snowy taster

a quick posting of some Hawk Owl shots from the Sweden trip---many more photos to follow plus links to our guide for the trip

watch this space

just back from 4 days in Sweden---blog will be updates soon---here birding partners in snow and spot the Hawk Owl

sunny Smew

along the lines of almost there--the light was good the bird close but a mass of branches between me and it meant that the angle was bad and OOF branches detracted from the impact

first signs of spring

much song today in the bright and sunny mils weather--here Great Tit, Long-tail amongst catkins, singing Redbreast and displaying grebes

Tufted and prey

this drake Tufty on Waters' Edge appears to have caught a zebra mussel

elusive Mealy

the male Mealy Redpoll still on Waters' Edge but proving difficult to photograph contra the Lessers it associates with ---Mealy and Lessers here

sisks and LT

still several Siskin on the Waters' Edge alders and a roving flock of Long-tails ever present --Canon 20D with 300f4 a super lens

returning Rough-leg

in the 2004-2005 winter a juvenile Rough-legged Buzzard wintered in the Kirkby-Wood Enderby area of Lincs---this winter a Rough-leg has again been seen in the area; as it is older than a juvenile it could well be the same bird as last winter---views were always distant but with a scope were very good and it is a superb bird

if only it had been closer

variable light and a usually inactive Rough-leg meant that all pics taken were digi-scoped with the A95 and the Svaro scope on 50-60x magnification--the results were much better than I anticipated but if the bird had come closer!!!!

SEO's etc

after several visits to my Short-eared site with virtually no sign of any birds today there were at least 12 probably more like 18 owls hunting along with 3 Hen and a Marsh Harrier, 2 Merlins, Sparv and 6 Kestrels plus an adult Peregrine---the light was as usual dull with 8/8 cloud

sun and cloud

two Coots on a nice and sunny Thursday morning and two Short-eared Owls and a decidedly dull and cloudy Friday afternoon

getting to grips with A95

putting the Canon A95 digi-scoping camera through its paces under extrene conditons Hen Harrier at 3 miles range and sparring SEO's

bridge with a hump

the local landmark on a rare sunny afternoon

CD

a local Collared Dove and a Penduline/Blue Tit stripping a reedmace head

waterfowl

displaying male Goldeneye, the local female Smew which flew at me far too fast to get a sharp shot and a Cormo attaining breeding dress all Barton pits

sun at last but few birds

after such a dismal spell of weather the return of the sun was most welcome but birds were not very co-operative---some of the local passerines---male Bully and Song Trush