Birds in flight

Two male mallards in flight....they were following a female but I couldn't get them all in the frame at the same time as she was too far in front. Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Software: Nikon Capture NX2

The rook (Corvus frugilegus) is a member of the family Corvidae in the passerine order of birds. It was given its binomial name by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The binomial is from Latin; Corvus for "raven" and frugilegus is Latin for "fruit-gathering" from frux, "fruit" and legere, "to pick". The English name is ultimately derived from the bird's harsh call. Rooks are distinguished from similar members of the crow family by the bare grey-white skin around the base of the adult's bill in front of the eyes. The feathering around the legs also looks shaggier and laxer than the carrion crow. The juvenile is superficially more similar to the crow because it lacks the bare patch at the base of the bill but it has a thinner bill and loses the facial feathers after about six months. (Wikipedia). Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Software: Nikon Capture NX2

A jackdaw carrying what appears to be a slice of brown bread back to it's nest on nearby buildings. The bird was about 30 metres / 33 yards from my shooting position according to the EXIF information so I had to crop the photo quite a lot to get a reasonably large image with my 200mm lens, therefore the resolution is not quite perfect. I used "continuous high speed" (10 frames per second) shooting mode and "continuous auto-focus" with an exposure compensation of +1.7 to avoid the bird becoming a silhouette against the bright blue sky. Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Software: Nikon Capture NX2

The western jackdaw (Coloeus monedula), also known as the Eurasian jackdaw, European jackdaw, or simply jackdaw is a passerine bird in the crow family. Found across Europe, western Asia and North Africa it is mostly resident, although northern and eastern populations migrate south in winter. Four subspecies are recognised which mainly differ in the colouration of the plumage on the head and nape. Linnaeus first described it formally giving it the name Corvus monedula. The common name derives from the word jack, denoting "small", and daw, a less common synonym for "jackdaw" and the native English name for the bird. Measuring 34–39 centimetres (13–15 in) in length the western jackdaw is a black-plumaged bird with a grey nape and distinctive pale-grey irises. It is gregarious and vocal, living in small groups with a complex social structure in farmland, open woodland, on coastal cliffs and in urban settings. Like its relatives, Jackdaws are intelligent birds and have been observed using tools. An omnivorous and opportunistic feeder, it eats a wide variety of plant material and invertebrates as well as food waste from urban areas. Western jackdaws are monogamous and build simple nests of sticks in cavities in trees, cliffs, or buildings. (Wikipedia). Camera: Nikon D300s Lens: AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

Photographed in Brierfield, North-West England, which is about 35 miles / 56 Kilometers from the nearest coast. There is a canal nearby but no large rivers or lakes so I don't know what attracts these Gulls to this area. They often arrive in a flock, fly around in circles for a while and then disappear for a few days before returning again. I think this is either a "common gull" or a "herring gull"....they are very similar in appearance and therefore difficult to identify. Camera: Nikon D300s Lens: AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED Processed with Nikon Capture NX2

A young swan "lifting off" from the Leeds-Liverpool canal near the town of Brierfield in Lancashire, North-West England. He / she flew very low over the nearby M65 Motorway bridge, narrowly missing a number of cars and disappeared into the distance. Photographed with a Sony RX100 compact camera and processed with Nikon Capture NX2 software.

Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Software: Nikon Capture NX2

Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Software: Nikon Capture NX2

The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) is a long-legged predatory wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range but some populations from the more Northern parts migrate southwards in autumn. A bird of wetland areas, it can be seen around lakes, rivers, ponds, marshes and on the sea coast. It feeds mostly on aquatic creatures which it catches after standing stationary beside or in the water or stalking its prey through the shallows. Standing up to 1 m tall, adults weigh from 1 to 2 kg (2.2 to 4.4 lb). They have a white head and neck with a broad black stripe that extends from the eye to the black crest. The body and wings are grey above and the underparts are greyish-white, with some black on the flanks. The long, sharply pointed beak is pinkish-yellow and the legs are brown. (Wikipedia). Camera: Nikon D500 Lens: AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Software: Nikon Capture NX2