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My 2007 Birding Blog For my 2005 birding blog, go here; or for my 2006 birding blog, go here
30 December 2007 At last caught up with one of the many Cattle Egrets in the country. This one near Wet Moor. It was very flighty and only viewed at distance in bad light - excuses, excuses!!
29 December 2007 In the absence of anything else to look at this Pochard and Great Crested Grebe at Apex proved just how good the 40D is. You should see the full size images, the amount of detail is just fantastic.
22 December 2007 This is a Stonechat - possibly the easiest bird on the planet to photograph. The Brent Goose was still there and the old photo below is replaced with this one in better light.
21 December 2007 Bit of a Cheddar Reservoir mega, this dark-bellied Brent Goose was feeding on the Cheddar playing fields until it got fed up of being constantly harrassed by idiots emptying their dogs. What sort of person takes dogs to crap on playing fields anyway. Wouldn't have been so bad if it was flushed by people playing rugby, but I guess the sports players are all ill with Toxocariasis.
15 December 2007 These two Black-necked Grebes at Cheddar Reservoir were neither close nor in good light, and hence they weren't particularly photogenic. If they stay I'll give them another go.
8 November 2007 Two 'eastern' Chiffchaffs have been present at Apex since at least last Saturday 1 December. They are stonkingly obvious being very grey with virtually no yellow/green, very dark legs and bill and quite pale underneath. They are certainly either tristis or abientinus but frustratingly refuse to call. These are the best photos I could manage due to persistently rubbish weather.
27 November 2007 Many thanks to Jeff Hazell for the call about this eventually confiding Snow Bunting on the Huntspill Sea Wall. Although the light was truly dreadful, it was enjoyable to watch and photograph.
25 November 2007 This Red-necked Grebe at Cheddar Reservoir was the first in Somerset for quite a few years, and therefore it attracted some attention and performed well to a small crowd.
11 November 2007 This Great Grey Shrike has been present on the Mendips near Hill Farm just west of Wavering Down for a week or two. It is very mobile and forages over a very large area though it does seem to regularly return to the area by the farm.
9 November 2007 Glossy Ibis at Greylake showing a bit better.
11 October 2007 I was driving past Curry Moor today so took another look at the tagless Great Bustard. It was almost like being in the Spanish steppes, except for the Mute Swans it was hanging about with.
7 October 2007 Whilst watching the Kennard Moor Great Grey Shrike (top) these three Great Bustards (lower two) flew in. Orange 15, 22 and something 8?
6 October 2006 At Meare Heath this Osprey (top) showed nicely along with the Pec Sand and Purple Heron - not bad!
30 September 2007 These Arctic Terns at Cheddar Reservoir showed well and allowed some close scrutiny. The top two images are of the same bird, and the lower image a different one. The top bird is presumably slightly younger.
19 September 2007 This is a Green Sandpiper at Greylake. Once upon a time we used to get some of these birds, known as waders, in the autumn months, as they migrate south to milder climbs. Then there was 2007 which so far has been just crap for them.
9 September 2007 Yeah, more rubbish photos of a rare heron in Somerset, this time a Great White Egret at Westhay Moor.
8 September 2007 I'm getting a bit fed up with rubbish Purple Heron photos - but here's some more. This is the Aller Moor one.
4 September 2007 At last a Purple Heron stays long enough for people to see. This juvenile at Meare Heath showed briefly in flight a few times, but usually at some distance.
31 August 2007 This juvenile Sabine's Gull was yet another great find by Tom Raven. It spent a couple of hours at the Huntspill Sea Wall before heading off towards Steart Island.
19 August 2007 Waders on Berrow Beach were showing well today. I was crouched at the tide line when a flock of Knot (top four), Sanderling, Ringed Plover and Dunlin flew in front of me. At times I was less than three metres from a flock of 70 Knot. I know I was this close because I had to switch the lens to close focus (less than 3.5 metres).
24 July 2007 This colour ringed Mediterranean Gull was one of two adults on Berrow Beach. Also 450 Sanderling, 3 Whimbrel, 3 Sandwich Tern, 1 Turnstone, 1 Knot, 20 Dunlin means that autumn is well and truly on its way.
6 July 2007 Seabirds were good this morning off Burnham, although I didn't see the Sooty Shearwater this Great Skua did a close fly-by.
