Day 5 - August Challenge

Challenge - "A hare on the 5 August?
                     As a reminder of your participation in the Havergate Island exhibition at Snape Maltings one month later?"

Suggested by - Monika via blog

Another 4.30am start in the hope of completing my hare challenge nice and early today. However, the sound of raindrops outside my open bedroom window almost made me snuggle back down but I'm glad I didn't!

By 5.15am the rain had all but gone and I had bagged a nice portrait shot of a quizzical hare lolloping towards me but at 1600 ISO it was going to render very grainy. So once again, it was the waiting game for a better shot - and it was worth waiting.

I watched, as around a dozen hares would go up on hind legs to deftly nibble their way through the wheat stalk, just under the maturing ear. Letting the plump pickings fall to the floor, they  were easily able to enjoy their breakfast cereal. The hares seemed happy enough, although I doubt the farmer has the same feeling, judging by the ever-increasing bare area appearing in his field.

Around about 6.30am, the hares began to get rather fidgety, winding up to a quick bout of boxing, before they all went quietly back to their grazing again. With this shot in the bag, I knew I could make for home for my own breakfast and a welcome cuppa.

So, Monika, our hares may not be as laid back as the Havergate Island hares but they are still great to watch, although from a much greater distance. We are quite spoiled on Havergate!

The screen grab

My thanks to:

Monika for the suggestion

Himself for not moaning when I got up at dawn again

Tomorrow, Day 6

"Gothic"

Havergate Ahead...

Just time to get washed and brushed up, ready to...

hop over to...

Havergate Island, to tutor on the next weekend of photographic discovery...

where visitors can get up close to the laid-back Havergate hares and resident birds.

An overnight on the island will hopefully allow shots at golden hour, and some time the next day to

  explore the flora...

and fauna...

before heading off back home, having left only footprints...

and taken only pictures and memories.

An exhibition of photographs and paintings by visitors and tutors from the Havergate Season will be held at
Aldeburgh Music's Pond Gallery, Snape Maltings, Suffolk.
(Thursday 5th September to Wednesday 11th September)

Havergate Day of Discovery

Sunday 21st April
A glorious 6am start from Orford Quay

Eight photographers joined the RSPB events officer and four* photography tutors for the first
Havergate Day of Discovery

Passing by Orford Ness bunkers...

...on a mirror calm River Ore...

...we left Orford behind...

...in the still of the morning.

Arriving at Havergate Island jetty and time to get started...

...during Golden Hour - the photographer's dream.

Starting with a spot of macro photography...

...the early frost was turning to dewdrops...

...the macro photographer's friend.

After a last close look at low-down macro subjects...

 ...attention was turned to the birds and of course, the famous hares.

1,2...

3...

4...

 5...

...masses!

In the heat of a beautiful April day, Orford disappeared into the haze...

...whilst visiting birds left a trail of evidence.

An afternoon in the hide amassed an impressive list of birds
including this little Egret and not forgetting no 1 Havergate bird, the Avocet

Meanwhile, the hares had been taking things easy...

...until our last half-hour on Havergate when the boxing kicked off, and just before...

...a breeze-stirred homebound journey.

Would you like a chance to experience this unique island and its wildlife?

Places are still available on the April 28th Photographic Day of Discovery.
To book contact minsmere@rspb.org.uk
01728 648281

There is also an opportunity for photographs taken by visitors to Havergate, to be included in an exhibition
at the Pond Gallery, Snape Maltings from 5th - 11th September

*Tutors
Jon Evans www.jonevansbirding.blogspot.co.uk
(The man with the big lens)

Tony Pick www.tonypickphotography.co.uk
(The landscape man)

http://www.tonypickphotography.co.uk/2013/04/havergate-island-photography-day-of-discovery/

Danny Porter www.dannysdigiscoping.com
(The man who can fit almost any camera on a scope)
http://www.dannysdigiscoping.com/rspbdaysofdiscovery.htm

and me, Celia Bartlett here at Ailec Photography
(who gets you looking really close-up)

RSPB Events Officer
Monika Koch
and here is what some of the visitors had to say

Mad March Hares

Hey, Listen-up all you sleepy-heads!

Spring is with us, and with Spring come the hares.
You know you have always wanted to see hares from close quarters, and even more so, you would love to photograph them, but don't think you have the skill or equipment to do so.
Well here is your chance.

On Sunday 17th March, there is a unique opportunity to visit Havergate Island in Suffolk, a haven for hares - and much, much more.

With exclusive access to the island, owned and managed by the RSPB, hares, birds, landscapes and nature in close-up will all be workshopped in this series of one day photographic events.

"Photography: Day of Discovery"  (Click for more details)

Places are filling up fast, and with only a few days to go before the first event, there is no time like now, to hop over to the link above.

If you can't manage that date, then tell someone else about it!
If you can't manage that date, then no worries. What about the April or May events?

