Short-toed Eagle, Ashdown Forest, Sussex

Imperial Eagle, Hungary

Great Reed Warbler, Austrian-Hungarian border

More Penduline Tits

All at Neusiedl am See, Austria

Spoonbill, eastern Austria

Long-eared Owl, eastern Austria

Go away, I'm trying to sleep!

That's better

White Stork nests, eastern Austria

Bearded Tit family, Neusiedl am See

I would have loved more time to photograph this mixed family party of about 10 birds, but breakfast was calling and the bus would soon be waiting to take participants in the Zeiss Victory SF launch out to the further field for a bit of quality birding...

Great Bustards, eastern Austria

A life tick for me. Simply wonderful birds. The male was displaying to three females, all of which eventually flew off. Then we spotted another male in a field a few hundred metres away, also turning himself, apparently in vain and to nobody...

Drake Garganey at March Farmers

This lovely drake was one of two which flew into one of the pools near the bank near the March Farmers (Nene Washes, Cambs) car park, to let me have a little go at digiscoping for a brief moment.

Penduline Tits, eastern Austria

Last week, I was in Germany, Austria and Hungary on a birding trip to launch Zeiss' new Victory SF binoculars. It was a very international trip and we had plenty of opportunities to see some great European birds through the lightweight, crisp, ultra-wide field of view bins. Penduline Tts were common and a new bird for me, having never successfully been to see any in the UK. I love them.

Spoonbill at March Farmers (composite)

Red-necked Phalarope at March Farmers

Nothing more than distant record shots of the wonderful female RnP at March Farmers, Nene Washes, on 23.5.14. I've posted them as I haven't seen anyone else's photos, and wonder if anyone else got a record. This lovely little bird makes it 241 species for my PBC area list.

And I've bunged in this collection of sketches based on my digiscoped images, to try and collate some of the features and feel of the bird.