Estonia: Ringed Seal-watching

Ringed Seal mirage


Ringed Seal

Amanda Da Rocha

Holly Faithfull

Tarvo Valker, birthday boy!

Paul Bohre

Pierre Lambelin

Estonia: Dramatic sky with Cranes

Estonia: Evening flight of Cranes

Digiscoped video

Estonia: Cranes at roost

Estonia: Moose loose...

This mother and calf Elk (or Moose if you prefer the North American terminology, which I do, as it is a cool word!) were wading at speed at some distance across the damp western Estonian meadow where we had been watching Cranes coming to roost.
Digiscoped video. Below is a digiscoped still of the same pair.

White-tailed Eagle, Haapsalu, Estonia

Estonia diary 21.9.10

Ringed Seals on islands off Hiiumaa.
Pine Marten crossing the road in front of our bus.
Nutcrackers migrating through.
Giant hornets in abundance needing ID.
Tarvo Valker's 26th birthday!

Estonia diary 20.9.10

Seawatching as dozens of Sparrowhawks come in off the sea; scores of Black-throated Divers and Velvet Scoters migrate.
A chaychaychaying flock of 30 Willow Tits.
Three White-tailed Eagles scrap over a fish: one with fish overhead.
More Cranes, geese and Chaffinches than you can count.
Mini falls of Whinchat and Redstart
A crazy night drive after mammals with teeny glimpses of Raccoon Dog. .

Estonia diary 18.9.10

Sight and sounds of 5,000 Cranes coming to roost.
Hundreds of Barnacle Geese overhead.
Great Grey Shrike hovering at 50 feet for five minutes.
Two mother Elks (Moose) with one and two calves.
Dozens of Roe Deer.
Night at Altmoisa Guesthouse.

Kittiwake at Ferry Meadows CP

This juvenile Kittiwake was a nice find for Chris Parks today at FM. Brian Stone and I cycled down there like maniacs from our respective workplaces and the bird proved very obliging, floating around on Gunwade Lake. So, obliging, indeed, that despite my lack of scope I was able to shoot off these handheld 'digibinned' shots through my Swarowski ELs. Not bad are they?
This was only my second Kittiwake in the PBC area (after an adult I found in 2008), and a very welcome local year tick (number 169).

Mole macro

Subject sadly found deceased

Moth Stop Press

Just went out again (at 11.30pm), to check moth situation, and added another new garden moth: Angle Shades [2306 Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa (Linnaeus, 1758)], which landed on one of our brambles.

Garden moths update

I just popped out to see the trap, and found this in the grass nearby. Not a great photo (owing to poor use of flash), but I believe it is a new species for the garden, Small Blood-vein [1690 Small Blood-vein Scopula imitaria (Hübner, 1799)], which is not uncommon but it is new for the garden. That would be species number 107.

Daddy-longlegs Spider v Beetle

This Daddy-longlegs Spider Pholcus phalangioides was attempting to subdue this beetle at our house, but eventually gave up (so I unravelled the beetle and let it go in the garden).

Biscay, 4-7 September 2010, Pt 4 Sperm Whales

The weather changed very suddenly from calm to windy and a tad rainy while we were heading north across the Bay of Biscay. However, we still managed to have incredible sightings, including a tightly-knitted group of five Sperm Whales, which powered to avoid the ship and past close to the port side.
This will be one of the highlights which will live with me forever from my final trip on the Pride of Bilbao, now sadly leaving service as a Portsmouth-Bilbao ferry

Biscay, 4-7 September 2010, Pt 3 Fin Whale

This magnificent whale was one of two which came very close to the ship (Pride of Bilbao). This one was on the port side, and we were so excited we all but missed the one on the starboard...
Want to see this whale in motion? Check out The Natural Stone's clip

Biscay, 4-7 September 2010, Pt 2 Odds & ends

Whinchat

Geranium Bronze


Wasp Spiders

Biscay, 4-7 September 2010, Pt 1 Common Dolphins

(W is for Weedon)



Spot the cute little calf

Swirl