tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46401824478760867902024-03-18T19:41:44.391-07:00Nick Smith's wildlife photographyBignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-81906043301934502832016-03-28T07:05:00.002-07:002016-03-28T14:15:08.903-07:00Mallorca in early March (Part 2)<div style="text-align: justify;">
12/03/2016 <br />
This was only our second ever trip to Mallorca, the first being about 4 years ago, before my 'obsession' as my wife calls it of photographing birds. I prefer to call it an overwhelming and uncontrollable need!</div>
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Anyway, I said in Mallorca part 1 it wasn't specifically a birding trip so we did visit places not known for their birding. One of these was the Talayotic site of <b>Ses Païsses, </b>just outside Arta in<b> </b>north eastern Mallorca<b>. </b>My wife has a keen interest in things ancient and archaeological and we'd managed to miss this during our visit in 2012.</div>
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The talaiots or talayots, are Bronze Age Megalithic structures on the islands of Minorca and Mallorca. There are at least 274 of them dating from between 1,300–900BC. The good thing about this one was that there were a number of Serin in the trees around the site!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talayotic site of Ses Païsses</td></tr>
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Joking aside, it is well worth a visit and with a 2€ entrance fee, not exactly costly. </div>
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There
were indeed Serin at the site and a Firecrest which nearly landed on my
head but I didn't manage to get a photo of that. The Serin were obvious
by their calls but still very difficult to locate in the canopy. I
usually only managed to find them when they flew up and circled before
landing again; if I spotted where they'd landed I could track them down. </div>
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After the ancient site we headed out on some directions taken
from the internet on what was listed as a good birding route on a minor road called Carretera Camidels Racó just to the east of Arta which leads to the coast at Cala Mitjana. The first section through farmland certainly contained a lot of small birds, including various finches- particularly Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Serin. This is also supposed to be a good place to see Cirl bunting but I didn't see any. </div>
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Following the track from a parking area at the far end takes you down to the coast. There were numerous Yellow-legged gulls on the beach at Cala Mitjana.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-legged gulls at Cala Mitjana</td></tr>
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Where the dunes met the beach I noticed my first Thekla larks, 5 in fact, and spent a happy 30+ minutes following them around trying to get a decent shot. They weren't too bad to approach but would occasionally spook and fly off but usually only 20 or 30 metres away, so I could start my stalking all over again.</div>
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On the return walk I spotted an Audouin's gull trying to get a drink from a puddle of fresh water but it was immediately disturbed by some people walking past. I sat quietly on a rock with a clear view of the puddle and waited until the walkers had passed, sure enough the gull landed again and I got a few shots of it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRpgB-3B9wJsCV8F0G36ZZyteGdg2z8Zv-yFOiz4Nrv_eTR1on_xUr-lddp2IY7xm52WtabL21Lqf_kNFmGIDOT5keCqhyaR17Q7kngrQKYi0pnqi6Lp3zs1Y_t8er2miqWoZLHSlL84/s1600/Audouin%2527s+gull-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRpgB-3B9wJsCV8F0G36ZZyteGdg2z8Zv-yFOiz4Nrv_eTR1on_xUr-lddp2IY7xm52WtabL21Lqf_kNFmGIDOT5keCqhyaR17Q7kngrQKYi0pnqi6Lp3zs1Y_t8er2miqWoZLHSlL84/s200/Audouin%2527s+gull-1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCINy0ZKTCsyweuFgA8qDEjEr8ieXEOpo8-E35nzyEbShHeG8gYl7vmxK3hJmw6J15fu6cjAP4gGE6pUkohuZE0LK6ZHfUSzUoBoIBAKAFCDGFnCKKiDQ36O2SrQNTJTyPFjhTGpmXDB0/s1600/Audouin%2527s+gull-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCINy0ZKTCsyweuFgA8qDEjEr8ieXEOpo8-E35nzyEbShHeG8gYl7vmxK3hJmw6J15fu6cjAP4gGE6pUkohuZE0LK6ZHfUSzUoBoIBAKAFCDGFnCKKiDQ36O2SrQNTJTyPFjhTGpmXDB0/s200/Audouin%2527s+gull-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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A little further back around the headland I saw a pair of Audouin's gulls attracted to another puddle, this was obviously the way to find these gulls, find a freshwater puddle!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CF0RCYQ4zQistxa6FkbAO57mv_0byrbsvXwm7FN_qFreWkmALk6vyWXsMVtizUmBGmTzNkKipgfvjX7BAlacqK5_U2We13nJLwv1Bn3RQw5zMYVOT3aFMBWWAc3HtiAkOtbpmD46XsE/s1600/Audouin%2527s+gull-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CF0RCYQ4zQistxa6FkbAO57mv_0byrbsvXwm7FN_qFreWkmALk6vyWXsMVtizUmBGmTzNkKipgfvjX7BAlacqK5_U2We13nJLwv1Bn3RQw5zMYVOT3aFMBWWAc3HtiAkOtbpmD46XsE/s320/Audouin%2527s+gull-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Quite a few orchids lined the track on the hillside, I photographed a couple in the hope of identifying them later but I am a novice when it comes to orchids.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBeyre4HuNscxR4qe20xU2sjX9ecQf310JiVm0ji-Qib9mUEDwD0nm2x8o6yeQaj3LiU6M3d56CpSnYObKMnSdaWtR9UN6AgHuMNfuRLmCN7Vt2oWNtVhVQ_0pMCZhEWvyS-EiO_HYtk/s1600/Orchid-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBeyre4HuNscxR4qe20xU2sjX9ecQf310JiVm0ji-Qib9mUEDwD0nm2x8o6yeQaj3LiU6M3d56CpSnYObKMnSdaWtR9UN6AgHuMNfuRLmCN7Vt2oWNtVhVQ_0pMCZhEWvyS-EiO_HYtk/s320/Orchid-1.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possibly <i>Ophrys tenthredinifera</i>, the Sawfly Orchid.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcLEMfLa4fr2yG4p0F9J7Mv_GVL5UoBo7bIFaG63ugz7MzgF6zLtEOH5_ZMl9vrsoBGn2L6iM3cFfiPNOFVCk0L2z8XNFuKc66Ej3conHQkEKKQ3jucU4lWTyjXl7jat1-EpAT_SpBz8/s1600/Orchid-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcLEMfLa4fr2yG4p0F9J7Mv_GVL5UoBo7bIFaG63ugz7MzgF6zLtEOH5_ZMl9vrsoBGn2L6iM3cFfiPNOFVCk0L2z8XNFuKc66Ej3conHQkEKKQ3jucU4lWTyjXl7jat1-EpAT_SpBz8/s320/Orchid-2.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orchid, sp unknown. Maybe a variant on the above?</td></tr>
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<b>The Bóquer Valley. 13/03/2016</b></div>
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<b> </b>Mid March is a bit too early for the spring (and autumn!) migrants for which this valley is best known, but it had the potential to offer some good views of resident species.</div>
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We'd followed some overly complicated directions from the internet to get to (and miss) the car park for the start of the walk, but in reality it is very straightforward. The rough ground used as a car park is at a roundabout on the Ma-2200 ring road around Port de Polenca (the Avinguda de Bocchoris is off the same roundabout). Park here and follow the path at the back of the car park.</div>
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It got off to a good start with a very obliging Black redstart but we never saw any Cirl buntings, supposedly worth looking out for here. A little further on we saw a distant Blue rock thrush but it was impossible to get any nearer as it was down in the valley beyond a wall, I managed a record shot only. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhPRI3sZ2jRGHW19UghyphenhyphenC4aPMeDL2oiGwrv6ZvIrlNz1mjwMTfky7rne4e1fuTm9MqP_67roU1VZfh9EYWzwMFVk1Gpi9q3ri-Ape_dpnPNY-LD0ZA4eVVh_bHJX6sfkqietTB4t7nlE/s640/Black+redstart_3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black redstart ♀</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4Sw2m6abYpg45ZSWn75QyNbNUhBeNJ1rRpqcMf-jVfcl4Y4kN2PMh6gzwJzAK4iMjNQURroTQ2XANXUpkP9OvAM4S42n1AIn5H8Oq8RWnSZkmJU6I0bf66P7fqBbHIfiTTlueDLZk70/s1600/Boquer+valley-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA4Sw2m6abYpg45ZSWn75QyNbNUhBeNJ1rRpqcMf-jVfcl4Y4kN2PMh6gzwJzAK4iMjNQURroTQ2XANXUpkP9OvAM4S42n1AIn5H8Oq8RWnSZkmJU6I0bf66P7fqBbHIfiTTlueDLZk70/s400/Boquer+valley-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the Boquer Valley </td></tr>
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A pair of Sardinian warblers were feeding just off the path and I followed them around the scrub for several minutes taking photos. The male was a bit more secretive so I didn't manged many shots of him.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVm1jAuyMoVSF_RSAnpgfU-Y2zucEo3a8GzA6BhL-ZeC55mmh0yVOnAYh_PbVmZQCDVX6F4dVb9t9ckHMeylG1BtKzZh1lp_bZBRgEL8fCNosCz14fu7DMR2MVX87tQHJQ6QcnJEnaGG8/s1600/Sardinian+warbler-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVm1jAuyMoVSF_RSAnpgfU-Y2zucEo3a8GzA6BhL-ZeC55mmh0yVOnAYh_PbVmZQCDVX6F4dVb9t9ckHMeylG1BtKzZh1lp_bZBRgEL8fCNosCz14fu7DMR2MVX87tQHJQ6QcnJEnaGG8/s640/Sardinian+warbler-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sardinian warbler ♀</td></tr>
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As the path nears the sea it slopes down quite steeply in places and a multitude of separate tracks break away from it where people have chosen their own route. Some of these tracks are much better than others but it seemed impossible to tell which was going to be the best other than by trial and error. We sat and had a rest just before reaching the beach - we'd managed to do the walk on the same day that an organised community beach clean was going on which meant there were already 50+ people in the little bay where the paths were heading.</div>
