Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Red-crowned Cranes, eastern Hokkaido, Japan (part 2)

Red-crowned Cranes, eastern Hokkaido, Japan (part 1)

These magnificent birds are all over the place in eastern Hokkaido in winter, with scattered individuals, family groups and pairs in suitable fields, wetlands, shallow lakes and rivers. They also gather together for roosting and to take advantage of food given to them at feeding stations, such as Akan and Tsurui. These photos were largely taken at the latter two feeding stations. One thing lacking in late January was a nice cvering of snow. But you can't have everything...

I am back from Hokkaido

Watch this space for plenty of photographs and a few words on my trip last week to eastern Hokkaido, northern Japan. Here, for starters, is the World's greatest bird, Steller's Sea Eagle, photographed on the Notsuke peninsula.

Monday, January 15, 2018

Raven pair at Baston pits, south Lincolnshire

This pair of Ravens are being sighted regularly a the northern end of the Baston & Langtoft pit complex. Perhaps they will breed nearby?

Godwit counting

Black-tailed Godwits with a background of Golden Plovers and nearby Lapwings
Black-tailed Godwits counted in 50s (and one 21)
Here are the 13 units of 100 plus a further 71 birds
The birdlife on the Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire, is sensational at the moment, with just the right amount of flooding to attract tens of thousands of dabbling ducks, and many thousands of Lapwings and Golden Plovers (plus more than 30 Cranes, and the odd Bittern; several Marsh Harriers and half a dozen Short-eared Owls). Spooked by a Peregrine, the Black-tailed Godwits took the air at Eldernell, so I got snapping. Here I used the tried and trusted Graham Catley dot counting technique (using batches of 50 birds, here) to count the flock. As you can see, there were 1,371 Black tailed Godwits counted.

Friday, January 05, 2018

My favourite photos from 2017

Barn Owl
Bluethroat
Brown Hare
Female Capercaillie
Caspian Tern
Clouded yellow
Cory's Shearwater
Dark Green Fritillary
Kestrel
Ptarmigan pair
Raven
Red-rumped Swallow
Roe Deer
Short-eared Owl
Hybrid Ptarmigan x Snow Bunting
Storm Petrel
White-billed Diver