Subalpine Warbler

what a great Lincs bird -- assuming its a Western at the moment as it has not called as yet and I have not looked up Moltoni's ID features! seen late afternoon in deep shade with slow exposures -- the yellow tinge around the bill is pollen from the Blackthorn flowers it was taking nectar from
Only the 8th Lincs record and the first since 1996!

Pochard fly by

Magpie ballet

new male Marsh Harrier rebuffed

a superb new older male Marsh Harrier arrive don the patch this morning and was looking very settled until the local incumbent found him and set upon the newcomer with a serious intent; by mid afternoon the new bird seemed to have been expelled but will he return?

more Firecrest on the patch

upper two shots Andy's bird from yesterday and the rest the bird I came across in a different area this afternoon; I am convinced they are different birds, both singing males, but today;s bird had much more buff colour on the chin and throat and a less white super BUT the main thing that struck me was its unusual song addition -- on about 50% of the occasions when it sang it preceded the song trill with a very distinct tseeeuuu note that it sometimes also added to the end of the song; I have never heard this before from a Firecrest but it was usually associated with the raised crest ( no playback going on) and suggested aggression but there were no other Firecrests about that I could ascertain although there was a singing Chiffchaff nearby

OTD or why I'm a rubbish twitcher

I know they are rubbish shots but after loosing a night's sleep and making yet another tragic bad decision, going to the loo just before the only time when the bird is in the garden and photographable, told me yet again that my twitching distinctions are long past and I would do better to just stay at home and find a nice Wheatear or Firecrest! So here through the window and the branches are my results -- memo give up twitching!

Sand Martins

fantastic numbers around the local patch this week culminating in 300+ today -- an excellent spring and hopefully a sign that the Sahel winter was OK -- in 1984 the spring peak count on the pits was 14 birds --

they are a difficult subject but one that I always feel obliged to have a go at -- anyone with new camera gear give it a go --- only one in 100 may be sharp but when you do get one its a real achievement unlike sticking to birds on bait filled perches

Gadwall flight angle

slight differences in flight angle and position / height can make images so different

intimate Pochards

not sure I have ever seen Pochard mating before and certainly not photographed it