I managed to get out and about yesterday and today to do a bit of New Year listing.
Twite @ Penryn Bay
6 Twite at Penryn Bay today, also 11 Purple Sandpipers at Rhos Point. Click Read more for the pictures.
Shorelark, Talacre 20th November 2009
A pair of Shorelarks have been at Talacre for the past week, I finally got chance to look for them today, and the sun was shining so I managed some pictures.
Short-Eared Owl’s, again
Two more attempts at photographing the Short-Eared Owl’s, again not very productive, but at least there are pictures to show this time, although not very good.
3 Photo targets dipped in 1 day. How depressing is that?
Not a lot of sun today, but enough to make me try for 3 photographic targets, Purple Sandpiper at Rhos Point, Water Rail at Conwy RSPB and Short-Eared Owl at Kinmel Bay. Well, I only meneged to see the SEO’s, so it was a pretty bad day in that respect. I did manage to get some half decent photos of other species though. Here are some of the pictures.
Leighton Moss, Bittern, Bittern and errr, Bittern
A yealy trip to try and tick Bittern without having to go to East Anglia was on the cards, and a DNS field trip in early February looked like the right time. I was hoping months before that the date would mean the water woudl be frozen, forcing Bittern to fly to find feeding areas. Well, it was better than that. 4 Sightings in all, of probably 2 birds (although there was a 3rd, ringed individual seen elsewhere on the reserve that day) was good enough, especialyl with 2 showing together approximately 200 yards apart on the edge of the reed bed right opposite Lilian’s hide.
Waxwings, at last
I said on the 3rd of January that I loved Snow Buntings. They are great little birds. They can be remarkably tame, and they just look great. They aren’t as nice as Waxwings though. I haven’t been able to make my mind up about them, mainly because I hadn’t seen one, and I was always going from somebody elses pictures. Now I have been lucky enough to see and Photograph them, and they are (at the moment) the best bird I have ever seen. They look great and they sound great. Here are some pictures, maybe not the best (the light was rubbish), but they are real live ‘Welsh’ Waxwings.
Martin Mere, 10th January 2009
Some pictures from a DNS field Trip to Martin Mere on 10th January. It was a little dull (weather wise).
Talacre Snow Bunting’s
I love Snow Buntings, and as there have been some at talacre the last week or so I thought I would go and see if I could get some photo’s.
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Autumn Sunshine
I couldn’t believe my luck this afternoon, when the sun came out, and I had a day off work. Unfortunately I pulled a muscle in my leg playing football last night, so I can hardly walk, so I had to make do with trying to get a picture of a Blue Tit on the feeders at CQ. Those things are far too fast for me, all i managed was this Robin (again), a Raven and some nice pictures of the trees.
The tide was starting to drop after high tide, and there were plenty of Gulls and Lapwings roosting on Saltmarsh. Two flocks of upto 8 Long-Tailed Tits were making plenty of noise, and I heard the Kingfisher scooting around, but I couldn’t see it. A female Sparrowhawk put on a good show after flushing a lot of Teal and Redshank from 1 of the gullies, but all-in-all a farily quiet day.
Sunshine, a Robin and Owls.
I popped down to Connah’s Quay because the sun was shining, and I thought I might be able to get some photographs.
Goldfinch
I spent late morning and this afternoon at CQ checking out what was around before the open day tomorrow. A few things, but nothing much photographically, apart from this photogenic Goldfinch.
Kingfishers
Since getting a DSLR I have been hoping for a half-decent picture of a Kingfisher, and when an errand meant I had to go to Coventry on Saturday, with a few hours of birding included I googled what was around and stumbled across Brandon Marsh.
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Spoonbill and Martins
With a decent bit of light on Friday I thought I would get down to Connah's Quay for a bit of photography and birding. The sandbanks are always teaming with birds at this time of year, so anything could turn up.
Minsmere – June 2008
In June, I went to Suffolk for a weeks holiday. I went to Minsmere twice, and Dunwich heath among other places.
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