Since retiring in 2023 I have been getting back into wildlife photography. More recently water birds. Connaught Water is lake in Epping Forest near Chingford, inhabited by Joggers, Dog Walkers. people out to enjoy the air and Birds.
I wanted to get coots fighting shots but they are seemingly more pacifist these days, but some success also working on birds in flight.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/1b7335f7-0b1f-435f-a389-b90524a5203d_rw_3840.jpg?h=f27af48d0084ada669421d4d931da110)
Almost dance like
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/18c684a5-64c2-4804-9634-e97fae6c6dc2_rw_3840.jpg?h=91b01106768e530c94c97e997d589620)
Not messing about with those feet
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/e85f8c75-1d43-46a2-a9a0-dcfb21df6f87_rw_3840.jpg?h=c2d4a8eb2b48c06c5c71d53aa3777997)
Kicking up the spray
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/14ab5d2d-fa88-41d3-9c34-dcf50f63b3c1_rw_3840.jpg?h=a3cb64af1bc7b9491d62a74e2ed549a4)
Wins by a length
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/c7dafe74-78a7-42e7-bdca-13d063f414fb_rw_3840.jpg?h=cd7be5c78ee2d8213a687e1c9ee48b38)
On the eggs
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/8caf8dc8-4b5f-4644-a5d7-863da7e02a7a_rw_1920.jpg?h=a0737766396b5b9c1d2f78a25414b242)
Cute, not sure?
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/8835e96e-3eb7-49f6-889a-dcc13a910f83_rw_1920.jpg?h=cfd808e146595ffa280d460658cd93e9)
Canada Geese in flight
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/a1723a99-b90e-403b-b656-f5d5470a3e38_rw_1920.jpg?h=5edf01eb09e7a4291472cdb9df17c009)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/066b0060-2bda-48f9-a4bd-c1eadbd203d6_rw_3840.jpg?h=8c6cd3b5a1689aecfda679f3e9f6729f)
OK the end of the Canada Geese
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/3b407ed8-935d-4cea-b4ae-ff04b8e8feb0_rw_1920.jpg?h=73ff6ad0b8d5279d0c885170d9f6da27)
Long distance shot to nesting Heron chicks
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/47ecc3b4-0ce1-4ef1-99c8-e84df2d84019_rw_3840.jpg?h=b699ff0e9ed79abfa3dcace282f7b0f2)
This nest was close ish about 20 years away chick fluff just visible
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/9f57ffec-e1c5-4c93-8cd6-8bb7bf7c35f3_rw_1920.jpg?h=f12e3830d31b783813645cf3fe14816d)
Under mums beady eye. far off nest
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/8d5def23-8be0-4625-98e4-5c1aca3acafb_rw_1920.jpg?h=286c77e3f3cc5c80c3bc7c034a863ab0)
Love the scraggy neck on view
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/fb11a5e3-5360-42eb-83d7-e900440c9947_rw_1920.jpg?h=abf23160a06c2865417b6ea03dfca363)
Feeding time
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/a4164543-1c86-49c2-b108-1d21ff260ae2_rw_3840.jpg?h=88b7d61be0b8696c33306f17312060c0)
Punk is not dead
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/165fb1c8-6345-44b2-b3bf-0be9839de3b5_rw_1920.jpg?h=6fb5b58a817c319d8ded80acd39280c8)
make it look so easy
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/46cda988-6c15-4132-848c-b9de73310180_rw_3840.jpg?h=23d1e8eddb0354944320802faa9c764d)
Effortless
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/98185790-46ff-425e-8101-e2e93bfcb6ef_rw_1920.jpg?h=9bb72ab9afe3d1bad52b02f42155b07e)
Lovely light
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/03d64e35-5e4a-444f-86fc-6b9a4e1e547d_rw_3840.jpg?h=5d5540f17794d5be581dc35e6b185cb8)
It was that big
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/ab8283ec-5a5a-4720-a5c1-fdcf1d6ae125_rw_3840.jpg?h=6bdc796c7d759d85c755d96cae052282)
Coming in to land
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/9b490045-db06-4750-a24a-6100e42bb063_rw_1920.jpg?h=40964bc7682b2fe21e45d319d2a9b553)
Working on flight shots
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/77850a3d-73b4-4ae9-bfe4-4e8a235a8d0e_rw_1920.jpg?h=55bdc57de607b73eb44f7ea370dedf3f)
Their colours are amazing
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/7ac93249-05d4-4520-a425-d85d7b43072e_rw_3840.jpg?h=b3733a452d373684dae26b3d2a95fed8)
Same place every day, was about my fifth visit before I saw it move
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/1d0e1db4-c9e2-43a5-af11-f22df17f297c_rw_3840.jpg?h=7c1d2092d79c85a1e23cc53008429784)
Visit 12 it moved again
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/bd41cdb3-1bcd-4e44-99cc-f3b95e9dc8dc_rw_3840.jpg?h=b860aafc0d853e4602cbd2c48a9e9530)
So I took full advantage
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/5184035c-9c6f-40f1-bc56-c4ee43b0c68a_rw_3840.jpg?h=ed4585ef4c1e3b59d78a72f469792ca1)
Greylag in flight
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/3938b4ac-a369-40ad-a4a9-316d83bddb06_rw_1920.jpg?h=7fabfb1eaf23d9c9cdd42c5f419a15e0)
Family Outing
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/6f8888b10d8822951940c7b9dd341877/f6eb8fb7-0a19-4788-b6f6-4a464709422f_rw_3840.jpg?h=de305ac406db79781b544cf9feb2c54a)
Chases off visitors. only swan on the lake, got to Eagle Ponds and there are dozens