less light pollution in the Valley than most other places I do night photography.  I was trying to encapsulate the industrial history of the place by using this old ruin/ building as a focal point.

Oh yeah, and it was so clear and dark that I could see the Milky Way with my bear eyes (ha, bare eyes) as the photo on the right (look up) shows.

Why a Robin? On a feeder?  Come on James, you can do better than this...

Well, it's the most Christmassy photo I taken this winter, and it's 1st December so that completely justifies this image.

FYI: Change of blog name

Ok, so no photos this time.  Probably next week if you must know.  Just thought I should let y'all know that this is definitely and solely a Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve blog, and I won't be posting work from other projects and shoots here.  I should point out that this is NOT official and is in no way affiliated with Cornwall Wildlife Trust (they manage the reserve) - this is an independent university project of my choosing.

The reason for the change? Well, I LOVE this assignment and am really committed to making it as good as possible - it will take up a lot of my time and I will be producing a lot of work from the reserve so it seems only right that I should dedicate this blog to the developments of my project.

So in order to direct a wider audience to my work, I have changed the web address of the blog from jameslewisphotograph.blogspot.com to bissoevalley.blogspot.com.  Better sooner than later.

I hope you continue to enjoy the progression of my work over the coming months,

James

Birds at Bissoe

What a beautiful sunrise!  For those of you who missed it, I'll fill you in.  It was cold - and let it be known that it was (probably) Cornwall's first frost this side of summer.  Mist rose off the arsenic coated river, and the sun steadily rose, with its golden glow lighting a song thrush casually singing high in a tree top.  

I shot a few landscapes to mark the occasion, and then went in search of birds.  I have had only limited success so far but two days ago put some birds feeders on some trees, hoping to increase my success rate.  And I wasn't disappointed! When I arrived there were a couple of blue tits already feeding which I accidentally scared off.  I had a feeling it would be good shoot.  I set up my hide, and waited.  The birds continued to be interested even after their initial fright but they soon came back and they were still feeding after I left. As well as taken some stills, I did some video clips - I've edited the clips together for your viewing

I know they're not brilliant, but it's progress!

Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve

Since I started my final year, on 3rd October to be precise, I have been working on a project that will lead me through to the end of my degree, and hopefully get me a decent result at the end of it.  I was originally planning to do a species study on the Red Kites of Britain, looking at their characteristics and habits within their habitats, as I am writing my dissertation on their reintroductions (try not to yawn).  However, with hindsight this was clearly unfeasible for reasons that are unimportant.  Thankfully I realised that and so I am now doing a habitat study of Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve.  It is an old arsenic mine, which was transformed into a nature reserve roughly 20 years ago and has now been left for nature to have its way with.

Why Bissoe?  It's local - in between Falmouth and Truro (7 miles from my house).  Oh yeah, and there's tons of stuff there!  By stuff I mean naturey things, of course - flora, fungi, wildlife, birds, a cracking industrially scarred landscape too and a few ponds.

*Tell me more* I hear you type...

Well, that's the whole point of my photos...check them out and you'll become enlightened.  I have no doubt that from now to May 2012 a lot of the posts on this blog will be about the progress I make during this project.  I just hope you enjoy them and don't get bored because if you're bored, I probably will be to.  I've got a long way to go, and a wealth of ideas to experiment with.

So here's a completely biased selection of what I think are my best shots so far.  Click and view them BIGGER.

Enjoy, and I'd love to here what you think!

Heather

Centaurium erythraea

Amethyst Deceiver

Common Cavalier

Goldcrest

Misty Morning

Stormy Morning Rainbow

Common Toad

P.S. It probably goes without saying that I won't uploading as many photos as this every time, but I've been shooting for about 6 weeks now and if I didn't have at least these 8 photos to show, I'd be worried.

Thanks, James

First Blog Post

So, what's it going to be? How will I start this this blog?  Well, I created my own blog on my website, www.jameslewisphoto.co.uk, so with that shameless plug I've already begun.  I see this as a much more accessible and visible way for people to view my work than my own blog, so much of the content will be similar.  Anyway, I hope to update here regularly - probably more regularly than my actual website.  I really hope you enjoy my photography.  I love doing what I do and if it gives pleasure to others then all the better.

Wait...

Maybe I should tell you a bit about myself?

Ok, I'm 20, in my 3rd, in my final year of a Marine and Natural History Photography degree at University College Falmouth and play excessive amounts of guitar in my spare time.  Not interesting enough for you?  Well...I surf whenever I get the chance, I'm below the average height of a British male and I have VERY curly hair.

So that's me.  Thanks for stopping by. See you soon.

James