The coldest day

Last week in the UK we endured freezing temperatures with thermometers dropping as low as minus 10 degrees here in Wales, certainly the coldest I have known it to be in the twelve years we have lived here. Whilst it may have been uncomfortable and inconvenient for us, spare a thought for our wildlife struggling…

The show must go on

I knew tonight would be my last opportunity to see the starlings this year due to work commitments tying up most of my evenings, and the season drawing to a rapid close. As the days grow longer and with Spring just around the corner, numbers have already begun to drop off as the winter migrants…

Decimation

A visit to one of my favourite local ‘patches’ earlier this week did not bring me the joy I had hoped for, in fact quite the opposite. On arrival I discovered to my shock and horror that the hedgerow running the length of the stream at Plascrug ditch has been decimated! Where once there was…

Shapeshifters

My final ‘starling watch’ of the season looked like it was going to be a rather underwhelming one despite an almost perfect golden sunset. Numbers were still impressive but certainly down from the previous weeks and the starlings flew unhurriedly, swirling slowly around the pier until they began to drop from the sky into the…

Sighting: Bullfinch

After a couple of bitterly cold weeks, now it really is starting to feel like spring is just around the corner. With the sun shining bright yesterday I was keen to get out and explore a recently discovered ‘patch’, the Rhydyfelin cycle path. This short stretch of the Ystwyth trail may not sound like an…

Rush hour

Another superb evening to catch up with our famous Aberystwyth starlings as an overcast sky cleared just in time to produce a rather lovely sunset. I opted to use my wide angle lens again today and this turned out to be a wise decision as the starlings appeared from all different directions making it difficult…

Shoot for the stars

A somewhat underwhelming display from the starlings this evening, although the early arrivals did create a few interesting shapes in the sky . What do you see? A shooting star perhaps… —Photographs copyright of Claire Stott/Grey Feather Photography ©greyfeatherphotography.com If you like what you see, you can follow me on Facebook or Instagram (@greyfeatherphotography) to see my latest photographs….

A pier with a view!

A few evenings ago I wanted to capture the nightly starling spectacle here in Aberystwyth a little differently. Rather than observing from my usual seafront vantage point, on this occasion I hoped to capture a unique perspective right from the heart of the action. Thanks to the assistance of Hannah and the Royal Pier bar…

It’s that time of year again…

It was almost a year ago that I stood in this very spot, photographing the annual starling spectacle here in Aberystwyth and what a difference a year can make! Whilst the annual cycles of nature change very little, unfortunately our human world is now a very different place with a global pandemic filling all our…

Transition period

As we wave goodbye to summer and the cooler days of autumn draw in, many birds appear to disappear and the skies fall silent. The reason for the sudden absence is that many of our birds are now keeping a low profile, hiding away whilst they go through their annual moult and grow new feathers…

A parting gift

There is definitely a chilly autumnal feeling in the air lately. With shortening hours of daylight and dropping temperatures it will soon be time for the Aberystwyth house martins to leave us once again. This summer has passed in what feels like the blink of an eye and these birds’ familiar staccato calls will soon…

Monday motivation

There’s nothing like capturing an image you have wanted to achieve all year, to provide a bit of Monday Motivation! I’ve spent a lot of time watching the house sparrows this summer, and seen my fair share of courtship and mating behaviour, but capturing that crucial moment has always proved illusive. The birds are often…