Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Blute



I'm borrowing a camouflaged hide at the mo' and have it in our garden. As it happens, a Great Spotted Woodpecker visited the other day, taking nuts from our Hazel and wedging them in a small apple tree to open them. This is only the second record actually in the garden, and the last time, a few years back, one was doing exactly the same thing for a week or so. So, naturally, I set the hide up to see if the pecker would return. But I am lazy and could only stand an hour and a half of freezing my arse off before I returned to the warm. This Blue Tit is all I had to show for it.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Ibis in flight


Friday, October 23, 2009

Glossy Ibis, Take 2











All photos digiscoped.
Much better views of this chap, today. Barring a few days off, it enters the Maxey Pit complex's Etton Road site from the south in the afternoon (this afternoon from 2.50), bathes and preens and feeds for a bit then heads south again to who knows where. It was first found more than two weeks ago, so nearly all locals who want to have caught up with it have done so...
Today, it also spent a bit of time among the Black-headed Gulls on the shore of the slurry pit of Woodgate Lane, Maxey (usually the domain of a battery of the grumpiest dogwalkers on earth, and some fishermen), so I could watch it up close.
As you can see from these shots, it varies in appearance from utterly gorgeous, shiny and for want of a better expression, glossy, to (especially when bathing) a bit manky and patchy (exposing some pink skin), with the odd wing feather missing.

Monday, October 19, 2009

WWF




Every year I must post at least a few photos of Chinese Water Deer at Woodwalton Fen. So, in order to fulfill this contractual obligation, here are three.

It was a dull but still morning at WWF NNR on Sunday (18.10.09) – perfect for listening for stuff. And stuff duly performed, notably at least four Water Rails and at least one Bearded Tit (a female towered above the reeds and narrowly avoided being a Sparowhawk snackette); and at least three Bramblings.
The BT and the B took my PBC year list up to 187, just two short of last year's record. Will 2009 still be the year?

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Maxey stuff, 16.10.09


Glossy the Glossy Ibis and a briefly visiting Knot share a puddle




This apparent male Greenland Wheatear has a problem with its left leg or foot, and was usually standing on one leg or sitting down

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Glossy Ibis at Maxey Pits









A nice PBC tick...

Saturday, October 10, 2009

From the Archive... No. 17






Digiscoped Cranes

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Even more from Shetland


Wet Otter

UK's most northerly house, at Skaw, Unst


Martin Garner, the man with Jesus on his hat

Halligarth habitat



American Golden Plover, Lambaness, Unst

Pot-bellied mini-horse

Birding at Halligarth

Working Valyie, Unst




Otter prints and action

Otter-watching

Otter spraints


Lambaness Land Rover


Bus Stop

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

More from Shetland


Snow Buntings at Lambaness, Unst

Tystie

Turnstone


Bonxie attacking Gannet

Juvenile and adult Shags

Marsh Warbler at Skaw, Unst


Common Seals, Fetlar

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Scandinavian Rock Pipit, Part 2





Scandinavian Rock Pipit








I found this littoralis Rock Pipit yesterday morning at Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough, and today went back for some snaps with my DSLR.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Otter on Fetlar, Shetland







Taiga Flycatcher: third for the UK








I was lucky enough to be invited to Shetland with a crew of excellent birders (I was very much in the shadow of their knowledge). We went to check out a Red-breasted Flycatcher found by our guide Brydon Thomason, a few hundred yards from his family's home on Fetlar, last Tuesday. Luckily, the bird was still present in the Sycamore-filled garden of the Tresta Manse owned by a great couple, Peter and Janet.
However, one glimpse at the bird by Martin Garner and Roger Riddington and they were making noises about the bird not being an RbF at all but a Taiga Flycatcher. If so, it would be just the third record for the UK, so they were (we all were) rather keen to get better looks at the wee beastie.
The bird was very active and making broad sweeping itineraries around the greater garden. After quit a while of trying to pin it down, RR came up with a plan to divide the duties. I was assigned to try to get photos within the walled part of the garden with most Sycamore cover. Dominic Mitchell was the photographer for the remainder of the garden, MG and RR with BT chased around for better, clinching views and Fiona Barclay videoed as much as she could.
After several hours of waiting, the bird finally gave up enough views to convince the team as to its ID and present enough photographic opportunities to show the key features.
In a nutshell, note the grey (not buffy, rufous or yellowish) breast; buffy lower flanks; grey lores and face, clean pale eyering, brown cap; all dark bill, lacking pale base; grey neck sides; even, whitish tertials, lacking 'nail' ends; black base of tail extending further up the upper tail coverts, and darker then the 'black' rectrices.
There was considerable excitement to say the least...

Otter heaven


Just back from a quick trip to the far north. More on that later. Meantime, here is a 9-month old Otter just out of the water, having a breather on the rocks.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Another Scaup






I found this Scaup at Ferry Meadows CP on the cycle into work yesterday, so returned this morning to digiscope a few shots. That's a Tufted Duck diving in the first shot, by the way.