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John Harrison

John Harrison

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Location
Leeds, UK
Had a quick half an hour by the coast yesterday with my camera. Managed to capture these.. The weather was quite nasty as you can see from the background, but I think that a blue sky is not always the best..

John





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these are remarkable birds. have you got any pics of them diving?

is it true they are less numerous in UK this year what with the fish gone?

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canonballs
 
Very nice captures.

Steve
 
John Harrison said:
always welcome the interest...
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Click to expand...
I get a chance to shoot Northern Gannets, about once every two years in early April. The make a brief appearance, and then are gone.

Nice work.

Their diving, if you've seen it, is beyond belief. From two three hundred feet, they plunge straight down at incredible speeds. And their pretty big birds to begin with...

Dave
 
Thought I'd post a picture too. This gannet is held in captivity and as such of course does not compare to gannets shot at large. But at least you can look him in the eye.



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canonballs
 
canonballs said:
Thought I'd post a picture too. This gannet is held in captivity and
as such of course does not compare to gannets shot at large. But at
least you can look him in the eye.

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canonballs
Click to expand...
Looks like a hardened criminal to me. Drugs? Murder? What got him busted?

Dave
 
That's from a nature reserve visitor centre on Texel island, Netherlands. They run a bird (and seal) hospital/visitor attraction. The gannets they've got are rescued from oil patches or pieces of fishing net or other debris. They are supposed to release them after a while but they seem to be so fond of gannets they tend to hang on to them.

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canonballs
 
canonballs said:
That's from a nature reserve visitor centre on Texel island,
Netherlands. They run a bird (and seal) hospital/visitor attraction.
The gannets they've got are rescued from oil patches or pieces of
fishing net or other debris. They are supposed to release them after
a while but they seem to be so fond of gannets they tend to hang on
to them.

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canonballs
Click to expand...
Thanks for being kind to my joke... :)

I only see these birds, every two years or so, and the first one I saw actually dive, literally left me with my mouth open in disbelief. Never saw anything like it. I have some decent shots, but not to compare with the OP's or yours. What a face!

A real shame to keep these birds in captivity if it's at all possible to release them.

Dave
 
canonballs said:
Chato said:
... the first one I
saw actually dive, literally left me with my mouth open in disbelief.
Never saw anything like it.
Click to expand...
I've never seen one dive but from what I hear that must, to an
unprepared observer, look like a bird in a serious midlife crisis.
canonballs said:
I have some decent shots...
Click to expand...
Post them?
Click to expand...
I'll dig them up, but they are by no means as clear as the OP's...

I must say, to watch them dive from 100, 200, 300 feet, a bird with a six foot wingspan, is awe inspiring. And to be honest here, I never thought of it in the way you describe... :)

I just said to myself. "Holy $hit, did I see what I just saw? The collision with the water is like an explosion, water rising ten twenty feet i the air. And a few seconds later, like the Phonix, they rise from the deep and take to the air again.

Dave

(Edited in)

PS. Just took a look at the few images I have. None of them diving, and only one of them "rising." Not very good shots. There's one of them on my site. Not worth posting. Who knows, maybe the rotten birds will show up next Spring and give me another shot... :(

Dave
 
Chato said:
I just said to myself. "Holy $hit, did I see what I just saw? The
collision with the water is like an explosion, water rising ten
twenty feet i the air. And a few seconds later, like the Phonix, they
rise from the deep and take to the air again.
Click to expand...
perhaps you could tell me this—how vertical is the descent?
Chato said:
(Edited in)
PS. Just took a look at the few images I have. None of them diving,
and only one of them "rising." Not very good shots. There's one of
them on my site. Not worth posting. Who knows, maybe the rotten birds
will show up next Spring and give me another shot... :(
Click to expand...
Nothing like a little modesty to lure visitors to your site (to others: it's in the "Miscellaneous Birds" section). If I were in your shoes I guess I'd start saving for a boat...

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canonballs
 
They do look like a hardened criminal :-))

One from the same day...

I did see them diving but they were too far away to get any images of them. It is an amazing site to see them hit the water like that. The ones here were taken with a 300-800mm Sigma



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canonballs said:
Chato said:
I just said to myself. "Holy $hit, did I see what I just saw? The
collision with the water is like an explosion, water rising ten
twenty feet i the air. And a few seconds later, like the Phonix, they
rise from the deep and take to the air again.
Click to expand...
perhaps you could tell me this—how vertical is the descent?
Click to expand...
90 degree's, straight down... :)
canonballs said:
Nothing like a little modesty to lure visitors to your site (to
others: it's in the "Miscellaneous Birds" section). If I were in
your shoes I guess I'd start saving for a boat...
Click to expand...
I haven't updated the site since 2005... :)

The Gannets show up in the middle of Rockaway inlet, perhaps four hundred yards from where I normally go. But I am prepared! Next time I see them I can go to a place where I will be within a hundred yards... :(

Dave
 
Chato said:
Chato said:
perhaps you could tell me this—how vertical is the descent?
Click to expand...
90 degree's, straight down... :)
Click to expand...
Dramatic. Would love to see that. I checked with a book though—the angle varies.
Chato said:
The Gannets show up in the middle of Rockaway inlet, perhaps four
hundred yards from where I normally go. But I am prepared! Next time
I see them I can go to a place where I will be within a hundred
yards... :(
Click to expand...
Best of luck. Hope you will share your results.
Chato said:
Dave
Click to expand...
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canonballs
 
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