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Recent Birding For my 2005 birding page, go here
This approachable Kestrel was near the Axbridge entrance of Cheddar Reservoir on 28 December 2006.
A lunchtime resulting from a meeting in Exminster on 20/12/06 was rewarded with these Cirl Bunting and Common Buzzard (top).
This Kittiwake showed well from Burnham seafront in the evening of 17 December 2006.
Admittedly not the best set of photos ever taken, but this Siberian Chiffchaff did show and call well for a few minutes on Burnham seafront on 10/12/06. At the same time the Yellow-browed Warbler called briefly.
Great Northern Diver at Cheddar Reservoir on 9 December 2006.
That's better - despite totally wrong settings on the camera a few Leach's Petrel shots from Severn Beach seemed OKish. They would have been even better had I not been panicking and failed to realise my setting error.
OK, OK they're rubbish I know - but two of the sixty or so Leach's Petrels that flew past Burnham today (6/12). Also a Yellow-browed Warbler was heard calling behind the 'seawatching shelter'.
These Pied Wagtails on Berrow Beach were the only birds I photographed today (26th). It seems like the YBW has gone.
Yellow-browed Warbler at Apex Lakes on 18 November 2006. Although mostly elusive this bird did occasionally show well.
Nobody could have predicted Long-billed Murrelet as a candidate for the British List, but this bird at Dawlish, Devon delighted one or two observers on 11 November 2006. Not only was it a great bird to see, but the occasion to meet up with people that I hadn't seen for years was also welcomed. I must get out more.
A rare out of county treat today (4/11/06) for this Red-breasted Goose on the fleet in Dorset. It must have fairly good credentials for being a genuine vagrant having turned up with 2000 Brent Geese.
The last weekend (29/10/06) was spent at the Elveden Forest Center Parcs in Breckland where a group of Crossbills seemed to select a couple of large trees in the car park in which to feed. They were always very high up and rarely came out into the open.
This Yellow-browed Warbler at Sand Point on 25 October 2006 was quite elusive, the weather was very dark and it was *issing down. These photos were therefore quite a pleasing result given the conditions.
There's just nothing about at the moment, so to relieve the total bordom of Cheddar Reservoir, I took a few shots of a Meadow Pipit (18/10/06).
Apparently grey is this autumn's colour. This Black-tailed Godwit on the Brue Estuary is so trendy -grey bird, setting and day!
Buff-breasted Sandpiper (top one) on the Huntspill seawall on 7/10/06, quickly followed by a slightly less than confiding Lesser Yellowlegs on the Axe Estuary (lower three). Well done to Tom Raven and Paul Bowyer the respective finders. The lower image has Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs and Redshank.
This Sedge Warbler looked a bit lost as The Axe Estuary overflowed with the very high tides on 9 September 2006. The bird was extremely skulking in grass at the edge of the tide line.
Osprey with a fish bloomin' miles away at Noah's Lake, Shapwick Heath on 27/8/06.
This smart juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper was a lucky find today (26/8/06). It showed very well in the saltmarsh near the Huntspill sluice.
This juvenile Shag was at Cheddar Reservoir on 24 August 2006. It probably wasn't in the best of health.
Cormorant, Apex Lakes, 22 August 2006. The black specks are flies - I could have got rid but couldn't be arsed!
A couple of shots from a weekend in Norfolk. Avocet and Ruff at Titchwell, and Greater Scaup at Snettisham.
With the current high tides and the large numbers of passage waders currently on Berrow Beach it is possible to get quite close views of them - unruly dogs permitting. Top two Dunlin and Sanderling lower image (13/8/06).
A couple more shots from an otherwise unproductive morning on the levels - Swallow and Common Buzzard. An attempt to get a slightly interesting photo of the juvenile Swallow, but not, unfortunately, of the Buzzard.
It's that Med Gull time of year again. This adult has been present on Berrow beach for the last week or so, and was accompanied by a juvenile today (22 July 2006). If my photos get better they will be replaced.
Working morning and evening on 11 July 2006 gave me time to have another look for the Squacco at Shapwick. This Hobby showed well, and I tried to photograph it in action, rather than just sat in the tree.
The 9 July 2006 saw us rushing back home from Hertfordshire to Decoy Hide at Shapwick Heath where the ever elusive Squacco Heron showed albeit briefly. This Little Egret was a bit more confiding in the evening sunshine.
If you've ever tried photographing Common Swift's you'll know that getting the shot right takes a fast focussing lens, critical exposure and a lot of luck. The birds were flying close to the reedbed at Berrow on 1 July 2006, which gave me this opportunity for a bit of practice. The result looks much better at high quality and larger size.
This Woodchat Shrike on Exmoor was a nice find by Brian Gibbs on 24 June 2006. Difficult to direct you to, so easiest thing is to go here for a map.
