2. RAILWAYS
  3. WILDLIFE AND THE RAILWAY

WILDLIFE AND THE RAILWAY

When I go photographing trains, I usually go to isolated and fairly wild places (plenty of those around us!) and I see a lot of wildlife but I find it very difficult to photograph, particularly birds in flight. So here are some of my better efforts over the years and I will try to get more.
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OAKHAM (2) - Whilst spotting at Oakham on May 20th, 2023, I was sitting in my car and heard this loud chittering sound. When I looked, these house martins were building a nest in the station house's eaves. This one remained in place and others were bringing mud to it and it was putting it in place. You can see it is standing on the beginnings of a nest.
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OAKHAM (2) - Whilst spotting at Oakham on May 20th, 2023, I was sitting in my car and heard this loud chittering sound. When I looked, these house martins were building a nest in the station house's eaves. This one remained in place and others were bringing mud to it and it was putting it in place. You can see it is standing on the beginnings of a nest.

  • 66093 on 4L45 Wakefield Europort - Felixstowe South comes very close to collecting this pigeon at Badgeney Road, 09/01/23.
  • 66730 WHITEMOOR approaches Welney Road AHB on 4Z81 Rotherham Masborough - Felixstowe North, 21/02/20, having just disturbed this very angry marsh harrier which was feeding on the trackside.
  • As I sat at Welney Road AHB, Manea, on November 25th, 2022, this flock of goldfinches flew in to feed on some large thistles out of view in the foreground. I know it's not very good but they're very small. Believe it or not, this mass of weeds is actually a field of sugar beet!
  • ATTLEBOROUGH - Once again, I know that turkeys are not exactly wildlife but I thought this picture was interesting enough to include here. It shows the annual turkey trot to Attleborough Station, sometime in the 1930's I think, after the Michaelmas auctions in Surrogate Street, about a quarter mile away. Nearly 4,000 birds were sold on this occasion and fetched on average 1s 6d per pound.
  • DISS - I'm well aware that horses do not qualify as wildlife but it will probably surprise some people to learn that horses were still used for shunting wagons until relatively recently. In yards that were old with tight bends unsuitable for even the smallest locomotives, horses were still in use, as here at Diss, where the practice ended in 1959.
  • LUCKS ROAD AHB - I went to Lucks Road AHB near Spalding on December 2nd, 2022, to get Sir Nigel Gresley on a special to Lincoln. It was running 30 minutes late and, as I stood there, very cold, this robin was flying circuits around me. What appears to a pale sun on the right in fact the Up Distant.
  • LUCKS ROAD AHB - I went to Lucks Road AHB near Spalding on December 2nd, 2022, to get Sir Nigel Gresley on a special to Lincoln. It was running 30 minutes late and, as I stood there, very cold, this robin was flying circuits around me. What appears to a pale sun on the right in fact the Up Distant.
  • MARCH - The little nature reserve by Norwood Road railway bridge in March is completely isolated and cannot normally be accessed, being in a triangle of railway lines. The pond is full of frogs and here are a pair of coots with their chicks on May 23rd, 2022.
  • OAKHAM (1) - Whilst spotting at Oakham on May 20th, 2023, I was sitting in my car and heard this loud chittering sound. When I looked, these house martins were building a nest in the station house's eaves. This one remained in place and others were bringing mud to it and it was putting it in place. You can see it is standing on the beginnings of a nest.
  • OAKHAM (2) - Whilst spotting at Oakham on May 20th, 2023, I was sitting in my car and heard this loud chittering sound. When I looked, these house martins were building a nest in the station house's eaves. This one remained in place and others were bringing mud to it and it was putting it in place. You can see it is standing on the beginnings of a nest.
  • OAKHAM (3) - This nest, completed, was on an adjacent eave to the first one and I think this bird must have been sitting because the others were bringing it food. They came in a flock, there was a mass of chittering and then they all flew off again.
  • On July 7th, 2021, a family of magpies trespass on the railway at Corby.
  • On July 7th, 2021, I went have a look at the new station at Corby. There is only the one platform and opposite this is a large, wild embankment. I spotted this squirrel en route to the rubbish bin, not bothered in the least.
  • On July 7th, 2021, I went have a look at the new station at Corby. There is only the one platform and opposite this is a large, wild embankment. I spotted this squirrel en route to the rubbish bin, not bothered in the least. Just waiting for a train!
  • On June 27th, 2016, I was stood on the footbridge at Werrington on the ECML and suddenly there was commotion in the dyke. I had no idea what this white heron was at the time.
  • On March 14th, 2018, I was sitting by the AHB at Badgeney Road, March, and this robin was singing his head off.
  • On November 29th, 2016, I saw this heron just standing in a ploughed field near Badgeney Road AHB.
  • On October 1st, 2016, I was at one of my favourite spots, Welney Road AHB, Manea, where I often see large flocks of goldfinches, easily identified by their curious, dipping flight. They don't often settle but this one did, on a dead thislte.
  • On September 20th, 2016, I sitting at the UOLC at Silt Road, March, and I saw this Great Spotted Woodpecker sitting on the electricity wires.
  • POLAND - In Poland, EU06-16, built in 1962 by English Electric in England, basically a BR Class 83, (yes, and highly successful!), waits to depart Szczecin Glowny with a Krakow train, my train to Poznan, 26/08/04. with a mangled pheasant hanging by it's leg from the forward pan. When I pointed it out to the driver, he told me it was his lunch!
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