classic day

we hit the Lincs coast--seawatch from dawn ---1 Bonxie----the bushes, fields, trees etc absolutely zero----probably my worst day ever on the East coast

not a sabines

failed to get to the coast and so missed out on the Sabine's deluge but this delightful juvenile Arctic Tern was fishing on the patch at Waters' Edge; it was catching plenty of fish but was obviously very tired? and tame and kept sitting on the paths where all the dog walkers go hence it was flushed on a regular basis!

more AT's

also on the patch today 18+ Redwing, 9 Siskin, Bonxie, Common Tern 8+, Sandwich Tern 5 west, Arctic Skua 3, Arctic Tern 8+

Gannet fest

the inner Humber has experienced a large Gannet movement in the last two days; a peak single count of 230 birds yesterday am was probably well below the total number seen while 130+ were by the bridge this morning; other good birds included all 4 skuas this am, 7 Arctic, 2 Bonxie, dark adult Pom with spoons and a juv Long-tail + Razorbill, 23 Kittiwakes, Arctic and Common Terns, R B merg but no petrels or the hoped for Sabs Gulls

Black-tails

spent a windy and sometimes wet afternoon with the local godwits; the colour ringed bird was at Alkborough Flats on the 22nd but relocated to Killingholme today ----

more BW's

all the Black-tails the Heron and Teal on these pages were taken with the 300 2.8 lens and 2x converter in what was often very poor light with ISO from 400 to 640; sometimes though I find that dull flat light produces better digital images of grey and subtle colours than bright sunlight if you can get a fats enough shutter speed for flight shots

jumping Teal and Grey Heron

some shots on a dull afternoon

Black Kite

took this shot of the Nocton Black Kite last Friday---still present and looking set to winter?

more obliging than this afternoon's Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Alkborough which was as usual distant to say the least

Long-tail juv ID

check the pink rear 20% of the foot on this juvenile Long-tail plus the other ID features, uppertail covert and undertail covert barring, outer primary pattern, bill size, shape and pattern, central tail projection, fine mantle barring etc---and then enjoy a brilliant bird--many people could finally add this species over the top of the dodgy at sea, an expert says it is one, ticks on their lists!

You do need to click on all these to get the full impact

skua fest

Birds like this are a photographer's dream as well as being educational; it was surprising how striking the pale base to the bill was in head-on views at considerable distance when no other plumage was really visible

Long-tails

this juv Long-tailed Skua seemed to be catching a mix of earthworms, leather jackets, crane-flies and other insects

Long-tailed Skua

All the ID features are easy to see when you are this close to a juv longicaudus; its a bit different at 2km range over the sea

longicaudus

Just could not resist my favourite bird in a splendid dark phase juvenile plumage even though it did involve driving to Notts