Thursday, September 30, 2010

Barred Warbler




as Barred Warblers go this one was quite obliging -- part of a good Lincs coast day with Great Grey Shrike, Wryneck, Barred Warbler, a flock of 3 Richard's Pipits, 40 or so Lapland Buntings and Grey Phalarope, Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes at Covenham Res

coastal migrants










the recent fall had big numbers of continental Song Thrushes and Robins; also Chiffchaff from today and an appalling Wryneck shot -- my excuse is everyone had already walked past it when I picked it up after which it was very flighty no doubt due to the number of numpties chasing it around the dunes -- moral if you find a bird and want it to live don't put it on the info networks

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Red-breasted Flycatcher








after nearly 8 hours of slog that produced every migrant on the coast excepting anything remotely rare or scarce we gave in and went to see the Red-breasted Flycatcher at Donna Nook -- by then it was as bright as 7pm in December but the bird was very obliging -- all shots Canon 5DII and 400 5.6 on 800 or 1600ISO at 200th to 500th second hand held -- it brought up two pellets while I was watching it

Monday, September 27, 2010

cover photo in Norwegian journal

an article on the Varanger Soft-plumaged Petrel appears in the Norwegian Journal Felt Ornitologen along with lots of other exciting photos -- one of my images graces the cover and brings back happy memories from the far north

Red-necked Grebe on the patch











having a British list that is minimalist I decided to forego the delights of Blakeney Point and stuck local -- after a new Osprey, Peregrine a couple of Marsh Harriers, 3000 Black-tails and a couple of Gannets ND found a juvenile Red-necked Grebe on the local pits; it was being harassed by the local Great Crested Grebes on occasions hence the running shots-- it was a great bird and a fly-by Curlew Sand plus 2 Ruffs and incoming flocks of Snipe bode well -----but the weather was terrible with constant rain / drizzle and appalling light -- and tomorrow is the day to find the really big one so watch out for those Gray's Grasshopper Warbler shots!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Osprey AK day 15 on the patch




















in a gale force northerly spent several hours perched in a big hawthorn being harassed by Magpies at one point -- one became five and they were even tugging at its tail as it sat ---