Weedon's World of Nature

Monday, May 16, 2005

Fulmar: 210

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER
I was feeling as ill as anything on Sunday (15.5.05) and awoke from a deep afternoon sleep to find numerous messages on my mobile. In a nutshell, Martin Coates (without Sparky) and his GPOG birdrace team (a 24-hour bird race around the hallowed PBC area) had found a Fulmar on a rarely-checked pit west of Langtoft, Lincolnshire. I made the dash as quickly as possible (despite flu), partly as I heard the poor bird was looking as sick as I felt and may not be long for this world (and you can't tick corpses or else many GPOGers would already have Fulmar on their local lists after a dead one visited their pub, after being found at Holme Fen last year).
Here are the best of the shots I managed (it looks almost healthy, doesn't it?) of this, species number 210 on my PBC list. Thanks, Martin and co.

PS: At the time of writing, the bird was still alive, trying roost on the bank of the pit.

Friday, May 13, 2005

Skippers

Old Sulehay, Northamptonshire, is a great place: nice woodland (and even a bit of water) combined with the closely-cropped cover of a former limestone quarry. It is therefore an ideal reserve to visit if all you want is your car broken into and a painful insurance claim. Still, all credit to the dedicated Brian 'The Natural' Stone, he bounces back well, and with car mended (with only a nasty paint scratch to show for his trouble), he kindly offered to take me back to the scene of the crime to look for whatever yesterday lunchtime (12.5.05). The best on offer at this time are the scarcer, moth-like skippers: Dingy Skipper and the tiny Grizzled Skipper.
Brian got better photos than me (respect due), and if you click on his The Natural Stone link (on the right) you can see for yourself (his photos are even clickable to get bigger versions). However, this is what I came up with:
Grizzled Skippers:

Dingy Skippers

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Mrs B returns

A month or so ago, a female Blackbird started building a nest at the end of the gutter of our garage (just outside the kitchen window). Then she stopped and seemingly abandoned the whole affair (which I put down to a drop of rain). Now she (or another) is back and appears to be on eggs. Good luck, Mrs B!

Gallery: Picos de Europa, 26-30.4.05

More photographs from the Picos de Europa, this time from the second of two fantastic holidays I was co-guiding with Matt Hobbs for the Company of Whales (once more promoted by Bird Watching Magazine). Again, this selection is from the Spanish part of the Biscay-Picos-Biscay sandwich which makes up the holiday. A fuller trip report should be appearing in next week at www.companyofwhales.co.uk

Alpine Choughs, Fuente De, 29.4.05

Chamois (baby and adult), Fuente De, 29.4.05

Water Pipit, Fuente De, 29.4.05

Sooty Copper, road to Cabañes, 29.4.05

Swallow, male with crossed bill, Cabañes, 29.4.05

Violet Fritillaries, Enterrias, 30.4.05

Oberthür's Grizzled Skipper (probably), Enterrias, 30.4.05

Provençal Frittillary, Enterrias, 30.4.05

Rock Bunting, Fuente De, 28.4.05

Green-underside Blue, Lebeña, 30.4.05

Red-underwing Skipper, the road to Puerto San Glorio, 30.4.05

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER (and Nikon Coolpix 4500)

Gallery: Picos de Europa, 22-24.4.05

Here are some photographs from a holiday I was co-guiding with Matt Hobbs for the Company of Whales, promoted by Bird Watching Magazine. This selection is from the Spanish part of the Biscay-Picos-Biscay sandwich which makes up the holiday. A fuller trip report should be appearing in next week at www.companyofwhales.co.uk

Rock Bunting, Fuente De, 22,4,05

Wood White, Lebeña, 24.4.05

Green Hairstreak, Lebeña, 24.4.05

Serin, Lebeña, 24.4.05

Lizard sp., Lebeña, 24.4.05

Water Pipit, Fuente De, 23,4,05

Chamois, Fuente De, 23,4,05

Alpine Accentor, Fuente De, 23,4,05

Middle Spotted Woodpecker, 24.4.05

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Wagtail and pipit

Yellow Wagtail, Nene Washes, 16.4.05

Meadow Pipit, Nene Washes, 16.4.05

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER
I had a quick trip out to the Nene Washes, this morning, Saturday 16.4.05. I refound the Green-winged Teal that has been around these parts, feeding on the Nene near the Dog-in-a-Doublet pub and its accompanying sluice. Then I marched down the central drove of the RSPB reserve, the highlights of which were a Spotted Redshank (presumably the bird I found a week or so ago), a couple of rattling drake Garganey, a couple of Little Ringed Plover and a Reeve. The only decent pics I mustered were these two.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Willow Warblers

Willow Warblers, Orton brick pit, Cambridgeshire, 10.4.05.

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER

Spotted Redshank

Spotted Redshank, Nene Washes, 9.4.05

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER
The highlight of a wander down the central drove of the Nene Washes (always a pleasure at this time of year) was this winter-plumaged Spotted Redshank, which nervously lingered at least to the next day (Sunday). I also saw my first Garganey of the year – a pair near the parking place, and enjoyed a juicy lemon cluster of three Yellow Wagtails.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

White Wagtail

White Wagtail, Maxey pits, Cambridgeshire, 4.4.05.

Nikon Coolpix 880 + Kowa TSN-821 + 32xW LER
Inspired by local birders Josh Jones and Will Bowell, who turned up a mini-fall of four White Wagtails at Josh's patch of Baston and Langtoft pits, south Lincolnshire, I started heading that way after work. However, I thought as I was passing, I'd pop in and have a look at Maxey pits which have turned up White Wags before. I was in luck finding this bird with about 30 Pied Wagtails (in the cold and rain). Originally I thought there were no more than 15 of them, but a Peregrine flew over and sent them all erupting into the air in a panic revealing many more than initially showed.
Also in the area were a female Goosander, a pair of Shelducks a couple of Green Sandpipers and a female Little Ringed Plover.