photos

Blue Rock Thrush In The Garden!

1st March 20201st March 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

This morning, I could hear a call that was familiar, but couldn’t quite place it. On taking a look, it all came back to me, there was a male Blue Rock Thrush calling in the garden. I grabbed the binoculars and waited. I wanted to see where it was going. Near to the house there are 2 ruins and I suspected it would head to the larger of the 2. I wasn’t wrong!

I didn’t want to get close as it’s obviously choosing a new nest site and didn’t want to destroy any chances of it being so close. Today is a terrible day for bird photography with heavy grey wet skies.

I did manage to get a a couple of shots of him from a distance. I didn’t spot the female, but in this terrible light, she would be quite difficult to spot as she is much more like a female Blackbird in appearance so would blend in with the trees and bushes. I really hope that they will remain here, the perfect nest site for them and I will bring you some amazing shots of them.

Violet Carpenter Bees Are Out Of Hibernation

20th February 202020th February 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

This is a real sign that the thermometers are rising, it has been well over 20 degree Celsius for the last few days during the daytime and this has awoken the Violet Carpenter Bees.

These gentle giants are flying around feeding and also mating. You may think that these are dangerous due to their size, but are really docile and yes like all bees the female has a stinger, but rarely uses it. Many people think these are black, but if you look closely, you will notice the violet reflecting in the sunlight. In some countries Carpenter Bees are a pest as they damage wooden structures, however, Violet Carpenter Bees only seek out dead wood. If you have a garden or some land, leave out a rotting tree trunk or large branch which will become a nest and hibernation home for them. They are solitary bees, but this time of year you may see them mating.

Here are a few shots I snapped in the garden this morning

White Storks Of Silves!

9th February 20209th February 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

Rain was a possibility, however, when I arrived at the meeting point at 7:45am in Silves, there was a broken cloudy sunrise and the day was looking promising.

It was a cold start and at our first stop the White Storks looked very uninterested in waking up.

The Serins Are Singing, A Sign Of The Algarve Spring

12th January 202012th January 2020Craig RogersLeave a comment

Yes, it may only be mid-January, however, this is the time everything starts coming to life in the Algarve, particularly here in the hills.

The first sign of spring is the European Serins singing and a large flock (at least 50) have arrived here at the Quinta.

I took a wander around the garden this afternoon to grab some reference shots of both the female and male. They are very similar except the male has much more yellow on his breast and head.

As you may have noticed, there has been a lack of wildlife shots and posts recently as I have been busy with other projects, however, I will be making some time to get out an about in the next week. Firstly, I will be working out a way to get up close and personal with these tiny birds, but for now, here’s two shots showing the difference between the sexes.

Here is the female….

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December Sunset At Carvoeiro

5th December 20195th December 2019Craig RogersLeave a comment

I have been wanting to shoot from this iconic Algarve viewpoint for a while and as I will be at the Christmas Fair at The Smokehouse & Tapas Bar in Carvoeiro on Sunday I thought it a good idea to have a local photograph to include in the display.

This evening I arrived early to setup for a “2nd Sunset” (the colourful sky after the sun has set) shot, but the clouds started rolling in so changed my plan for an actual sunset shot instead.

If you want to see this image in print and mounted, please come along on Sunday.

{Click image to view in the shop}

New Special Edition Large Acrylic Prints Now Available Of 2 Of My Favourites!

29th October 201930th October 2019Craig RogersLeave a comment

Occasionally, I will produce Single, Limited & Special Edition Prints to compliment all the prints available in the Web Shop.

I have produced 2 new Special Edition Prints (just 1 of each are available) that are now available to purchase. Both prints are printed on acrylic in a large 60x40cm dimension.

Acrylic is an expensive printing process which is printed directly onto 3mm thick acrylic and then sealed with a white background giving a stunning polished frameless look with real depth. It creates a view as if the image is back-lit which really makes the colours stand out to the viewer. I am able to offer local pickup here in São Marcos da Serra or I will personally deliver within a small radius of the central Algarve region, I can also deliver to the town of Ourique in the Alentejo.

No matter how hard I try, the beauty of these acrylic prints cannot be appreciated by a photograph and viewing is also available, please Contact Me to discuss this, the Coffee is on me!

Please note, there is only 1 print available of each image so be quick!

The first image I chose to produce was Waves At Dusk. This image was taken on Praia de São Rafael just after sunset and captures the waves washing back out to sea.

{Click image to view in the shop}