Diana Schmies Photography

Goldcrest, taken recently in Whisby Nature Park.
Whish you a happy new year!

Light drizzle and quite grey on my way back home yesterday evening, but couldn't resist to try a few shots of this wonderful Buzzard. Like the analogy here, that the post's angle matches exactly the angle of the bird's body.

This speech can't be shared often enough, everyone should listen to this, I think...

Did you know, that squirrels groom their tails each morning upon waking? They yawn, stretch and scratch their bodies and massage their tails as part of a daily body hygiene and workout routine. But actually they do it to add some extra cuteness, methinks...

Did you know, that squirrels groom their tails each morning upon waking? They yawn, stretch and scratch their bodies and massage their tails as part of a daily workout and body hygiene routine. But actually they do it to add some extra cuteness, methinks...

For Red Deer the rutting season has almost come to an end, but the lake in Wollaton Park still seems to attract some deer to cool down - or to enjoy water lillies for breakfast! Was a pleasure to watch this on Friday morning just after sunrise.

Recently I've rediscovered my love for dark and dramatic light situations... After my portrait of a deer ("Stag on Stage"), spotlighted and isolated from the dark surroundings, now an example for a rim light capture of a crow visiting a spider...

This is one of my favourite pictures of a bellowing stag I've taken last year. I'm proud to see it today on the front page of "view fotocommunity" (belongs to German STERN magazine) among the pics of the day :-)
Hope the sun will come out again within the next days to go on Deer stalking...

Today marks the beginning of the pheasant shooting season. Each year about 50 millions intensively reared pheasants and partridges are released into the wild to be shot. The real scandal is, according to the Savills Shoot Benchmarking Survey 2017/18, that only 48% of the birds shot are taken by dealers. That means that millions of lives are wasted - just for the pleasure of its shooters, in the name of sports!

Have a nice weekend and enjoy the sun!
This cutie from my local patch is one of two recently (!) hatched goslings. Glad to see that both still are happy and alive. For many bird species it was harder this year to raise their young, so my impression. Can't imagine, that natural predation is the only explanation, that eggs and chicks have disappeared in huge numbers.

Stag on stage - on the way to cool down himself :-)

speedy coot ... a favourite picture of my series about coot's territorial behaviour.

A young Red Grouse, captured in the Peak District
Since 1853 about 500.000 of its kind are killed during the shooting season between 12th August and 10th December every year - for the sake of vanity (masqueraded as sports) and profit (the shooting industry generates £150 Million for the economy). To keep this big business running, natural predators of the Grouse, like foxes, stoats or birds of prey are illegally culled, which has lead to a huge decline of species like the Hen Harrier.
Wish this little guy a secure future.

Long ago since I posted something on my page! Probably why I prefer spending my time with capturing wildlife rather than with reviewing, selecting and postprocessing tons of pictures ;-). Today I start with one of my favourite shots of a Great Crested Grebe, a bird I really love to photograph! This one I captured just after sunrise. It's one of a few pictures I am reasonably satisfied with. Need to say, that I am never fully satisfied with my pictures, because I always find something that should be improved...

Once their antlers are fully grown, stags start to get rid of their "velvet skin". It is said, that the bloody procedure is not painful for the deers, but at least it can be very itchy, why they become more nervous and stressed than at other times of the years (apart from rutting season).

https://www.change.org/p/newcastle-city-c ouncil-premier-inn…..

Last weekend I had the great opportunity to catch a Little Owl early in the morning. But exactly on that day the sun decided to take a rest after shining powerfully and permanently for weeks, not allowing any rivals on the blue sky. Or eventually the sun has reminded herself being in England and not in Spain. :-) However, what to do if the light is too low? Take a low-light picture! Because I didn't want to increase the ISO so I decided to underexpose my image and allow only as much light as necesarry to accentuate the counter line and the shape of the subject by hiding the lesser important informations in the dark. Hope you like the mystical atmosphere of my Little "Night" Owl. Clifton Grove, 22 July 2018