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Scanning the sky for the Raven I could hear calling I saw my first Black vulture, it was slowly gaining height above the mountains surrounding the bay. In total we saw 5 (or 6, it was difficult keeping tracks on each one). I took some shots but they were a long way off and badly silhouetted against the bright sky.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2j6KJgFIKR2cHZMW7RUuS6Ze81-VVWAiSqnQ-65LkdbPYwpqbrGi2WrMBpsmot9tSpjVcMldl8e2cpMR8fivz0X7HV8yDthkQzRcTj2MAhPZa2IDZVOlzBAwK_hX1ia_oJezeHTTNZv8/s1600/Black+vulture-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2j6KJgFIKR2cHZMW7RUuS6Ze81-VVWAiSqnQ-65LkdbPYwpqbrGi2WrMBpsmot9tSpjVcMldl8e2cpMR8fivz0X7HV8yDthkQzRcTj2MAhPZa2IDZVOlzBAwK_hX1ia_oJezeHTTNZv8/s400/Black+vulture-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black vulture</td></tr>
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On the return, retracing our steps, we had a decent view of a Booted eagle and a fine male Stonechat briefly perched nearby while we had lunch. I'd hoped to see a Balearic warbler which can often be seen on sections of the walk apparently, but like the Cirl buntings, we didn't manage to find one. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxA9h5-AwuIwIqUJTZJsSL1RzCN4IIW_YMUZkzj0lQPzOKoI5_dl7zDoBBNPB_XkGRaPhFiMvT1K_vzgLqQERZR4letxkdB2TJRavHj9UBDgR4jjQmgJiyZP4ZhOB_6axP9Fqz-qwSHI/s1600/Booted+eagle-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtxA9h5-AwuIwIqUJTZJsSL1RzCN4IIW_YMUZkzj0lQPzOKoI5_dl7zDoBBNPB_XkGRaPhFiMvT1K_vzgLqQERZR4letxkdB2TJRavHj9UBDgR4jjQmgJiyZP4ZhOB_6axP9Fqz-qwSHI/s400/Booted+eagle-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Booted eagle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-vhG3FJeclGfqM06aFLxl45ObNbxfHKFWRQPTR8ywzPiEBKfVguhSELC3qWgvuZnKCSAvxM8Q5ymwXHfa-or7DR-NINI-dYXcAW8HpYsAsBszHL6fuAMfLw7Rm9yaA0rMMnVYWqPIfo/s1600/Stonechat+male-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-vhG3FJeclGfqM06aFLxl45ObNbxfHKFWRQPTR8ywzPiEBKfVguhSELC3qWgvuZnKCSAvxM8Q5ymwXHfa-or7DR-NINI-dYXcAW8HpYsAsBszHL6fuAMfLw7Rm9yaA0rMMnVYWqPIfo/s400/Stonechat+male-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Stonechat ♂</td></tr>
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Part 3 later - S'Albufera reserve, Ses Salines etc.<br />
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-88396569272374739672016-03-21T10:38:00.000-07:002016-03-21T10:44:09.764-07:00Mallorca in early March (Part 1)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Mallorca is how it is written on my map so I'm sticking with that - if what I've read is correct it became Majorca for those that couldn't pronounce the 'll' - which I read is pronounced as a 'y' so it ought to be Mayorca??</div>
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Anyway, enough of that, we had 10 days there from the 9th to 18th March. It wasn't organised as a birding trip but I would seek out what I could when I was there. The best time to catch the spring migration seems to be around the last week in April but that wasn't possible for us, so we settled on these dates to have a break from the cold grey skies of the UK.</div>
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Leaving Gatwick in rain and the temperature barely into double figures, we arrived at Palma airport - in rain with temperatures barely into double figures. I wasn't expecting glorious sunshine and 25°C all the time but had thought that traveling the best part of 1000 miles south would offer some improvement on the climate. However, we couldn't change it so made the best of it.</div>
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<u><b>10th March</b></u> </div>
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The first full day started wet but the rain did stop intermittently and we even saw the sun on occasions, but it was still only about 11°C. We'd stopped at the edge of the road (not something that you can do very often we found, so many of the roads had nowhere to pull over so it could be quite frustrating if something was spotted when you were driving, it could be nearly a kilometer before you could safely stop), not far from the town of Campanet in the north of the island. A verge under a stone wall had recently been strimmed and several different birds were feeding in the debris. First to catch my eye was a female Black redstart.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6uCQu-rc-ZlEG9is11gSWZSSWlYccTE5GR4I1YneNPnjrCXtUYF26tv8AYxz352PzlGJztdzUMKaqTTHqelrr4gjeaUGwLwtnrWx1X24yufimHhUdpv7D4ZgUwmj4qvqiK1TaHXPMDE/s1600/Black+redstart+female.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6uCQu-rc-ZlEG9is11gSWZSSWlYccTE5GR4I1YneNPnjrCXtUYF26tv8AYxz352PzlGJztdzUMKaqTTHqelrr4gjeaUGwLwtnrWx1X24yufimHhUdpv7D4ZgUwmj4qvqiK1TaHXPMDE/s640/Black+redstart+female.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I quickly lost interest in that when I saw what I was convinced was a Whinchat. I have photographed these in Kent, usually on their autumn migration, but they are difficult to approach, so if this one came close it might give me my best shot of one. It did come close and revealed itself to be a female Stonechat, there had been something about its posture (1st photo) that had made me think Whinchat, but seeing it close by it was obviously not (2nd photo).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOBpwL9YjnXNaqhd2KV5_zFjUZxNF10cycs-VodzcFBq0269PHvC-ZgWC66l5Y9QRynSbHX4Q80f64IXIXEHD-JaGnPCO9rUx4yvJaQCioq7_q_y41sZv1Cy9MQTdebAt4L9BingowFg/s1600/Stonechat-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOBpwL9YjnXNaqhd2KV5_zFjUZxNF10cycs-VodzcFBq0269PHvC-ZgWC66l5Y9QRynSbHX4Q80f64IXIXEHD-JaGnPCO9rUx4yvJaQCioq7_q_y41sZv1Cy9MQTdebAt4L9BingowFg/s320/Stonechat-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY06U3aDUPjyaYc7FmCYXNMI5Uj9JmmtoTKHyoEFo-L8Sa0aJ2Xf03fwMLbHdk1-kBDA3DHcltzergsba29A65GOw8TLKpHov2bzr4bB_QhwwXIYqZTnJUB5OQmqwI0YOQoJ9B2jltCPw/s1600/Stonechat-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY06U3aDUPjyaYc7FmCYXNMI5Uj9JmmtoTKHyoEFo-L8Sa0aJ2Xf03fwMLbHdk1-kBDA3DHcltzergsba29A65GOw8TLKpHov2bzr4bB_QhwwXIYqZTnJUB5OQmqwI0YOQoJ9B2jltCPw/s320/Stonechat-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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In fact I never saw a Whinchat at all which was a bit disappointing.</div>
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The strimmed edge had also attracted Greenfinches, a Robin and a couple of Siskin which I didn't see but my wife did. The light wasn't good by now and also, despite being on a small road in what can only be described as a 'one horse hamlet', some form of vehicle came past about every 60 seconds - or more accurately within 10 seconds of the birds returning after being scared off by the previous vehicle. I made a note to return in better light to have another go.</div>
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<u><b>11th March.</b></u></div>
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Great excitement in the morning, sunshine could be seen through the slats on the louvered doors so we wasted little time in getting out. Driving along scenic tiny lanes through olive groves and cultivated fields I spotted something in the young corn. Unusually there was somewhere to pull in and get the car off the road, at the entrance to a gated and locked driveway. I walked back and could see larks moving about but they were too far away for a photograph. A male Stonechat was flying down from a low branch but again was a bit far off. I looked up, having wandered rather further from the car than intended, to see another car behind mine waiting to access the drive - I couldn't believe it, the gates didn't look like they'd been used all winter and within 5 minutes of me stopping I was in someones way!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3ocz77n3-kV0DAb7Q5P_zcvZVbwUS7f_qkEruHqZnGE62ypshMrzpFc-LQcyFIeJMGYzOKkiFjgfo9232d_LQuzF1YpjHjgN0cQBeETPyVc0OwFigW4IWFQlddW_QksNjZRRovQThMk/s1600/Scenery-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3ocz77n3-kV0DAb7Q5P_zcvZVbwUS7f_qkEruHqZnGE62ypshMrzpFc-LQcyFIeJMGYzOKkiFjgfo9232d_LQuzF1YpjHjgN0cQBeETPyVc0OwFigW4IWFQlddW_QksNjZRRovQThMk/s640/Scenery-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to the <span class="st">Tramuntana mountains along the gated driveway.</span></td></tr>
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We moved on and found another place to stop, in a field gateway that clearly hadn't been used in some time, it was overgrown and looked like the gates would need a bit of work to open so hopefully we wouldn't be in the way here.</div>
