Stuart Warren discovered the second Glossy Ibis for Bedfordshire. The bird was still present, for its third day, but was distant, and, with a very blustery wind, nothing good was obtained with the camera.
 |
| Glossy Ibis |
06 January, 2014
08 February, 2013
Leach's Petrel
Another great find by John 'Leach' Lynch :-)
John popped over to Brogborough Lake late morning 'as it was only ten minutes away' and was disappointed that there wasn't much around except the' known' Scaup which were in the fishermens' corner. He then noticed a few gulls harassing something - this 'something' turned out to be a Leach's Petrel !
A new county bird for me after missing Pete Smith's bird at nearby Stewartby Lake (although I did photograph what was possibly the same Leach's Petrel at Tring a few days later).
Todays (less than) record shots are awful - the bird was way out beyond the center of the lake, and the light was grim. Still, a nice find by JL, brightening up a cold February day.
John popped over to Brogborough Lake late morning 'as it was only ten minutes away' and was disappointed that there wasn't much around except the' known' Scaup which were in the fishermens' corner. He then noticed a few gulls harassing something - this 'something' turned out to be a Leach's Petrel !
A new county bird for me after missing Pete Smith's bird at nearby Stewartby Lake (although I did photograph what was possibly the same Leach's Petrel at Tring a few days later).
Todays (less than) record shots are awful - the bird was way out beyond the center of the lake, and the light was grim. Still, a nice find by JL, brightening up a cold February day.
 |
| Leach's Petrel Brogborough Lake |
20 January, 2013
Garden Fieldfare
We've experienced winter snow for the last three or four years, and each time we see Fieldfare in the garden. They love cooking apples, cut in half, and defend them from other species, such as Blackbird and Starling, chasing them off. This individual appears to have a 'gammy' right leg.
The shot was taken through a double glazed door window from a distance of about 12-14 feet.
ISO: 200
Tv: 1/250
Av: 5.6
FL: 275mm
Program AE
Apple: 'Tesco', cooking
 |
| Fieldfare |
28 August, 2011
Grey Wagtail
At Sandhouse Lane NR a Grey Wagtail was taking advantage of some exposed mud to feed on larvae and other invertebrates, then preening those all important feathers. The light level was quite low down in this old pit, so a tripod was utilized and the camera ISO was set at 500. Wagtails pump their tails up and down, so no chance of long exposures to compensate for the low light.
 |
| Grey Wagtail |
 |
| Grey Wagtail |
06 June, 2011
Kos Part 2: 06/05/2011
The wind generally increased in the late afternoons and was, as previously stated, from a northerly quarter, and when viewing from the north-east end of the 'alikes' the terns were feeding towards the observer straight in to the wind but with the sun more or less behind the birds. This proved a photographic challenge, but the results were pleasing. A small number of Black Tern would feed by gradually moving forward dipping on the surface of the lake until finally the would turn back and start over again. They did this numerous times seemingly unaware of the camera.
 |
| Black Tern |
15 May, 2011
Kos Part 2: 06/05/2011
Pre-breakfast visits to the saltpan always produced a good variety of waders.
The were at least three pairs of Ruddy Shelduck with chicks.
We could not work out the access to the Psalidi wetlands, even though they were plainly visible from the road leading out of Kos town. This was to prove fortuitous as we then came across an Eleonora's Falcon, somewhat distantly, as it quartered the foothills with magnificent ease!
We followed the coast road around the north of the island, and thus with the steep mountains climbing to our left. The paved road suddenly finishes and we cannot travel further. Here were a further four Eleonora's Falcon, wheatears, buntings and a Blue Rock Thrush. The Aegean Sea really is that blue !
