Heathland and Avocets

With the weather looking decidedly dubious over the next few days, I thought I should make the most of the last two mornings which were forecast as being fine.

So yesterday I headed for Hothfield Heathlands (as it is now called, not Hothfield Common as I said in a previous post), to (hopefully) catch a misty landscape with the heather in full bloom.  It was a beautiful morning but as is so often the case, I found myself frantically searching for a decent composition, seeking out young bracken to act as my anchor point.  Eventually I found what I was looking for then just stood and watched the day unfold.  

Nikon D2x, 12-24mm at 16mm, 1 sec. f14, iso 100, O.9 (3 stop) ND Grad.

In the distance, I could make out the huge shapes of highland cattle that are currently grazing the heath to keep the scrub under control.  Once the sun had burned through the mist the light was too harsh for shooting landscapes, so the next 30 minutes was spent photographing the cattle.  

Exposing for the highlights rendered everything else to almost black, giving the image a more moody quality.

As yesterday, I awoke at silly-o-clock and arrived well before sunrise at my hide on the marshes.  It was a great sunrise with a spattering of clouds and the avocets came just within camera reach.  They have to be our finest bird for silhouettes, no question.  With its upturned bill, head sweeping from one side to another and the graceful way in which it moves, they are instantly recognisable.

 It’s no wonder they are the symbol for the RSPB though it is not just for their appearance why it was chosen.   About 160 years ago they were wiped out due to fen drainage and man using it’s feathers and collecting it’s eggs.  Then, after the second world war it is thought they were dislodged from their breeding grounds in the Netherlands by the flooding of the polders and they began to nest on Minsmere and Havergate Island in Suffolk.  Recently, on the Southend RSPB website, I read that their preferred breeding conditions of shallow pools and low islands which are uncommon in this country, was artificially created by a wayward bomb from a nearby firing range at Havergate , blowing a hole in the seawall which allowed the tidal river to flood in.  At Minsmere, the marshes were deliberately flooded to halt invading troops and when the water drained away, shallow pools remained creating ideal nesting conditions.  The RSPB bought both as reserves and today over 100 pairs breed on both with a national population of around 400.  A real success story.

Tags: avocet, bracken, heather, highland cattle, highland cow, hothfield common, hothfield heathlands, north kent marshes, sunrise