Moorhen with Chicks

Len needed a lift to the Chinese doctor in Loughborough early this morning, so it was a bit of a scramble at first. 

After a dismal start, the cloud broke and the weather was gorgeous. I realised that this was a marvellous opportunity to take photos in Queens Park, Loughborough, where there were sure to be flowering Echinacea and bees. I took my long, long lens. Sure enough, the echinacea were in bloom.

The fountains were jetting out water. Attracted by a display of pink flowers the other side of one of the ponds, I moved to a gap in the overhanging trees, and saw this! A female moorhen atop her nesting platform of twigs with three small downy chicks. There is an older brood strutting about the park too. They've been turfed out of the nest.

Lots of my photos with this long lens come out just too soft. Even though I'd increased shutter speed, it's probably not enough to counter the focal length, effectively 600mm at longest extension. I should always remember that the shutter speed should be at least the reciprocal of the focal length, ie 1/600. 

Some of my photos from yesterday suffered the same problem. I was using a slowish shutter speed with a 200mm lens.

Then Basil and I sat in the sunshine at the cafe where I had hot beans and egg on gluten free toast with tea. Couldn't ask for anything more for a blissful morning.

Lazy afternoon. I need to take Baz for a walk round Nanny.