The wind generally increased in the late afternoons and was, as previously stated, from a northerly quarter, and when viewing from the north-east end of the 'alikes' the terns were feeding towards the observer straight in to the wind but with the sun more or less behind the birds. This proved a photographic challenge, but the results were pleasing. A small number of Black Tern would feed by gradually moving forward dipping on the surface of the lake until finally they would turn back and start over again. They did this numerous times seemingly unaware of the camera.
 |
| Little Stint |
The were at least three pairs of Ruddy Shelduck with chicks.
 |
| Ruddy Shelduck |
We could not work out the access to the Psalidi wetlands, even though they were plainly visible from the road leading out of Kos town. This was to prove fortuitous as we then came across an Eleonora's Falcon, somewhat distantly, as it quartered the foothills with magnificent ease!
 |
| Eleonora's Falcon |
We followed the coast road around the north of the island, and thus with the steep mountains climbing to our left. The paved road suddenly finishes and we cannot travel further. Here were a further four Eleonora's Falcon, wheatears, buntings and a Blue Rock Thrush. The Aegean Sea really is that blue !
 |
| Blue Rock Thrush |
 |
| Eleonora's Falcon |
 |
| Eleonora's Falcon |
The wind generally increased in the late afternoons and was, as previously stated, from a northerly quarter, and when viewing from the north-east end of the 'alikes' the terns were feeding towards the observer straight in to the wind but with the sun more or less behind the birds. This proved a photographic challenge, but the results were pleasing. A small number of Black Tern would feed by gradually moving forward dipping on the surface of the lake until finally they would turn back and start over again. They did this numerous times seemingly unaware of the camera.
 |
| Black Tern |
 |
| Black Tern |
 |
| Black Tern |
Local Patch: Ring-necked/ Tufted Duck Hybrid
A hybrid Ring-necked/Tufted Duck was discovered by PM on his WEBS count today. The enlarged (rather poor) images indicate an obvious tuft, white nail on bill and greyish-white band around face. The flank is grey, but is surrounded by a white border and thhe head is purple-greenish depending on angle.
 |
| Ring-necked/Tufted Duck Hybrid |
 |
| Ring-necked/Tufted Duck Hybrid |
14 May, 2011
Kos Part 1: 05/05/2011
We chose Kos as a birding holiday destination not because it would provide many new birds for us (in the event there were none), but to get away from the 'zoo' that places such as Lesvos have become. There was rather scant information about the islands' avifauna on the internet, but enough to know what to expect, that is, rather similar to Lesvos in fact.
We based ourselves in Tigaki which is convenient for the saltpan (alikes) but which now is a nature reserve, and is one of only four areas of water we knew about (one of which we never did find !). A car was hired for the week (the salesperson was an Englishman from St. Neots !) which allowed exploration of the island.
The weather was, in the main, perfect for our needs. Daytime temperature maxima were mid-twenties, humidity was low, but the wind was generally from the north and on one day, at least, was very windy indeed gusting to 60 kph.
 |
| Greater Flamingo Tigaki Saltpan |
 |
| Greater Flamingo Tigaki Saltpan |
The lake is a few hundred metres in from the beach, and the turnover of migrants here became obvious as the week wore on. A Tree Pipit was flushed in the scrub on the seaward side of the lake.
 |
| Tree Pipit Tigaki Saltpan |
Driving in to the foothills of the Dikaios mountain range we stopped and soon heard a singing Cretzschmar's Bunting - a common enough bird in the appropriate habitat.
 |
| Cretzschmar's Bunting |
 |
| Long-legged Buzzard dark-rufous form |
 |
| Long-legged Buzzard dark-rufous form |
Further in to the hills another Long-legged Buzzard passed by - this time a pale form. These can be confused with the eastern form of Common Buzzard ('Steppe' Buzzard) - the latter usually shows a dark terminal tail band, dark carpel patches on the upper wing,and are structurally shorter winged.
Up in the foothills 'scratchy' bird song seemed to emanate from every bush - mainly Sardinian Warbler, but also Olivaceous and Subalpine Warblers.
 |
| Long-legged Buzzard rufous form |
Up in the foothills 'scratchy' bird song seemed to emanate from every bush - mainly Sardinian Warbler, but also Olivaceous and Subalpine Warblers.
 |
| Sardinian Warbler Mt Dikaios foothills |
28 April, 2011
26 April, 2011
Waxwings, Sandhouse Lane
Gwd's Waxwings of yesterday were still around Sandhouse Lane. They were difficult to count, but around 70-100 birds. Nice to see them on trees with foliage for a change! They fed on a cherry tree and a large patch of Ivy on a Scots Pine.
13 April, 2011
Local Patch: Firecrest - a site first