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A couple of Ravens were cawing overhead and a Black redstart was looking suspiciously like it was feeding young in a very gnarled olive tree but it seemed much too early in the season? We waited but it never returned to the tree again so possibly it had just found somewhere to eat its grub in peace.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXPJnJo_06JlhseNlf_BzaMOO6roiJQzcL9K91eqKB-a_DiBEG4T_iCEpqiUA_LC-pTj0yfIOm8kJev2EBgJESEp2ukSiRQ1yh9eB5OZQyobvUTzu13TVQFTiE3_WjI_AaqIZQ2GfwjQ/s1600/Black+redstart+female2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXPJnJo_06JlhseNlf_BzaMOO6roiJQzcL9K91eqKB-a_DiBEG4T_iCEpqiUA_LC-pTj0yfIOm8kJev2EBgJESEp2ukSiRQ1yh9eB5OZQyobvUTzu13TVQFTiE3_WjI_AaqIZQ2GfwjQ/s320/Black+redstart+female2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Other highlights for the day were a Cattle egret, a Blackcap feeding on as yet unidentified berries in the village of Mancor de la Vall, and best of all a Booted eagle flying overhead, a bird of prey we saw quite often.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9_JYC2F2qe_todFmc6m3QEVN-y6BOjvvXkALRsnMmIjuVdErzREzwI7EfSNoAnzzWVRQxrCusHV50cwOrIqW0dJyeKmTaV0v_Tq90QweMIPUnvFRPoY5bSpXBSsNa745sHWZSH2Rwks/s1600/Cattle+egret-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9_JYC2F2qe_todFmc6m3QEVN-y6BOjvvXkALRsnMmIjuVdErzREzwI7EfSNoAnzzWVRQxrCusHV50cwOrIqW0dJyeKmTaV0v_Tq90QweMIPUnvFRPoY5bSpXBSsNa745sHWZSH2Rwks/s320/Cattle+egret-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPULZL0K4UIrjjYZgEW2OMK6qRK48o5PHendCv1MkgUv3d4MRcUZ4BrjaXJDzh7fxSKt15v4OSIMz9CjP0WOV599GmsUfdmEkB8VB4lVc62fqzCpKIFL-gqLrB6wv6ho8GcpwjaRMeNg/s1600/Blackcap1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPULZL0K4UIrjjYZgEW2OMK6qRK48o5PHendCv1MkgUv3d4MRcUZ4BrjaXJDzh7fxSKt15v4OSIMz9CjP0WOV599GmsUfdmEkB8VB4lVc62fqzCpKIFL-gqLrB6wv6ho8GcpwjaRMeNg/s320/Blackcap1.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZ3iOz6mvFLK9glWlXcwOyTn9pMEtJBFOWTrDTPGnImOIVZdOoGLRj8XgXc10Hx0qklfGvRWTvsE7VEVFzBMfJ9m1qBUxpJpHBat5sQPlxALNp7HHDURJJFYwvZI1TtKimfGHSuoDJ7A/s1600/Booted+eagle-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZ3iOz6mvFLK9glWlXcwOyTn9pMEtJBFOWTrDTPGnImOIVZdOoGLRj8XgXc10Hx0qklfGvRWTvsE7VEVFzBMfJ9m1qBUxpJpHBat5sQPlxALNp7HHDURJJFYwvZI1TtKimfGHSuoDJ7A/s320/Booted+eagle-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A last note here about finding peace and quiet - we'd parked the car and walked along a gravel road to nowhere in particular. Female Black redstarts were feeding everywhere you looked, a lovely male Stonechat was flitting around, and Crag martins were swooping and wheeling over a nearby field of sheep. It was blissful, the only noise was of the sheep bells tinkling in the valley below. I sat on a rock and soaked up the sun and waited quietly as the birds started to accept me and venture a little closer. </div>
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Within 10 minutes a large tipper lorry pulled up immediately behind me, engine running, the driver got out and locked the gates he'd come through, he wasn't there more than 3 or 4 minutes but the peace had been shattered and the scent of the pine trees replaced by diesel and exhaust fumes. </div>
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Part two coming soon, with Thekla lark, Audouin's gulls and Black vultures.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-26891379057604582922016-01-11T08:53:00.003-08:002016-01-11T14:28:49.746-08:00Forest Farm Nature Reserve, Cardiff, Wales<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hadn't realised quite how long it has been since I last wrote a blog, it's not that I haven't done anything, on the contrary I've done a lot and not got around to writing it up.</div>
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I was inspired to write this one after I'd revisited the Forest Farm Nature Reserve on the northern outskirts of Cardiff. I'd been a few times before but had only ever taken the same, relatively short route around it. This time I got talking to someone in the hide and he informed me of another part to the reserve which I'd not known about and has improved it considerably for me as a place to visit.</div>
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It first came to my notice a couple of years ago when my daughter who lives in Cardiff did some work there repairing paths etc as part of her employers commitment to offer staff the chance to volunteer for projects in the community. During her time there she saw a Kingfisher and was sure I'd be interested in a visit - now I can't keep away!</div>
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The reserve straddles the last remaining section of the Cardiff -Merthyr Canal in a piece of woodland consisting mainly of Beech and Oak. There are two hides overlooking small reed pools and a third hide - the recent discovery for me, at the old farm buildings which was Forest Farm.</div>
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The two reed pools offer a very good chance of seeing Kingfishers, as does a walk along the canal, but this is less productive if you want to photograph them. Both reed pools have perches for the Kingfishers, but the second of the two hides - further along the path from the canal, is better, being closer to the water, and can give excellent photo opportunities. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIeZtvrJ98f-BCT9EE72c87YGQWbWv5aLTmY_r6KdjcQLlvX89_oV__fmP_-ERyu_IZ0Xh7kbYm0fiU7TGuoyZ8c3uUBS4zK7Ip6xkHEcI1jc_q50bboL8Pc8-7giK05VZHFlFil1XeE/s1600/Kingfisher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIeZtvrJ98f-BCT9EE72c87YGQWbWv5aLTmY_r6KdjcQLlvX89_oV__fmP_-ERyu_IZ0Xh7kbYm0fiU7TGuoyZ8c3uUBS4zK7Ip6xkHEcI1jc_q50bboL8Pc8-7giK05VZHFlFil1XeE/s320/Kingfisher.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately during my various visits I have only managed to see Kingfishers along the canal, and this time for the first time at the 1st hide. Looking at the Friends of Forest Farm Flickr site <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/forestfarm">Flickr photos</a> it is easy to see that I've been unlucky not have seen them closer but it is all a question of time.</div>
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I went there 3 times during my recent visit to Cardiff and during those visits I saw quite a variety of birds, a full list is shown at the bottom of the blog. What made the difference this time was a visit to the hide at the old farm. There are numerous feeding stations and consequently a large number of field and woodland birds were visiting. The arrangement of feeders and sticks and logs wasn't perfect for photography but did give very close views of lots of birds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIBZcJpB0OKe3HM4Zmb927pGgUIBY97g0tLwAKOiKIryGQfjpiSWgr2fZjAErj6iyX2SwoHkOTB6pM6yAulcDjGt-e3_NjLC4WiIicMd_vQ8xzUsyCRsfOV9nhxq8gCkS99OxRGbZlR0/s1600/Woodpecker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIBZcJpB0OKe3HM4Zmb927pGgUIBY97g0tLwAKOiKIryGQfjpiSWgr2fZjAErj6iyX2SwoHkOTB6pM6yAulcDjGt-e3_NjLC4WiIicMd_vQ8xzUsyCRsfOV9nhxq8gCkS99OxRGbZlR0/s200/Woodpecker.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-YCrFW2mypgUinwfEe69ju1a_5-1TywItfNXWFeIHHAT-u_tgBWIiO2ynm0DBxIbx0Reh8VH6CI0uv1-6h12iVcizjI0ewkOks8iyy_nmQkYZ1LEKo_1a8Ga7RfiND8l7zqBN_OBXI8/s1600/Reed+bunting1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-YCrFW2mypgUinwfEe69ju1a_5-1TywItfNXWFeIHHAT-u_tgBWIiO2ynm0DBxIbx0Reh8VH6CI0uv1-6h12iVcizjI0ewkOks8iyy_nmQkYZ1LEKo_1a8Ga7RfiND8l7zqBN_OBXI8/s200/Reed+bunting1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrusEnWczzvFLGjiKJHWO7KJrhDaIaXF0bHKvu4TeWDjTIbaXgU3x37H8fXcHn9ypQTttYHmOp_2dEfrp3KJDDKixAElIGbxRCTJY28tmZ8X_lXdPp3DQ2ceLQ_K30Nso6vlABlCMsOVs/s1600/Bullfinch+male.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrusEnWczzvFLGjiKJHWO7KJrhDaIaXF0bHKvu4TeWDjTIbaXgU3x37H8fXcHn9ypQTttYHmOp_2dEfrp3KJDDKixAElIGbxRCTJY28tmZ8X_lXdPp3DQ2ceLQ_K30Nso6vlABlCMsOVs/s200/Bullfinch+male.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGZSUazr4gTo2ckwwmMXpQVCxzH4B1QS0eTp8wBT-gmmpGTVBzHeNh3ISeHpFyySiD1RZtGKmNBoGk8z04-aAH6saKLmAP-4aYx8LIaJ7LAJ2Fwk156nCbUMPAuGMnjFsstwkoX5cUfo/s1600/Bullfinch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGZSUazr4gTo2ckwwmMXpQVCxzH4B1QS0eTp8wBT-gmmpGTVBzHeNh3ISeHpFyySiD1RZtGKmNBoGk8z04-aAH6saKLmAP-4aYx8LIaJ7LAJ2Fwk156nCbUMPAuGMnjFsstwkoX5cUfo/s200/Bullfinch.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Because of the almost constant arrivals and departures of birds from the feeders it wasn't a great surprise to see a Sparrowhawk swoop through the gap, this time without catching anything, but obligingly sitting in a nearby tree for a minute or two.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwc_bL64hugQyPuTqBAsOiOSH_9N-40MC0M_b72zdmkjfjz7ujobfjM0plWlMHKTFOJ8YCxOzWbTl4eaLntNifhyphenhyphenKFbYoup48ibJSbydxAOrP_TNGHShh3PES_zcjvYhMxFshvIIzBLU/s1600/Sparrowhawk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwc_bL64hugQyPuTqBAsOiOSH_9N-40MC0M_b72zdmkjfjz7ujobfjM0plWlMHKTFOJ8YCxOzWbTl4eaLntNifhyphenhyphenKFbYoup48ibJSbydxAOrP_TNGHShh3PES_zcjvYhMxFshvIIzBLU/s400/Sparrowhawk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A short walk from the farm takes you to the Taff Trail, a long distance footpath along the River Taff, or turning off it, back into the nature reserve. I'd been told that there were a couple of Goosander on the river so as I left I took this route and sure enough, fishing along the edge of the river was a male Goosander. The light was quite poor so I was on a high ISO and low shutter speed, but I did manage a couple of shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp3b5kNy7xbZM9rvOabVNp-d3PFT8gxu2ov8zA_MT2g3Ha1b97OE2k12cbkTCcd2IJKfdeZY8aDCy1qx5umB4Z46tBbXBhoL6brIla8DMBwa3ZjmKmbkecVV2XEd6Amfvefdp7BbwQis/s1600/Goosander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp3b5kNy7xbZM9rvOabVNp-d3PFT8gxu2ov8zA_MT2g3Ha1b97OE2k12cbkTCcd2IJKfdeZY8aDCy1qx5umB4Z46tBbXBhoL6brIla8DMBwa3ZjmKmbkecVV2XEd6Amfvefdp7BbwQis/s320/Goosander.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's not often you get the chance for a photo with a Kingfisher and Goosander in the same shot, but here is one from the river - a little distant but a record shot none the less.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKr-5kSbLEqmcPcW1LeQaQHfoh-O7LOqyWoYnKUP5RgP0EGV3-syQJxbR1vQoKad4NnSmXOtvg1mEm4bRiiLC9yl52C2-d9j7vkIh9dVWJwnZrM7CMhWYHFvBo1-T-Wpwd-n0a_nLlJBg/s1600/kingfisher+goosander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKr-5kSbLEqmcPcW1LeQaQHfoh-O7LOqyWoYnKUP5RgP0EGV3-syQJxbR1vQoKad4NnSmXOtvg1mEm4bRiiLC9yl52C2-d9j7vkIh9dVWJwnZrM7CMhWYHFvBo1-T-Wpwd-n0a_nLlJBg/s400/kingfisher+goosander.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For details of the location of the reserve, see the link <a href="http://www.forestfarm.org.uk/location.html">Forest Farm location</a> and from the site you can read more about it.</div>
