low speed asios

most of these Short-eared Owls were taken at 100th second or less--hence the slightly odd looking eyes on some!!

Saxicola overload

having gone to Worlaby in the hope of some SEO shots in the sun late afternoon, the sun went in, the owls failed to appear but this male Stonechat performed brilliantly and then the sun came out for a quick spell just before sunset producing some beautiful light---

a few more Purps

I took 600 pics today--a good job they were not slides!--still working through the 300 Purple Sand shots

RBG

it was a pleasure to spend a couple of hours with the Red-breasted Geese at much closer range today--the light was tricky and generally from the side but eventually I managed some better pics from the car--superb birds

pups

a quick visit to the seal beach was rather too late in the day with the sun dropping behind the dunes---herewith a 15 minute old pup and another one no doubt wondering what 7000 humans thought of its hair do over the weekend!

Purpy

managed to get a day out in the sun today---the strong winds were blowing this Purple Sand around a bit on the exposed banks of Covenham Res but it was typically very obliging

Leo blue sky

what a treat to have some nice light on such a cracking species

asio double bill

after a few LEO's it was necessary to pick up the lone SEO at Worlaby but as usual it was highly mobile and up late due to the lack of field voles this winter

frosty morn

an early cool but beautiful start in the forest--few birds though, not seen a crossbill since June

Milvus Lincs Washus

After about 10 days I finally got round to going to look for the juvenile Black Kite in the Wash today---as I arrived at Holbeach St Matthew it left a tree on the side of the road with some prey and went and sat in an adjacent field where it fed for about 20 minutes---some record shots were had but this is by no means an approachable bird watching me as I sat in the car at about 200m range, if that adds to its credentials. It moved to a more distant field and finished off the rat or rabbit meal before drifting off towars the saltmarsh. Later in the afternoon it was over the saltings for a long period and even drifted right out to the Witham Mouth before returning to its favoured fields where we left it at dusk with a female Marsh Harrier and male and female Hen Harriers. Two Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel and Peregrine in the area made it a 7 raptor day and no Merlin.

LBM

a few more Murrelet pics for the archive!