Tits on the Town Moor!

Kaleel — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 16:20:26 +0000

A blue tit forages for insects in the dead leaves

Looking thoroughly stumped a few days earlier: all the wildlife had vanished. Like the train companies say: wrong kind of snow.

As part of my #bbctownmoor project, I popped out yesterday to take advantage of the fine weather – an oasis of a day in the seemingly endless winter gloom. I’m taking photos of all sorts of things for the BBC project, from the cows and the Hoppings fair to the runners and the wildlife. Yesterday’s trip followed an unsuccessful foray a few days earlier when it snowed and everything was frankly hiding. In truth I was hoping for foxes (I could smell them), but frankly I was open to finding anything with fur or feathers, so was delighted when I heard some blue tits singing. Actually singing in January! Music to my ears. I spent a little time with a pair of tits (ahem), who were happily searching for insects in the dead leaves of the trees bordering part of the Moor. A couple of wrens struck up song too, which was nice to hear. I then started looking for other common birds like great tits, robins and blackbirds, but what really took my attention was the high pitched triple whistle of long-tailed tits nearby. I started out being stealthy in the woodland, but then realised that the two birds working their way through the foliage looking for insect morsels couldn’t have cared less that I was crashing around nearby. Good job really, because keeping up with these tiny creatures as they flit from branch to branch never staying still is impossible without cracking a few twigs underfoot: speed rather than stealth. Long-tailed tits often travel around in large groups of 10-20 or even 30 or more, but it was lovely to even see just two. As I trogged through the woods I even got a distant snap of a great spotted woodpecker playing hide & seek. A good day with the camera. Anyway, I’ll shut up now and let the photos do the talking.

Long-tailed tit looking gorgeous. A rare still moment!

An acrobatic blue tit

Singing in January: lovely

Long-tailed tit: cute fur ball with a tail.

There must be some decent insect life in these dead old leaves

Up periscope for a look at the idiot in wellies pointing a camera

Light as a (ball of) feathers on the top of the trees

A curious pose continues the curved line of the branch

A great tit. Far from my best great tit shot, but the only one of the day

A record shot of a great spotted woodpecker. I thought it was funny how it played hide & seek with me for a while before disappearing

Can’t get better than being face to face with a tit

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BBC Town Moor project

Kaleel — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 22:07:58 +0000

BBC Town Moor commission: An image from a couple of weeks ago, in anticipation of the project. This shot of a black-headed gull in fantastic morning light was taken from Cow Hill on the Town Moor, looking across to the town centre. Newcastle United’s St. James’ Park football ground (right hand side) is sited on the Moor itself

It’s been a while since I last blogged: I’ve been rather busy. Firstly, I’ve gone back to running the family business – Multichem in Hexham – after a break of eight years. But I’m still doing my professional photography too. All designed to keep me off the streets and out of trouble, no doubt! I’ve got a few irons in the fire that I hope I can tell you about soon, but one has definitely come to fruition just now.

I’m delighted to announce that the BBC has commissioned me to take photographs for a project called The Secret Life of the Town Moor. I’m very excited about this as I’ve teamed up with two very special people: firstly world-renowned sound recordist, Chris Watson (of BBC Blue Planet fame) and secondly, photographer Jacky Longstaff, who teaches the foundation degree in Commercial Photography at Newcastle College.

Jacky already has some fantastic photos of the Moor that she took for her book “Room:”.

Chris and I will be photographing / recording new material over the next 12 months (starting in March) for the project to show the many faces and hidden features – both past and present – that make this open space both unique and intriguing.

It’ll be a very diverse range of subjects, from what we believe is the largest urban skylark population, to the Hoppings fair, with dung beetles, circus performers and the Park Run all fair game. There are so many facets to this amazing piece of protected land that I can hardly begin to list them. Did you know for example that on a clear day you can see The Cheviot from the top of Cow Hill? Or that Cow Hill itself is the spoil heap from the construction of Newcastle’s Central Motorway and was originally supposed to be a practise ski slope?

I hope you’ll join me as we record the changing face of the the Town Moor across the seasons, releasing an image and radio broadcast a month, culminating in an installation and gallery. BBC Online are hosting the project and various locations around the north east have been mentioned as possible gallery locations.

Exciting times indeed.

The post BBC Town Moor project first appeared on Kaleel Zibe.

BBC Town Moor Project - Kaleel Zibe

Tits on the Town Moor!

BBC Town Moor project