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Species list for January 7th, 8th 9th.</div>
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Kingfisher, Sparrowhawk, Bullfinch, Reed bunting, Heron, Nuthatch, Coal tit, Great tit, Blue tit, Buzzard, Robin, Mistle thrush, Song thrush, Blackbird, Magpie, Jackdaw, Crow, Wood pigeon, Collared dove, Dunnock, Mallard, Snipe, Moorhen, Goosander, Jay, Greater spotted woodpecker, Goldfinch, Chaffinch.</div>
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Goldcrest heard and others saw a Bittern but unfortunately I didn't see it.</div>
<br />Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-35453870187747081242015-06-22T10:01:00.002-07:002015-06-22T10:08:52.625-07:00Otmoor reserve, Oxfordshire<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>19/06/2015</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Otmoor is a nature reserve of wet meadows and reedbeds only a few miles from Oxford city centre. But if you've never been there it can be a little tricky to locate. The car park is off Otmoor Lane in the village of Beckley, but we didn't see a single signpost saying RSPB Otmoor until we reached the car park! If you drive east along the High Street in Beckley, with the Abingdon Arms pub on your left, at the end of the High Street (you continue straight ahead rather than following the road around to the right). It looks like a dead end but Otmoor lane is a left turn obscured by the last house on the left. If we hadn't asked someone we would have assumed this was a dead end and driven somewhere else.</span></div>
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We stopped for lunch first at The White Horse Inn, a tasty Thai meal, and while sitting out on the patio in the sun, a couple of Red kites drifted overhead - several times, I think they were looking at our lunch!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJUtAGHrIehUQyoRvL2gRRRJjTvbhGRUgjITMwG0D9fpjxRLQu31LH_ymL_KVZszADCqSxBHhKnzavriJKdZYnGPTR7IlS6CpRhc8968Wb3sWn3agG7b3rQul3I7OxRDuZuGfL2in3f4/s1600/IMG_8488+Red+kite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJUtAGHrIehUQyoRvL2gRRRJjTvbhGRUgjITMwG0D9fpjxRLQu31LH_ymL_KVZszADCqSxBHhKnzavriJKdZYnGPTR7IlS6CpRhc8968Wb3sWn3agG7b3rQul3I7OxRDuZuGfL2in3f4/s400/IMG_8488+Red+kite.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red kite overhead at the White Horse, Forest Hill.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although South Wales is undoubtedly the best place to visit to see and photograph Red kite, the area around Oxford especially along the M40 corridor and from Wendover and Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire south past High Wycombe and into South Oxfordshire there are numerous pairs and it isn't uncommon to see 5 or 6 together - often more.</span></div>
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As I parked the car in the RSPB car park I noticed a juvenile Brown hare which was paying little attention to its surroundings, I was able to approach fairly close to get some shots but the light was against me for a lot of them so only limited success.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was soon distracted from the Hare by the sound of a Turtle dove calling. I saw it on an overhead wire alongside the path. Luckily for much of my route to it I was screened by a hedge, so I was able to get quite close before having to step out for a photo. It seemed fairly unconcerned by my presence and after a few seconds observing me continued its calling. Unfortunately there was a large ceramic insulator next to the dove and it rather spoilt the view but I took lots of shots before attempting to get into a better position - I was able to walk right past the bird to take some shots without the insulator but these don't show the beautiful patterning on the wings.</span></div>
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Ideally it would have been nice to see one in a tree rather than the stark power lines, luckily for me that is exactly what happened on my return visit. This time wasn't supposed to be a visit to a bird reserve, it was just coincidental that we happened to be in the area and I happened to know Otmoor reserve was nearby!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoZSUXXLyeky8lmA-DQbrA4iykJWtNbod0u9xsg4NKCJSt5qp3zwaW0wpm8WkGqTfnncmPkVoOwI2OQjOQjER4oyc5iQijcnorgFBLtawE4wEoXykaDJynfkh8AAoIdmL0PG2QArWexA/s1600/IMG_8608+Reed+bunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoZSUXXLyeky8lmA-DQbrA4iykJWtNbod0u9xsg4NKCJSt5qp3zwaW0wpm8WkGqTfnncmPkVoOwI2OQjOQjER4oyc5iQijcnorgFBLtawE4wEoXykaDJynfkh8AAoIdmL0PG2QArWexA/s200/IMG_8608+Reed+bunting.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My last 'bird on a wire' for the day was a male Reed bunting which was singing away happily but completely silhouetted with the sun behind him, again, I was able to walk past (and directly beneath) it without it flying off so I could get a better shot with the sun on it.</span></div>
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<b>21/06/2105</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
With a couple of hours to kill before collecting our daughter and all her possessions from university, I used my powers of persuasion to convince my wife we should return to Otmoor. No sign of the Hare today but the Turtle dove could still be heard calling. I saw a large group of birders using binoculars and scopes to watch it but it was too distant for a photo. However, on following the path to the hide I realised we would be walking right past the dove in the tree if it didn't fly off in the mean time. It didn't, I managed to finally get a decent photo of a Turtle dove in natural surroundings.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We didn't see much of note on the rest of the journey to the hide but once there we watched a group of 5 distant Red kites swooping around, a Sparrowhawk gave a fly by and two Brown hares sat grooming themselves in the field for a good 20 minutes. On the return along the path to the car park I spotted a pair of Common terns, they sat side by side for a while and then mated.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfusApj1XShv2hHtrPgw4QEwFPApbr5vOHu-4nzK26sV7Yyi0vvYqNCmt4kAaXh0ZyIdoR3mpFBE9cyTLwYbvVVppUwFPg79hG4nNKNrQMhgfs331_LhNvAOkoFfqG-5GjNHJcDJSvoK4/s1600/IMG_8695+Common+tern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfusApj1XShv2hHtrPgw4QEwFPApbr5vOHu-4nzK26sV7Yyi0vvYqNCmt4kAaXh0ZyIdoR3mpFBE9cyTLwYbvVVppUwFPg79hG4nNKNrQMhgfs331_LhNvAOkoFfqG-5GjNHJcDJSvoK4/s320/IMG_8695+Common+tern.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were about to walk on when my wife spotted a small wader at the waters edge, I borrowed the binos' and couldn't believe my luck, it was a Little ringed plover, a life tick for me - it wasn't a particularly good view but you could see the dark bill, yellow eye ring and pale legs. I am surprised I've not seen them before, they get a 'Green' status according to the RSPB website whereas the Ringed plover is an 'Amber' status and I see dozens of these every time I visit the beaches in winter and occasionally during the summer as well.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-s9FGZ2pV3NIjSSvZZkqngk6UgwHzTek6puSt0XKB3yRjU6jwEAs5xaFsLlJ42srgk_zaq8bRwrROQWxHs_ZW5AeotxT3OyKUUOTdiRHTGSYUMzaPGlWCcymXQUOitowl9p2DBRhz2vc/s1600/IMG_8688+Little+ringed+plover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-s9FGZ2pV3NIjSSvZZkqngk6UgwHzTek6puSt0XKB3yRjU6jwEAs5xaFsLlJ42srgk_zaq8bRwrROQWxHs_ZW5AeotxT3OyKUUOTdiRHTGSYUMzaPGlWCcymXQUOitowl9p2DBRhz2vc/s320/IMG_8688+Little+ringed+plover.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It is only a record shot but nice to see one all the same.</div>
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A few birds were using the feeders set up near the path, a Great spotted woodpecker, plenty of Goldfinches and Great tits and a few Greenfinches. The feeders were a little bit too far away for a great shot but I sat quietly by the fence and managed a half decent Greenfinch.</div>
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We didn't have long at the reserve but it is certainly worth a visit if you are anywhere near Oxford.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-5250399069386752572015-06-02T08:11:00.000-07:002015-06-02T08:15:43.413-07:00Two countries in two weeks, Wales and Italy<div style="text-align: justify;">
I realise I haven't written anything for a while, it takes quite a bit of time to locate and resize the photos and then to write the blog. So to catch up a bit I'll condense my two recent trips into two blogs. We were flying to Italy from Bristol airport with our daughter and her boyfriend who both live in Cardiff, so we spent a few days in South Wales before our flight. This first blog covers our time in S Wales, the second. our time in Italy.</div>
