One of the benefits of living in East Anglia is that there is a wealth of different wildlife habitats
"Sandy beaches, tidal mud flats, marshes, woodland, heaths, the Brecks and of course the Broads.
Hence, as you would expect, the wildlife to be found reflects this diversity and for the photographer there are numerous opportunities which can be explored close to home.
All the images displayed below were taken in Norfolk and have been selected to represent some of the specialised wildlife to be found locally."
Bar-tailed Godwit
Although good numbers of Bar-tailed Godwits winter on The Wash, it is not always easy to get close enough to photograph them feeding.
Glaucous Gull
A scarce winter visitor, this juvenile was caught in a sudden downpour of wet snow which coated both the bird and the photographer!
Wren Singing
One of our commonest residents which possesses an amazingly loud song for such a small bird.
Avocets Squabbling
During early spring, Avocets are always a good subject for photography as they tussle and squabble to select a mate and establish a breeding territory.
Ruffs Feeding
Sexual dimorphism in this species is most obvious even during winter when they adopt a less flamboyant plumage.
Black-headed Gull
This individual had perfected the art of plunge diving to take small fish which could be seen in the shallow waters of a tidal stream.
Little Egret Preening
Once a rarity, Little Egrets are now relative common in our region and can be found in many wetlands.
Shelduck in Flight
An attractive duck and common resident, which is widely distributed in our region.
Purple Sandpipers
An uncommon winter visitor, these hardy birds were roosting on the sea defences at Sheringham during a NE gale with a heavy sea.
Swallow Wing-stretching
One of the harbingers of Spring, this migrant is taking a break during its long migration from its winter quarters in South Africa.
Stone-curlews Changing Over Incubation Duty
One of the special birds of Breckland, Stone-curlews breed in small numbers and have been the subject of extensive conservation efforts in recent years.
Spoonbill Feeding
A recent breeding colonist to Norfolk, it is nowadays possible to find birds feeding at a number of wetlands along the coast. This one was photographed at Cley.
Grey Seal
This bull was making an explosive entrance onto the beach at Horsey during the breeding season.
Brown Hares
A couple of animals, possible a pair, catching the early morning sun in a Norfolk ploughed field.
Male Reed Bunting
A bird in summer dress feeding on the seed-head of Common Reed.
Water Rail
A rather secretive and scarce resident which is not always easy to see never mind photograph.
Snow Buntings
A hardy bird which winters in small numbers along the coastal strip, favouring the open beach and shingle.
Coot
Really cold winters appear to be a thing of the past nowadays, so whenever it is cold enough to freeze or snow, every opportunity should be taken. As they say, taking photographs in extreme conditions usually leads to extreme images.
Great Crested Grebe with Young
The Broads hold a good population of Grebes and a well-timed visit in spring may find the newly hatched young still spending time on mum’s back.
"Most of the images were taken using Nikon equipment (D4s plus 500f4 lens) but several of the most recent were captured using an Olympus E-M1 Mark II with a 300f4 lens."
Gordon Follows ARPS
If you would like to see Gordon's images in more detail, please click HERE