3 July 2007 Work does have its nice days. Sometimes. Today I was working on a fantastic site where a few minutes with the camera at the end of the day provided me with these shots. Kingfisher (top) and Spotted Flycatcher (lower two)
12 June 2007 Singing Reed Bunting at Apex Park, Burnham
6 June 2007 This immature female Red-backed Shrike at Steart was a county tick for myself and a few others after missing last years male.
20 May 2007 Wheatears on the Axe Estuary. I reckon the top image is a Greenland Wheatear, although I'd welcome comments from others with any other thoughts.
18 May 2007 This wing-tagged Grey Heron was feeding around The Basins LNR, Wellington. I think it must have been ringed in the Cotswold Water Park, but confirmation awaits.
14 May 2007 Just a few more wader shots of Dunlin (top two) and Sanderling.
13 May 2007 There's still plenty of small waders on Berrow Beach. This Sanderling, like many others, is moulting into summer plumage.
6 May 2007 Don't judge a book by its cover. This is a Willow Warbler taken on Brean Down, singing its heart out. Those legs aren't classic ww colour are they?
30 April 2007 This Iceland Gull (top images) was a bonus bird for Berrow Beach. The last few days has been excellent on the beach with large flocks of Bar-tailed Godwit amongst others waders (lower images).
23 April 2007 The 17 Glossy Ibis at Slimbridge were elusive today. Given the abysmal light and the vast distance they were viewed from, I'm actually quite pleased with these dreadful shots!
22 April 2007 I seem to be missing all the quality birds at the moment. Whimbrel on Berrow Beach.
21 April 2007 An out of county day trip provided little in the way of spring migrants, but these Linnet and Rock Pipit were slightly photogenic.
2 April 2007 This afternoon I relocated the Lesser Scaup between Burtle and Westhay. It was trying to get its end away with a female Tufted Duck. It was odd how the head shaped changed to a smooth Greater Scaup like appearance when it was chasing the Tufted (see above).
31 March 2007 The Greater Scaup showed well at Cheddar Reservoir again.
25 March 2007 The drake Lesser Scaup from Blagdon lake turned up at Cheddar Reservoir the day before. On the first day it showed well, but not, unfortunately when I got there. A return visit today provided good views in grey light.
21 March 2007 This Hoopoe has been present at Knighton for a few days. With a bit of care I managed to get fantastic prolonged views without flushing the bird at all. It was happily feeding and finding plenty of food despite the cold weather.
10 March 2007 Oh, how decent light helps a photograph! These Greater Scaup at Cheddar Res may have been present all winter, but it seems like the sun has only just managed to show itself and enable half decent photos.
6 March 2007 Having a job to do in Cornwall could have been worse as White-billed Diver (top two), Franklins' Gull (lower two) and Spotted Sandpiper were all seen on route at the Hayle Estuary. The lower image is Franklins and Mediterranean Gulls.
25 February 2007 Better light today and the Green-winged Teal at the Axe Estuary showed very slightly better.
24 February 2007 Another Med Gull on Brean Beach - this time a 2nd winter.
23 February 2007 A morning at the Axe Estuary tested my field skills as I attempted to photograph the Green-winged Teal (top). Hardly a cracking shot, but just as I managed to get close enough to photograph it, it started to rain and a power boat came close and flushed it! The bird spends most of its time on the edge of the saltmarsh on the Somerset side and with no cover it's incredibly difficult to approach. There were also two Mediterranean Gull on Brean Beach, including this first winter (lower).
10 February 2007 A very quick stroll along the Brue Estuary produced little more than a few pipits and Skylark, and a pair of grunting Raven (lower).
30 January 2007 Today I had a site visit in South-west Wales. This Rose-coloured Starling at Kidwelly was nearby and it would have been a shame not to! Contrary to appearances my lens is not fitted with a grey filter, it's just that every time I get the camera out it's rather cloudy. Roll on the sunshine!
One of the three Great Northern Diver at Cheddar Reservoir.
The other two of the three Great Northern Diver at Cheddar Res.
28 January 2007 Cheddar Reservoir really provided the goods today with three Great Northern Diver and two Scaup (lower) showing very well.
27 January 2007 At last a decent mornings birding at Stolford. These Brent Geese were part of a flock of 5 pale bellied (top) and 7 dark bellied (lower). A Slavonian Grebe, 2 Common Scoter and 2 Scaup were also present.
26 January 2007 It's hardly been a productive start to 2007. On the odd day when it's not foggy, dark, raining or windy I've been working or away. This Redwing at The Mall shopping centre is really the only thing I've photographed for weeks! |
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