<b>13/05/2015</b>. A recommendation from one of my Flickr contacts was an RSPB reserve at <span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/reserves/guide/g/gwenffrwd-dinas/">Gwenffrwd-dinas</a> </span><br />
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which was reputedly good for Pied flycatcher, high on my list of 'must see' species, amongst other desirable's. It was a lovely spot, and Pied flycatchers were indeed present. But, before even reaching the reserve, we passed through Llandovery, a small town, north and just outside the Brecon Beacons National Park. As we approached the town, the sky was awash with Red kite. A field had been cut for hay or silage and was being collected. Up to 20 Red kite and a few Buzzard were circling the field to pick up anything that may have been disturbed or revealed during the harvest.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVuvDYesxjRlwTAtom0vYgyac0CZ0LNSu0Bd8DALTYNMZH3PsuMNhmGOZqtiZaQQtGXjB6o71cueOlaMlgiSFhBBvh7_EDiMEd0vN1Z4kXjV-KycKKYcbfDfVFa56sG22hkPdVCckciU/s1600/IMG_1744+Red+kite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVuvDYesxjRlwTAtom0vYgyac0CZ0LNSu0Bd8DALTYNMZH3PsuMNhmGOZqtiZaQQtGXjB6o71cueOlaMlgiSFhBBvh7_EDiMEd0vN1Z4kXjV-KycKKYcbfDfVFa56sG22hkPdVCckciU/s200/IMG_1744+Red+kite.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDZgpA0iZKPRbQKKuY961Rs-s25wJsLEZjiRx9cVvJKpkqHnDGqvudqRCGwcxZCsjrOnzPnhZs9mB9vE6-cmfzkymXDCYQDtd4j37gK6_iIfgSsvS2G6u8OqCwS-u4_H_xbI3nQSsZ3Y/s1600/IMG_1666+Red+kite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDZgpA0iZKPRbQKKuY961Rs-s25wJsLEZjiRx9cVvJKpkqHnDGqvudqRCGwcxZCsjrOnzPnhZs9mB9vE6-cmfzkymXDCYQDtd4j37gK6_iIfgSsvS2G6u8OqCwS-u4_H_xbI3nQSsZ3Y/s200/IMG_1666+Red+kite.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I took lots of shots but as always with the little Canon SX50, it was quite difficult to get a focus on moving targets and also I failed to set the exposure compensation correctly for the bright sky, so most of my shots are silhouetted to a certain extent. A shame as it was the greatest concentration of of Red kite I'd ever seen (apart from over the M40 when I am driving). Apparently there is a feeding station nearby which offers photo opportunities on a daily basis, so the birds are clearly regularly in the area - maybe next time!</div>
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At the Gwenffrwd-Dians reserve, a board walk leads you through a damp wooded area, lots of nest boxes had been fitted to the trees and sure enough, stand patiently for a few minutes and Pied flycatchers appear.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCql7FoFRdzjf56VmAKN1a_dOEW_i0gylFB1xtvgaKSVG4twnd_csQTMnFMkwBdXWztNB27fGDRTS-NpJxTZIpIBsntyrmw9ZmmXIG3diBUicbO_AX6AhBEhopQMLus6NXtvBz5SlV9rc/s1600/IMG_2223+Pied+flycatcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCql7FoFRdzjf56VmAKN1a_dOEW_i0gylFB1xtvgaKSVG4twnd_csQTMnFMkwBdXWztNB27fGDRTS-NpJxTZIpIBsntyrmw9ZmmXIG3diBUicbO_AX6AhBEhopQMLus6NXtvBz5SlV9rc/s320/IMG_2223+Pied+flycatcher.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They never came particularly close during my time there but I guess if you dedicated an hour or two to the cause the opportunity to get some closer shots may well occur. My wife was with me and although she is interested in birds, she's not <u>that</u> interested! The board walk ends and the path continues around the side of a hill, it involves a little bit of scrambling up rock steps in places but generally it was easy walking. It was a beautiful spot and apart from the occasional RAF fighter plane screaming over head, was very peaceful. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlGZUiicQIiHkLvy_4ZVJuO2tnXU2xV-TxFrbUzJiAwNQsz17pZL_Pum1Z7jRl6eMm-xgeESs1u7EQ6LKEuZALt0dnQsBacOjB4WgtO0QKFzY_WicTthzfwlY4eCw6aiGF8llUkcHXV0/s1600/IMG_2025+Woodland+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlGZUiicQIiHkLvy_4ZVJuO2tnXU2xV-TxFrbUzJiAwNQsz17pZL_Pum1Z7jRl6eMm-xgeESs1u7EQ6LKEuZALt0dnQsBacOjB4WgtO0QKFzY_WicTthzfwlY4eCw6aiGF8llUkcHXV0/s640/IMG_2025+Woodland+walk.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The path around Gwenffrwd-Dinas.</td></tr>
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At one point we stopped to watch a Treecreeper on a nearby trunk, it had a beak full of insects and after a couple of minutes it dived into a split in a dead tree. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-d0aOEcye3NqluH97LgohHvFqGscEzUDgv22_zFDOkq7IVdHFgb1djW6eGVkysZNoZ3qQm2ClVOXwPiMo2-xenCumvebK7QGkuqT4xpfHvK39cAc9WjDtODcujqTjr_HJlY7T5Iav5s/s1600/IMG_2052+Treecreeper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-d0aOEcye3NqluH97LgohHvFqGscEzUDgv22_zFDOkq7IVdHFgb1djW6eGVkysZNoZ3qQm2ClVOXwPiMo2-xenCumvebK7QGkuqT4xpfHvK39cAc9WjDtODcujqTjr_HJlY7T5Iav5s/s320/IMG_2052+Treecreeper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was feeding young, and from our vantage point beside a larger tree it pretty much ignored us. We stood and watched the pair come and go a few times when I became aware of something flying about overhead - it was a Great spotted woodpecker, but rather than fly off, it hid around the back of a tree and then flew a few yards to another tree. I saw it several times - and then I saw the hole in the tree we were stood next to. It obviously had a nest in the tree and we were preventing it from returning. We moved off leaving both Treecreeper and GSW to feed their young in peace. The other bird of note for me was a Tree pipit. It was singing from the lower branches of a tree and then parachuted down to the ground in a very graceful descent. After a few moments on the woodland floor it would fly back up and start singing again. We stood and watched it for several minutes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoS_pCjWBLJY1ydeAqQGfhB4WvLSLrTM0iG0Yb83_X3EQaVFs_R3TTDBJY-NzP6BW0hu5cgWV9xj4_csU5Yukn9kqE2WHUit2Y68MonHBShkT_eQLf-tODHhKvD_Uoo8Kxhg4Qy1K0vw/s1600/IMG_2134+Tree+pipit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoS_pCjWBLJY1ydeAqQGfhB4WvLSLrTM0iG0Yb83_X3EQaVFs_R3TTDBJY-NzP6BW0hu5cgWV9xj4_csU5Yukn9kqE2WHUit2Y68MonHBShkT_eQLf-tODHhKvD_Uoo8Kxhg4Qy1K0vw/s320/IMG_2134+Tree+pipit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because of the low light levels in the wood I wasn't able to get a photo of the flight display but I did get a few of it when in the tree. I'd seen one in Germany last year but this was the first UK one to my knowledge (I may have seen them years ago in Blean Woods but not sure if we saw them or just went to look for them, it was so long ago).</div>
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Other notable species seen at the reserve were Nuthatch, Grey wagtail, Willow warbler, Spotted flycatcher and Marsh tit. One I was hoping to see but didn't, a Redstart.</div>
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Back at the entrance was a feeding station for finches etc and a pair of very nice Yellowhammers came in to feed giving me my best shots of them to date.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKj6GfjOu7lL_MdZwWlZtrwQlrW_nlK2FNx4KzZPLg0W98e3zvd49evK4m1EC0vickkzNfJYrUHqxKXXE08sLMi2NeICLDWuqKJ23FldJcpXyag4QnS2Ua4NbJljoA10gSToj5LzEVKeo/s1600/IMG_2307+Yellow+hammer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKj6GfjOu7lL_MdZwWlZtrwQlrW_nlK2FNx4KzZPLg0W98e3zvd49evK4m1EC0vickkzNfJYrUHqxKXXE08sLMi2NeICLDWuqKJ23FldJcpXyag4QnS2Ua4NbJljoA10gSToj5LzEVKeo/s200/IMG_2307+Yellow+hammer.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVDvdH6J2Del43mrAmj1z2UdA-xvg6Yv7Z_ke37gk9EkdOJDcysqeeHY_5MyqUXmBrpo_PxPXfyRU44xdLGboXCT6YM7kVFfN0qrktwVPFk8zQzlfd1PSApT1CNXPbegwSRG7RnesePk/s1600/IMG_2332+Yellow+hammer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVDvdH6J2Del43mrAmj1z2UdA-xvg6Yv7Z_ke37gk9EkdOJDcysqeeHY_5MyqUXmBrpo_PxPXfyRU44xdLGboXCT6YM7kVFfN0qrktwVPFk8zQzlfd1PSApT1CNXPbegwSRG7RnesePk/s200/IMG_2332+Yellow+hammer.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Another excursion, on the 15th May, was to the Gower Peninsula, and again we were blessed with fabulous weather. The peninsula was the first place in Britain to be designated as 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty', a designation it lives up to very well. Our first stop was at Oxwich for a coffee and a brief look at the Nature Reserve. There wasn't a lot about from the hide while we were there, a lone female Gadwall floated about, a Willow warbler called from outside somewhere and a distant Heron drifted on thermals into a field.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sa2wTjnVXyKc-2l2tuQXMmDPl201bkdzMhoztCNph9UCehPjsEcbU70sVmtztskebg781krJJ1dZtDoUrcl0dhhgRJ6n6fom88W1PeO04NlLvCbzf0qTK69yq-jSpDQAp4H8bpkbBws/s1600/IMG_2363+Gadwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sa2wTjnVXyKc-2l2tuQXMmDPl201bkdzMhoztCNph9UCehPjsEcbU70sVmtztskebg781krJJ1dZtDoUrcl0dhhgRJ6n6fom88W1PeO04NlLvCbzf0qTK69yq-jSpDQAp4H8bpkbBws/s200/IMG_2363+Gadwall.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0l7gOb4gHeMB-RKxu0968VSH7waMDR3DLHfzKH4GcRE44j3BWm6Owa3oJQZpQPAiaq9T9cJRCvdjZzt5tLOaUc9OBVD1m0OLOFxGDpU9m6kM4Lg5xRmhps2oVCaItCPLP2NKX5dJ-7as/s1600/IMG_2375+Robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0l7gOb4gHeMB-RKxu0968VSH7waMDR3DLHfzKH4GcRE44j3BWm6Owa3oJQZpQPAiaq9T9cJRCvdjZzt5tLOaUc9OBVD1m0OLOFxGDpU9m6kM4Lg5xRmhps2oVCaItCPLP2NKX5dJ-7as/s200/IMG_2375+Robin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Obviously used to getting scraps from visitors a Robin sang lustily from a fence where we'd stopped for the coffee and piece of cake and earned a reward, other than that it was pretty quiet.</div>