These very recently fledged fluffy Little Egrets were nice to see. It's great to see a species doing well for a change.
These waders showed were at Steart Beach on 17 July 2006. Ringed Plover, Turnstone and Curlew Sandpiper.
Aaaawwwhhh. Nothing unusual to look at, so these Mute Swans at Apex got my camera pointed at them.
Reed Bunting in the reedbed at Berrow, 7 June 2006.
The wind has stopped and the sun is shining. An early morning walk around the reedbed at Berrow on 3 June produced little more than a few warblers, including this singing Sedge Warbler.
In the brief ten minutes it stopped raining today (May 21st) I just managed to snatch this Little Egret on the Axe Estuary.
After several attempts to obtain close views of it, this Spoonbill finally gave in on 19 May 2006 at Weston-super-Mare STW. Many thanks to Paul Bowyer for the news (again!). Unfortunately all my photos were taken in torrential rain, but I've no doubt that if it was nice and sunny it would have been much more likely to have flown off.
Out of county, this Franklins Gull at Northam Burrows on 8 May 2006 livened up the lunchtime.
Cormorant and Cuckoo, Shapwick Heath on 7 May 2006. New camera, new lens and hopefully a new generation of photos.
During the sort out of some images on a memory card, I found this image just before I was about to delete it! Thankfully I didn't delete - its one of the better Minehead Black-headed Wagtail pictures.
Night Heron at an undisclosed location on 22 April 2006. Unfortunately the site is totally inaccessible and about 1km from any public footpaths. The finder (the farmer) and the two birders who confirmed the sighting apologise to any disappointed birders.
Black-headed Wagtail, Minehead Golf Course on 23 April 2006. It was accompanied by 1 Blue-headed Wagtail, 10 Yellow Wagtail and a few White Wagtails.
Today, 25 March 2006, has started well with this White Stork between Lymspham and Berrow. Presumably it's the same one that was at Seaton Marshes earlier in the week. A right mucky individual!
Well done to Bruce Taylor for finding this Bonapartes Gull on the ASDA pools at Frome. Seen together with 2 Garganey and a Little-ringed Plover on 18 March 2006.
Unfortunately I had to drive along the M4 again on 11 March 2006. It would have been rude not to have a quick look at the Reading Laughing Gull again. It's almost full summer plumage now. Compare with below.
These are the Common Cranes that have been roosting at Exminster Marshes. During the day they seem to be feeding on Lower Dunscombe Farm just off the A380, which is where these photos were taken on 24 Feb. Top photo is digiscoped, lower photo is taken with DSLR, 500mmm and 1.5x teleconverter. They weren't close!
On 16 February 2006, a two minute diversion from the M4 allowed me to see this adult Laughing Gull near the Madejski Statium in Reading. The next photo was taken just before it vommited. For reasons of taste and decency I won't show you the next one in the sequence. Naturally, the bird had been feeding on McDonalds and Pizza Hut scraps. Enough said!
Little Egret, Brue Estuary 16 February 2006.
At last, a Hawfinch in Somerset. After not seeing the autumn migrants and the Bruton birds, I caught up with this female in Taunton on 15 February 2006. For a location, go here.
The Salisbury Plain Great Bustard has turned back up. From 10 February 2006 it has been in a field along Accommodation Road between Lympsham and Bleadon. It's associating with Mute Swans, which is exactly what it was doing before (see below).
Pale Common Buzzard, Brean, 5 February 2006.
Linnet, Brean, 5 February 2006 It hasn't really got light fot the past week, so the following three images were taken under less than ideal conditions. All were taken on 4 February 2006.
Rock Pipit, Brean Down Cove
Black Redstart, Brean Down Cove
Rook, Berrow Beach
This Dartford Warbler has been present in the dune Buckthorn scrub between Berrow and Burnham for at least a week. I finallt caught up with it on 29 January 2006. This species has become a regular winter visitor to the dunes.
This poor quality photo is of a Great Bustard that was found in the late afternoon of 17 January 2005 on Weston Level, near Middlezoy. It is clearly from the Salisbury Plain bustard project, and is number 15. I can't find any more information about this bird, but will post updates as they become available. Since this initial posting several people have queried the quality of this photo and why I bothered to upload it. To get it into context, the photo was taken at about 17:10 hrs and it was almost dark. It's a handheld digiscoped image taken at 1/30 sec at 800 ISO. Given the bird was only seen by four people, I thought it justified publication. Incidentally, this bird originates from the few surviving birds of the 2004 release.
A meeting near Bridgend on 6 January 2005 presented the perfect opportunity for having a quick look at the Porthcawl Laughing Gull. It was exceptionally obliging. |
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