The best bird photography I've ever captured and a lot of luck
8 Video Views·May 4, 2026
In this video, I head out to the beautiful Knypersley Reservoir and experience one of those rare mornings where everything just clicks. With a bit of luck and perfect spring conditions, I was treated to an incredible variety of wildlife and some truly unforgettable photographic moments.
I’d barely stepped out of the car park before spotting Cayuga and Muscovy ducks, setting the tone for what turned out to be a jaw-dropping session. Throughout the morning, I captured a range of common birds in stunning light, with wrens and song thrushes coming in close for some fantastic encounters. A highlight was spotting a tiny goldcrest, always a challenge to photograph!
Things got even more exciting when I noticed movement nearby and came face-to-face with a bank vole — a rare and special moment. To top it all off, I captured what I consider one of my best ever shots: a great crested grebe gliding within five metres of me, allowing for a beautiful low-level perspective right at the water’s edge.
This was one of those magical outings that reminds me why I love wildlife photography so much — and it’s definitely a video you won’t want to miss.
If you enjoy bird photography, wildlife encounters, and real moments from the field, make sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more!
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Hi there, welcome to this video when I'm at my local reservoir.
Well it's been nearly a year since I last visited this reservoir and the last time I came was mid-summer
and because it feeds the canal system we had a very dry summer and they had to let a lot of water out to keep the canals topped up.
But at the moment we're in mid-spring and there is absolutely loads of water.
I would say that the reservoir is virtually full and so hopefully as I walk around I should see lots of birds on the water.
I've already seen quite a few things already and I know that I'm really going to enjoy my photography.
Well I'm barely out the car park so far and I've already seen two species that are not usual sightings.
Just here there are a pair of Cayuga ducks.
Now they're notable for their green feathers and in this early morning sunlight they're really iridescent and stand out really spectacularly.
Then if I spin the camera around ever so slightly, just here there are a pair of Muscovy ducks as well.
And so they're in the camera and it's a good start to the morning.
Just down here on the edge of the reservoir are a couple of Canada geese.
There's just been a few more just swimming about and it's interesting just taking the time to observe them going about their daily business.
And I've got some film of them washing themselves and interacting with each other and it's just quite fascinating watching and recording it.
I've just had a really opportune moment. Just here on this water was a great crested grebe.
And you can see that the water is really still at the moment because there's barely any wind.
And so the grebe was just sat and it got its head nested on its chest so it was just having a rest.
So I got some photographs and video of that and then it perked up a little bit and swam off towards the middle of the lake.
But I took the opportunity while I could, got the camera off the tripod and got a few handheld shots.
And it was really nice to get such a close up image of the great crested grebe.
This morning is just a gift. I heard a wren in this tree here behind me.
And I looked up and saw it straight away and managed to get a few photographs before it flew off.
And then I turned around and a coot was swimming past on the lake here behind the camera about three metres away from the edge of the lake.
So I just keep getting lots of great opportunities and what a morning!
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I've just had a really magical moment. I'm here on this little bit of concrete that juts out into the reservoir.
And I spotted the great crested grebe again and it was swimming towards this area.
And I thought it will probably come close to the bank again and sure enough it did.
And I came and sat on this little bit of concrete and the great crested grebe came within about five metres of where I was.
And so because I'm at virtually water level I got the camera down right on this piece of concrete that was about six centimetres off the top of the water.
And got some stunning photographs. It was one of those magical moments that you wait for in photography.
And I really doubt that I'm going to get anything better today but it's been worth coming just for that moment. It was really really special.
Sometimes you have to work really hard to get photographs but I was just walking along this path and on this bank here I noticed a thrush hopping about.
In the sunlight just having a little look for some food probably and I managed to get a photograph.
And I didn't even have to do any work for it. I'm having so much luck today.
I think it's a sign of the quality of my sightings this morning because I don't know whether you can make out but the car park is just here.
And I've walked along here, around there, down this path which can't be much more than 300 metres.
And I've been here for two hours and it's taken that long just to get this far because I've been seeing so many things.
Just stopping and photographing them and I'm really having a great time.
Well I have used this branch before but it is really good as a perch because it's attractive, it's got moss on the top, it's catching the sun and you can hide seed behind it.
And so it attracts lots of birds and I've got some really nice photos.
I feel like I'm turning into a broken record because every time I turn the camera on the thing that I want to say is what an amazing morning I'm having.
But it just keeps getting better. I've just heard a little bit of a rustle in this bank here behind me and I then noticed a small mammal.
Now I call it a small mammal because I hesitate to identify it. I'm not very good with identifying whether it's a mouse or a vole.
But it was certainly mouse like and it poked its head out from behind a leaf.
And then I've stood here for a while and I've seen quite a few just running around on this bank here behind me and it's been really special.
But then I also heard a wren right behind where the camera is now.
And when I turned the camera on it, I found it building a nest and going up into the top of a tree, stripping moss off one of the branches and bringing it back to its nest.
I can't believe this morning.
Based on the look that I'm having today, I definitely need to play the lottery tonight.
There's a very local thrush just here behind me in this tree.
I've just stopped and waited a minute and it landed perfectly in the top of the tree to get a great picture.
There are two separate lakes here. The main reservoir and the smaller one that feeds into the bigger one.
And I very nearly didn't come around this second lake because I've had such a good time on the main lake.
I thought, well, I've got enough to make a video.
But I thought with the luck that I was having this morning, it would be a shame not to come around this lake.
And sure enough, I heard a goldcrest and I just waited for about five minutes, no more than that.
And it landed in a really great place and I got some photographs and video.
A great morning I've had. What I'll do now is I'll leave you with some of my best photographs.
And don't forget to stick around to the end of the video to see my favourite.
I feel like I might have overused the adjective amazing this morning, but it really doesn't actually do justice to the morning I've had.
I have had so many sightings and I just feel like I've been so lucky.
Every time I see something really stunning, I see something else equally good just around the next corner.
So I've got that great crested grebe, I've got the goldcrest, I've got knot hatch, I've seen the mandarin ducks.
I have just seen so many different birds this morning and it has just been an absolute pleasure this morning.
Sometimes you get these kind of days where everything seems to go right and I'm going away in such a good mood.
I am really buzzing and I have totally enjoyed my photography today.
Despite some strong contenders for my favourite photograph, including the bank vole and the goldcrest, I couldn't not choose this great crested grebe.
It is just one of my best ever photographs. I think it's gone into my top five favourites.
The angle that I took it at, being so low to the water, the pose that the bird has got, showing off the feathers on the top of its head.
It's just stunning and the light as well is just perfect. I am really happy with this shot.
And considering I got so many other strong images during the morning, it was quite a tricky one to choose.
But wow, what a morning I had to come away with so many brilliant photographs.
If you have enjoyed that video, I'll link another one you might enjoy just up here.
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But all that's left now is to say, stay safe and I'll see you soon.