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We took our time but ended up at Rhossili Bay and Worm's Head, the bay is about 3 miles of sand and when we were there only a handful of people were walking on it. I spotted a muddy puddle near the village which the House martins had also discovered, collecting mud to make their nests. I was able to sit down by a wall a couple of metres from them and take lots of photos without them paying me much attention.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCMS9ysKfvrKiwOI_7gi3chPpaza03c2fNF9SUbHUSehHLeKvDhUbQg26RVziYQr3udDhyCmP72aBLJ04tS4XrhsPAbCL6vA20Ctwnx0k066FMr2bgKJKYIrBZTH2nO4f2gUtr5elV7I/s1600/IMG_2402+House+martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCMS9ysKfvrKiwOI_7gi3chPpaza03c2fNF9SUbHUSehHLeKvDhUbQg26RVziYQr3udDhyCmP72aBLJ04tS4XrhsPAbCL6vA20Ctwnx0k066FMr2bgKJKYIrBZTH2nO4f2gUtr5elV7I/s200/IMG_2402+House+martin.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyYcsRQ6TSxPDDLPIOLrIg7BP6GMWf0ydmALFJhUWDtxztqL9WjlEaAZgf2hYLLSTewxZDc8gBAcPDh13wLuVEe50AWUGQm17ovYkfIxdoIQXW5OTrAIygMvUn5bTffVKiWqODRaYMmo/s1600/IMG_2488+House+martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLyYcsRQ6TSxPDDLPIOLrIg7BP6GMWf0ydmALFJhUWDtxztqL9WjlEaAZgf2hYLLSTewxZDc8gBAcPDh13wLuVEe50AWUGQm17ovYkfIxdoIQXW5OTrAIygMvUn5bTffVKiWqODRaYMmo/s200/IMG_2488+House+martin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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After a walk along the beach we headed towards Worm's Head which you can reach at low tide, we'd left it too late to attempt, but if you do cross the causeway you have to leave plenty of time to get back otherwise you can be stranded until the following low tide. </div>
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Overcrowded Rhossili Bay and the now flooded causeway to Worm's Head.</div>
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A compliant Meadow pipit sat on the wall for me and also a Pied wagtail was nesting somewhere in the stone wall near the car park and was quite used to the people walking past - although they definitely spot when you pay any attention and pretend there is no nest to be seen by wandering aimlessly about with a grub (and some dried grass) in their beak!</div>
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I got a new photo tick (not a very good photo mind you) on the headland, a very agitated Kestrel was chasing off a pair of Raven, I looked around and was just in time to grab a couple of shots. I'd seen the occasional Raven on the cliffs in Kent but hadn't managed to get a photo.</div>
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On a separate walk, on the road between Marcross and Monknash, a Brown hare bounded along the road towards us - it suddenly saw us and hesitated before turning around and setting off the way it had come, only to turn again as the tractor which had disturbed it in the first place rumbled up the the road. It finally weighed it's options and darted through a gap in the hedge to find freedom in a large field. Luckily I was able to get a couple of shots off before it went.</div>
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This just about concludes the few days in South Wales, although we did spend another day on our return from Italy, where we had a short walk along the remnants of the Glamorganshire Canal at Forest Farm in Cardiff. The few shots of this can be seen on my Flickr site either side of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bignick58/18295897095/in/photostream/">here.</a></div>
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Next stop, Italy.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-83491643580990479762015-04-26T15:57:00.002-07:002015-04-26T15:57:27.339-07:00SBBOT trip to Minsmere<div style="text-align: justify;">
A 06:30 start from Sandwich Bay with visits to Abberton Reservoir Nature Reserve and then on to Fingringhoe Wick on Sunday, both in Essex, before the whole of Monday at Minsmere on the 20th. I was looking forward to seeing, and hopefully photographing some new species - especially some waders, maybe Little ringed plover, Greenshank, Common or Wood sandpiper, so expectations were high.</div>
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The first thing everyone noticed at Abberton were the huge swarms of flies, I think they were a species of Robber fly, but there were quite literally millions of them. As you walked through a swarm you could hear the high pitched whine of them flying, I was surprised they weren't being hoovered up by hirundines, perhaps they were unpalatable? They were completely harmless but you had to be careful not to swallow any or get them in your eyes.</div>
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Skylark at Abberton</div>
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I'm sure there are lots of interesting birds at the reserve but few were near enough to photograph. When you first arrive at a new reserve it is difficult to decide how best to go about it - especially as a photographer. The first hide, overlooking the reservoir, had nothing other than Mallard or Coot within 200m and nothing on the shore line. If time were unlimited it might be worthwhile sitting there for 4 hours in the hope something would turn up - but you could be missing something stunning elsewhere. My ploy was to visit each hide and area to see if anything was about and then choose where to spend most of my time. A Reed bunting was calling close to the path near the visitor centre which I took a few shots of on my way out and it was here I stopped for the last few minutes for better shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqrQ0Ld_BrV88W41AYLn9iA1aRENCWz7vEAZ56Pe8Ldm6nDQiumWnw90kUSfU4kemW0aiYowUKGKZyY1rjahSKTxOFuTB8UYjIvbDyh9t6urQAdgOaxXk5AdgEc06QAlkMnwU9wvKDTQ/s1600/IMG_5094+Reed+bunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqrQ0Ld_BrV88W41AYLn9iA1aRENCWz7vEAZ56Pe8Ldm6nDQiumWnw90kUSfU4kemW0aiYowUKGKZyY1rjahSKTxOFuTB8UYjIvbDyh9t6urQAdgOaxXk5AdgEc06QAlkMnwU9wvKDTQ/s1600/IMG_5094+Reed+bunting.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAkEJdVNxMJNsStr_3dEJmfypant8uxQEkz8mVYreUqKx7l6LO6pYjvty4hwXIRrHRlivF2wdh0bA69Y8z__qoyPllYScBH3EyfTT2omfMfTk0UII539tb2tmL9S5rVn2c0wByuUd80s/s1600/IMG_5124+Reed+bunting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAkEJdVNxMJNsStr_3dEJmfypant8uxQEkz8mVYreUqKx7l6LO6pYjvty4hwXIRrHRlivF2wdh0bA69Y8z__qoyPllYScBH3EyfTT2omfMfTk0UII539tb2tmL9S5rVn2c0wByuUd80s/s1600/IMG_5124+Reed+bunting.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Reed bunting.</div>
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It took quite a while for the bird to climb high enough for a decent shot but it was always partially obscured by twigs and stems.</div>
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I didn't get any worthwhile shots from the hides but I spotted a pair of Yellow wagtail in the long grass - also near the first hide. They never really came out into the open (apart from a time I was photographing the Reed bunting and, unknown to me, the Yellow wag had landed on a plastic tree protector behind me, someone else on the trip got that photo). </div>
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There was an extension to the main reservoir a couple of kilometers away from the visitor centre so my wife and I walked out to that. It was marginally more rewarding with Nightingales singing near the exit and another 2 pairs of Yellow wagtail en-route.</div>
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The extension to the reservoir was view-able from a road causeway called Layer Breton Hill, there were Common tern, Great crested Grebe, some hybrid ducks and geese and on the far side a heronry where several Little egret and Grey heron nests could be seen - at some distance.</div>
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Heron with 3 young.</div>
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Also visible from the causeway were two Cormorant colonies with nests in the trees - I'd always assumed they nested on cliff faces until I saw tree nesting bird in the Cotswold Water Park.</div>
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From here we were taken to Fingringhoe Wick, a lovely reserve on the banks of the River Colne (which empties into the North Sea near Brightlingsea). Scrub and woodland covered a lot of the reserve and it was criss-crossed with paths. A couple of hides overlooked the river and others a scrape and saltmarsh. But, like the morning, everything was quite a long way away. People reported some Black-tailed godwit in summer plumage but these were only picked up by scope on the far side of the river. It is a great place to see Nightingales, there were 26 territories reported, but I only saw one for a fraction of a second as it flew across the path. Blackcaps and Chiffchaff were quite common but apart from the Chiff below I didn't get any photos. It was unusual to see one on the ground.</div>
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We did just catch a glimpse of a Marsh harrier displaying, it folded its wings and dived, pulling out of the dive as it approached the ground, by the time we'd got to an area with full visibility it had stopped displaying and was flying away. It did eventually come back our way and was joined by another but they were a long way away, we saw a second pair even further away.</div>
