who killed cock Robin?

time for the squeamish Christmas lovers to look away -- yes it is a wild bird I don't do tame / captive raptors or owls what is the point?!

Fox converter too much

there are times when something appears and you just don't need the converter on but you have no time to take it off -- it was coming down for a drink until a Severn Trent pump gushed out a deluge of water and it shot off like a rocket

a few waders

Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit and Curlew from a deep frozen Alkborough -- the only bit of open water and it was only -3C

Pink feet at sunset

yesterday evening 3000 Pink-footed Geese flighted off Whitton Sand and landed inland from Blacktoft with a nice sunlit sky behind them -- amazing sights and sounds -- oh and beautiful power lines as well

wintering Marsh Harriers

as usual I have ben spending a lot of time watching the wintering Marsh Harriers around the Humber; the odd thing this year is that a high percentage are 2cy male, 5 out of 8 watched going into Blacktoft last night and 5 out of 7 seen today with just a single juvenile --- in the poor light as they go to roost the upperpart pattern is of little help in sexing them unless you can see the underside of the primaries --all photos after sunset so lots of noise

Waxwings 300 2.8 II

a link to a sound recording from today below - getting decent sound recordings in Britain is a nightmare; cars, planes, reversing lorry bleepers and birdwatchers who seem to have been brought up in  a factory full of noisy machinery and talk accordingly! I use an Olympus LS-11 and a ME 31 directional mic for the recordings but I must admit I am very much a beginner with the gear and have no software to work on the recordings yet

went with the 300 II this morning -- great until the crowds arrive -- IQ better than the 500? well of course you are closer and they really are tame if you just have a bit of field craft and patience --