Whatever, this is a unique opportunity to observe wildlife at close quarters, whilst four differently experienced tutors are on hand to guide you in aspects of photography.


Wake up to Spring!


Photography: Day of Discovery has been co-ordinated by Monika Koch in association with the Vodaphone 'World of Difference' programme

(Transport suitability and wildlife spotting subject to weather conditions)

Photography: Day of Discovery

Havergate hare. A guaranteed spot on the Days of Discovery

Did I manage to whet your appetite with my post last week, all about how special Havergate Island in Suffolk is?

-Would you like an opportunity to visit this exclusive nature reserve to experience the unique mix of wildlife?
-Do you wish you knew how to capture great images of birds, animals, plants?
-Would you like the chance to capture some stunning Suffolk landscape images?

If the answer to at least one, if not all of those questions is yes, then read on...


For one day each in March, April and May, there will be a rare opportunity to visit Havergate Island as part of the events programme presented by the RSPB:-

"Photography: Day of Discovery"

Set up with beginner / intermediate photographers in mind, this will be an ideal opportunity to capture an image or two to be proud of, and will be a unique mix of "observation, fun and education in the wonderfully diverse and fragile habitat." Visitors will be guided through the photographic opportunities by four differently experienced tutors. The day will be divided up, so that all visitors will be able to experience landscape, macro, digiscoping and telephoto photography.


The tutors will be:

Landscape photography with Gill Moon  www.gillmoon.com
Digiscoping with Danny Porter  www.dannysdigiscoping.com
                       or Paul Hackett
Telephoto photography with Jon Evans  www.jonevansbirding.blogspot.co.uk

and finally, I'm pleased to announce,

Macro photography will be with myself (You know where I am!) on the 21st April only

(Sadly, due to pre-arranged trips I will be on an alternative photographic venture in West Cork for the other two days. Of course, I am disappointed to be missing the Havergate days but there will be another wonderful tutor available instead)

So, do take a look at the programme for this fantastic opportunity.

Places are limited to just eight visitors per trip so run along- they will go quickly!




Oh, and if you haven't already made up your mind, did I mention there will be some really yummy food provided on the day too?!




Photography: Day of Discovery has been co-ordinated by Monika Koch in association with the Vodaphone 'World of Difference' programme

(Transport suitability and wildlife spotting subject to weather conditions)

Havergate Island, Suffolk

Havergate Hare

Looking for peace and quiet?
Wanting to be at one with nature, birds and hares?

Then Havergate Island in Suffolk is the perfect destination, and that is exactly where I was headed last Saturday morning.

Passing through West Suffolk on my way to the coast, via the A14, I was quite relieved to see that the chimney at the Bury sugar factory was chuffing straight up into the early morning air. This meant one thing.
Calm.

Calm was exactly what I wanted for my next encounter with the Suffolk seas. My previous visit had been altogether more, well, shall we say 'bouncy' when I had been out on a shoot with the RNLI back last November. Saturday was looking a promising 'my-kind-of-sea' day.

Along with three other photographers, we had been specially invited by Suffolk Coast Events Officer, Monika Koch to visit Havergate Island, owned and managed by the RSPB.

Located in the River Ore, right on the Suffolk coast and sandwiched between Orford Ness and the land, meant technically I wasn't actually going out to sea. However, anything which involves a boat on tidal waters is 'sea' enough for me. We climbed aboard the the RSPB boat, the October Storm to make the twenty minute trip from Orford Quay to the only true island in Suffolk. An 'exclusive' bird and nature reserve.

Noted for being home to a breeding colony of avocets, it is also home to wide selection of resident and migratory gulls and wading birds, including, in season, the spoon bill. With a resident pair of barn owls and a famous colony of 'Havergate hares' I was going to be like a kid in the proverbial sweet shop. So what to a piddly little boat ride!

Being a tidal estuary, sea levels were working against us to land neatly at the island jetty and so it became a boat clamber and a jump onto the shingle shore with all of our gear. (We shouldn't complain, this is the way everything comes and goes to the island, and when I say everything, I mean everything)

Thankfully it was so calm on Saturday morning, that even the oar splashes lingered on the water long after the rowing boat had moved through.

As a group, we were there on a specific mission as well as acquainting ourselves with the facilities. The island has no mains services but boasts a small visitor centre, with picnic area, an all important warden hut, and a number of roomy hides set alongside the series of carefully managed lagoons.

 However, I wasn't there to specifically photograph the bird life...

...more shall we say, to take rather a closer look at things.

As for the hares. Well, they just presented themselves in such a way that I couldn't avoid a photograph or two.

Truly captivating!

All too soon, it was time to bid adieu to this wonderful little haven in the estuary, and as we all headed back, our minds were buzzing with the possibilities, and plans for another visit.

The plans?

Very soon, all will be revealed.