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That was about it for the day and we were driven to our hotel ready for an early start in the morning.</div>
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<b>20th April, Minsmere</b>.</div>
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I'd been to Minsmere a few times before but many years ago, my memories of it were very good and parts of it seemed familiar. There was a Sand martin colony near the visitor centre and I did manage a few shots of one by a nest hole, a new photo tick for me.</div>
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A circuit of the West Scrape, visiting the 5 hides revealed very little in range, my memories of Avocet with chicks a few metres away were not replicated, everything seemed a long way off. I saw a Greenshank, reasonable numbers of Avocet, and Black-tailed godwit and a few Ringed plover but none really close enough.</div>
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Black-tailed godwit - heavily cropped!</div>
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A pair of Greylag geese with about 12 young were on one of the pools and for a change, they were close.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcvt44VUO4ItGqTb0JOSFSQkTS67w12IKYLfzA_-g_vpDlFSXXGKkpPca1Zhmn9rL9CEjzvjzI4U_u023moGvrZ5kHGOIvlXlsidaLuHZsb8mNOW8IYhSVWIYME5Hrz88j5wc_BJ3WQE/s1600/IMG_5326+Graylag+goose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcvt44VUO4ItGqTb0JOSFSQkTS67w12IKYLfzA_-g_vpDlFSXXGKkpPca1Zhmn9rL9CEjzvjzI4U_u023moGvrZ5kHGOIvlXlsidaLuHZsb8mNOW8IYhSVWIYME5Hrz88j5wc_BJ3WQE/s1600/IMG_5326+Graylag+goose.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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The only other really close encounter was a Sedge warbler which was singing away just the other side of a ditch, I was able to use a bush on my side to partially hide behind.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaa-HCzWJQxD_kSMJ2h-Xmys2Ezzi168vaEW4G2oqZhgbj1k4ejgvrsifxVuYC03O7VW2_KdNk8YwFr_DCa5gaAAUxPd3hQwxHtJfo2ErbZ86tgCXbZeg4b5tHusn_-00iR5FZ4S0ZdPU/s1600/IMG_5402+Sedge+warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaa-HCzWJQxD_kSMJ2h-Xmys2Ezzi168vaEW4G2oqZhgbj1k4ejgvrsifxVuYC03O7VW2_KdNk8YwFr_DCa5gaAAUxPd3hQwxHtJfo2ErbZ86tgCXbZeg4b5tHusn_-00iR5FZ4S0ZdPU/s1600/IMG_5402+Sedge+warbler.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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From the Bittern Hide there were some great views of Marsh harriers, the hide is on stilts and quite high giving the chance to view the birds at almost eye level. I had my best opportunity for some great shots but disappointingly they were poor (very poor!) Mostly out of focus and silhouetted, but apart from that...</div>
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We passed a cordoned off patch labelled 'Adder viewing area' but having read the information board about the most likely time to see them, we weren't hopefully. Having spent a few minutes peering into the long grass under bushes as advised and literally seconds after my wife said "I don't think we'll see any" she spotted a couple performing their mating courtship, necks extended intertwining with each other, I missed that - they were only visible for a few seconds, but then one moved off through the grass and I managed to get a snap.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjai7sIamJcLa02BJ4az4aUKUYCec8HWLCijOTX3aj3AkZoBOpsr-J1lV4Pn3YB9KRbnLQHWH7Ryk7neaUqRW-WOG_nkzgPxmvUIhowLn_yLlhSJg2xj-Go1vUju6PghdI5ooQvq0DjYh0/s1600/IMG_5599+adder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjai7sIamJcLa02BJ4az4aUKUYCec8HWLCijOTX3aj3AkZoBOpsr-J1lV4Pn3YB9KRbnLQHWH7Ryk7neaUqRW-WOG_nkzgPxmvUIhowLn_yLlhSJg2xj-Go1vUju6PghdI5ooQvq0DjYh0/s1600/IMG_5599+adder.jpg" height="258" width="640" /></a></div>
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With time running out I was keen to try to see a Dartford warbler, these were most likely to be found on Dunwich Heath just to the north of the actual reserve. It was going to be a ~3 mile round trip from where we were so we had to keep an eye on the time. Having never seen a Dartford warbler before I wasn't sure where to look and despite scrutinising every bird and scanning the low gorse and heather bushes I didn't see any. I met a couple of people who had binoculars, so I assumed they were birders, and asked if they had seen any, they had seen 3 during their walk across the heath. As the woman told me this, she said "There's one now" and sure enough, although difficult to see against the still brown heathers, was my first Dartford warbler. I did take a few shots but they are not much more than a few pixels of warbler - ID-able from the photo but not worth showing here.</div>
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We made it back to the coach with a little time to spare and right next to the visitor centre I got my next photo tick, a Marsh tit, a frustrating little bird to photograph, there were a pair but neither stayed in the same place for much more than a second, every time I'd found it in my viewfinder, pressed the shutter to focus, they were somewhere else. I did get a couple of shots but definitely one to improve on.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE22T9J7ULYEkW365lxNh0rPw1SR1NCDwF23lfyaAeG_-bLPaWaDjIczmNMFNn6SWKok4I9AdKw2UsuqYflebf3TARNx6MnktrDxxoCuWNK-e6sg8OaDgaid4FABbArw6UOr21mSRIx9E/s1600/IMG_5695+Marsh+tit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE22T9J7ULYEkW365lxNh0rPw1SR1NCDwF23lfyaAeG_-bLPaWaDjIczmNMFNn6SWKok4I9AdKw2UsuqYflebf3TARNx6MnktrDxxoCuWNK-e6sg8OaDgaid4FABbArw6UOr21mSRIx9E/s1600/IMG_5695+Marsh+tit.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-27357534104211385862015-04-22T17:29:00.001-07:002015-04-22T17:29:23.916-07:00<b>15th to 18nd April</b><br />
<b>15th.</b><br />
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The day started bright and sunny so I went to Sandwich Bay in the hope of finding something interesting to photograph, I did my usual slow drive along Golf Road, I can nearly always find Grey partridge doing this but often they are too far from the road to photograph as was the case today. I have become <i>quite</i> adept at keeping an eye out for other vehicles (in front and behind) and pulling over to allow them to pass so I can continue my slow crawl along. I could walk it but the birds seem far less concerned by a car than a person walking and this has given me some great opportunities for shots at quite close range.</div>
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I did park up and walk around the large gorse patch roughly halfway along, a Whitethroat was singing but the sun was behind it so I couldn't get a shot. The Linnet (below) however was lit perfectly but I couldn't get any closer because of the density of the gorse bushes. I just love the coconut smell of the flowering gorse - and it looks great in photos!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEF7jtKmmfwME14Kyd-fknP28_1D2NNH0XqUPQRj2bh1AuhiZv5xvmolJs0_JbYU5Hrvrit24yh6GXOns1qH-tg4vlB60XMZSEtHxbkhSmtUZw0GLHEyUbHu1B8QFe-_H-8uauDYUgZ9Q/s1600/IMG_4434+Linnet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEF7jtKmmfwME14Kyd-fknP28_1D2NNH0XqUPQRj2bh1AuhiZv5xvmolJs0_JbYU5Hrvrit24yh6GXOns1qH-tg4vlB60XMZSEtHxbkhSmtUZw0GLHEyUbHu1B8QFe-_H-8uauDYUgZ9Q/s1600/IMG_4434+Linnet.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Scrape was devoid of pretty much anything but Coots and a few distant ducks so I spent half an hour wandering around the Elms chasing what seemed like ghosts - the Blackcaps were there in reasonable numbers but melted away whenever I got close. Perseverance paid off in the end and I did get a few shots of both the male and female. I'm fairly sure that if I had time, standing quietly in a good spot and waiting until they came to me would pay off but it is difficult to do that when you can hear them singing somewhere else.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKw7znbPs4BJwbaUN7dBLu2moXLoNPZar_qzKpCLjj2lJvHpKpx2AvFVOvC4rXkbeagYHKzxl9hKYJ4H9I0moW2Aa9ByvcqUDmfHTU8QVldlrhPqvYBzylSHgYzqgiNIbS6wVociCasMo/s1600/IMG_4506+fem+Blackcap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKw7znbPs4BJwbaUN7dBLu2moXLoNPZar_qzKpCLjj2lJvHpKpx2AvFVOvC4rXkbeagYHKzxl9hKYJ4H9I0moW2Aa9ByvcqUDmfHTU8QVldlrhPqvYBzylSHgYzqgiNIbS6wVociCasMo/s1600/IMG_4506+fem+Blackcap.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_DtqzFrIYTqSy54ow4Qg-RM5o-dQ5C95VRZj-2H4CwAe0m43XgRQdjiqJ75d3dcJG8DeytxYMGkGy1k0j1Udm4mcMVHgv2YDZ75xBXnbXH0WAkNYbQokm1S8BOpPUAv0bdd_5Pc7hF8/s1600/IMG_4473+Blackcap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_DtqzFrIYTqSy54ow4Qg-RM5o-dQ5C95VRZj-2H4CwAe0m43XgRQdjiqJ75d3dcJG8DeytxYMGkGy1k0j1Udm4mcMVHgv2YDZ75xBXnbXH0WAkNYbQokm1S8BOpPUAv0bdd_5Pc7hF8/s1600/IMG_4473+Blackcap.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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In the afternoon I was visiting my mother but took a circuitous route via Ickham and Littlebourne to see if the Grey wagtails were around. I didn't see them anywhere but a Red kite drifted overhead, I couldn't resist firing a few shots but it was obviously too far away for anything other than a record shot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76Asbzk2TLp7Klt4CMSB2PsF864N19kGshLhvW52Qt-gIj12dIgAfmdir0YP5aVOUejwD9pqls1fEU87RxkTLWfCfYUNHu1Uxc5xanUUgoj0LSrJlRrZ53sb7QTpFqFg5OGsdxbqk0S8/s1600/IMG_4517+Red+kite.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg76Asbzk2TLp7Klt4CMSB2PsF864N19kGshLhvW52Qt-gIj12dIgAfmdir0YP5aVOUejwD9pqls1fEU87RxkTLWfCfYUNHu1Uxc5xanUUgoj0LSrJlRrZ53sb7QTpFqFg5OGsdxbqk0S8/s1600/IMG_4517+Red+kite.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>16th. </b>A day out at Lullingstone Roman villa near Eynsford, somewhere I'd promised to take my wife for ages, ideally it should be combined with a visit to The World Garden at the Castle, but that wasn't yet open this season. We'd barely got out of Eastry when I spotted a Crow mobbing a Red kite, normally there is nowhere to stop when I see something like this but I was on a little country lane and luckily there was an area I could pull the car off the road. I leapt out of the car with my camera zoomed in on the birds as the red 'low battery' flashed its last and the camera turned itself off. Life! I grabbed another battery but the birds were now a way off, I was thinking I may have to pursue them in the car when they headed back my way. I got a few shots, a couple on my <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bignick58/16554858533/in/photostream/">Flickr site</a> and this one.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHowLHuxzdnPzBIWFiCjCxiMFZZkiU1EhhMbctYXptaXyasK-r0IXVB6TGN16Skd_wgLN9l0Md_oxROqFAO9MbkMXG8fe748qNiBMtFtqwi_RD4qvLY9lEhaazM4luisQb6NZnVVZuvo/s1600/IMG_4569+Red+kite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHowLHuxzdnPzBIWFiCjCxiMFZZkiU1EhhMbctYXptaXyasK-r0IXVB6TGN16Skd_wgLN9l0Md_oxROqFAO9MbkMXG8fe748qNiBMtFtqwi_RD4qvLY9lEhaazM4luisQb6NZnVVZuvo/s1600/IMG_4569+Red+kite.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'd assumed the Crow was just mobbing the Kite but when I saw the photos on the computer I could see the Kite had something held in it's claws, it is difficult to make out what but it could have been a Crow chick?</div>
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Five miles further on near Adisham, I passed a Mistle thrush on an area of grass, we drove within 5 feet of it and it didn't pay any attention. They are normally very wary so this was an opportunity not to be missed. I opened the window and took some shots but the sun was in the wrong direction (or, more acurately, I was in the wrong direction to the sun). The piece of grass forms a triangle between three roads so I was able to drive around and get on the right side, just in time for a few frames before the thrush flew away with it's worm catch.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1m5LD71de5KiU_mTr7RyCfvQ85rW1Q62BAuxRaOIGcz11zZuDk_8XB0AXvgoXE991kV6aVWDyNmz7qwXhdJEv0A5FC3KcQcyxkbsrxSqXbEbeEjnve2qICnTw1G_xhobrrEvdsi6er4/s1600/IMG_4635+Mistle+thrush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1m5LD71de5KiU_mTr7RyCfvQ85rW1Q62BAuxRaOIGcz11zZuDk_8XB0AXvgoXE991kV6aVWDyNmz7qwXhdJEv0A5FC3KcQcyxkbsrxSqXbEbeEjnve2qICnTw1G_xhobrrEvdsi6er4/s1600/IMG_4635+Mistle+thrush.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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A brief word about the area where Lullingstone Roman villa is situated. It is in the Darent Valley within the surprisingly rural M26/M25/M20 triangle, the nearest village is Eynsford which is a pretty little place on the river with a small stone bridge for light traffic, lorries and coaches have to use the ford next to the bridge. When you consider that Eynsford is less than 3 miles as the crow flies, from Swanley or 5 from Orpington or Dartford, it is an amazing oasis of tranquility. I suspect the area would provide good birding along the river and in the nearby woodland although we didn't see much during our time there worth mentioning apart from a pair of Grey Wagtails near the castle, </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wLNc_ziU-R5FfjXACqRqnuNLdjCeYybYnMmnDnAnu3DvBSwJfzsAZrMcWPIuYpkx5GpatGuMU7-86wbgmgAptXFMKgPMxZkqquqShghszwaTjw5U94Kw2DTejriUPrCILELRAqdn63o/s1600/IMG_4681+Eynsford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wLNc_ziU-R5FfjXACqRqnuNLdjCeYybYnMmnDnAnu3DvBSwJfzsAZrMcWPIuYpkx5GpatGuMU7-86wbgmgAptXFMKgPMxZkqquqShghszwaTjw5U94Kw2DTejriUPrCILELRAqdn63o/s1600/IMG_4681+Eynsford.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Eynford village and the river Darent.</div>
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<b>17th and 18th. </b>Staying local I ended up at the Bay again, more of the usual suspects with the exception of a Snipe in the 'Water rail' corner of the Scrape. The Chiffchaff was calling in the Elms (I say '<i>the</i>' Chiffchaff as it appears to be the same one, it has a tuft of unruly feathers on its right side just above the wing, see photo below). The great thing about chiffs is that they tend to call from exposed branches and as the leaves aren't properly out yet you can often get a clear view.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCtCbDEHd_kEPhB5mDV91s9_XW45etDE9oCs-eRUixbdMDLd_COw7lHZLmRiLsLBYFRHieIQlX9DNjyvUdwRkdqsEcd_JS_FL4TYWhRsbLv8lQBg_YybVkWCMksDwAJyrPSzSIGnwCME/s1600/IMG_4742+Snipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCtCbDEHd_kEPhB5mDV91s9_XW45etDE9oCs-eRUixbdMDLd_COw7lHZLmRiLsLBYFRHieIQlX9DNjyvUdwRkdqsEcd_JS_FL4TYWhRsbLv8lQBg_YybVkWCMksDwAJyrPSzSIGnwCME/s1600/IMG_4742+Snipe.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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Snipe on the Scrape</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1g0ZV-1Ln0HQVTvaPbVMVawi1ci_nxbDKZAm8NXoav4gTXfnwRgMuFVHILhRi7EVsgogBXyK9QQzzhel7FXQyjPwROj5VZYxzR55mgvQZJlEjHVtkWMos5OIL0RiqAeLWxTcb3V2DRe0/s1600/IMG_4777+Chiffchaff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1g0ZV-1Ln0HQVTvaPbVMVawi1ci_nxbDKZAm8NXoav4gTXfnwRgMuFVHILhRi7EVsgogBXyK9QQzzhel7FXQyjPwROj5VZYxzR55mgvQZJlEjHVtkWMos5OIL0RiqAeLWxTcb3V2DRe0/s1600/IMG_4777+Chiffchaff.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Chiffchaff with extra feathers, in the Elms</div>
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A Wren was singing loudly from a very photogenic perch and I caught a Grey partridge that had ventured close to the road and the warm weather had brought out some Speckled wood butterflies in the Elms.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPaqzqmQvjBOEUHSb94UjEJ3yhtB6WcBCgkyqlXvyEAT7eo6EvUaTw7u8KtAWPhkDXsOgQXnI-eTK4cuILeSc8JExzF0h9-6i_aQd6NZunbxvHh1w-0k-ghgBgwf-aEeW2uNzFV7GKq8/s1600/IMG_4871+Wren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPaqzqmQvjBOEUHSb94UjEJ3yhtB6WcBCgkyqlXvyEAT7eo6EvUaTw7u8KtAWPhkDXsOgQXnI-eTK4cuILeSc8JExzF0h9-6i_aQd6NZunbxvHh1w-0k-ghgBgwf-aEeW2uNzFV7GKq8/s1600/IMG_4871+Wren.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHI9rOYnRpVj0UVbcXgWjpD5zeD3GKegefBvuYgQHJhS0llSyG_Vi8_eVBMwIyzt8ccjO-X_pKAu4YBQGEkQI8SR6VrQ3f9h8mHrR90hpgA1A9cqAG0Ju77575Tn-PoTh1rF5XDHQdbc/s1600/IMG_4961+Grey+partridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHI9rOYnRpVj0UVbcXgWjpD5zeD3GKegefBvuYgQHJhS0llSyG_Vi8_eVBMwIyzt8ccjO-X_pKAu4YBQGEkQI8SR6VrQ3f9h8mHrR90hpgA1A9cqAG0Ju77575Tn-PoTh1rF5XDHQdbc/s1600/IMG_4961+Grey+partridge.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
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We're off to Minsmere on the 19th so hopefully a few different species to report next time.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-23352252639753338332015-04-15T10:58:00.002-07:002015-04-15T16:02:19.980-07:00<b><span style="font-size: large;">7th to 14th April.</span></b><br />
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With visitors at home over Easter I didn't manage to get out much but seem to have made up for it over the following week. On the 7th it was bright and sunny and I stopped off at the Scrape on Sandwich Bay. Just by the gateway a Wren was singing lustily from a post and I was able to get a few shots. I'd not seen a Wren display before but a couple of times it raised its wings as if in flight, still singing, but going nowhere.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTivgEDw3KYGoMW-dWEQKL0PBAIP0UjdmlY7olzb_gjNuDAc7an7YrlUajPhaatEcWyrh7x_fnrStUW4iLzfeqabsLkAbdKgbc5LNohJVcRgQ8u0Y17pj7IUSD7gK5dSwGyC4_WrLDwE/s1600/IMG_1381+Wren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTivgEDw3KYGoMW-dWEQKL0PBAIP0UjdmlY7olzb_gjNuDAc7an7YrlUajPhaatEcWyrh7x_fnrStUW4iLzfeqabsLkAbdKgbc5LNohJVcRgQ8u0Y17pj7IUSD7gK5dSwGyC4_WrLDwE/s1600/IMG_1381+Wren.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wJoZJXv4kk9paOT9dEyrZJnqGAYNprXpFWQAo2r5tLZzn93KXKWI2HeKq1m9r5Yw_zotIhntQodmOVK9qpCFineJyZzbq-bwBxNg_CGpPZhNkHugEIFx8Ppi2UIUaAISQzACLZHD-Ok/s1600/IMG_1374+Wren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wJoZJXv4kk9paOT9dEyrZJnqGAYNprXpFWQAo2r5tLZzn93KXKWI2HeKq1m9r5Yw_zotIhntQodmOVK9qpCFineJyZzbq-bwBxNg_CGpPZhNkHugEIFx8Ppi2UIUaAISQzACLZHD-Ok/s1600/IMG_1374+Wren.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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The Scrape held the usual suspects, a few Teal remained, Little grebes, Shoveler, Coots, Tufted duck etc. 7 or 8 Mute swan flew in but just like I'd witnessed a few days earlier, one of the males systematically chased off all the others bar one. Having cleared the Scrape of things to attack, the two remaining swans swam around happily for a while. A lapwing flew its amazing display flight and then landed right in front of the hide.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoFWRVYztvs35T980pZLcOVXRoRepyRx-uPnSgCiu3rrt9jf5sw1zvNVK6A3SAK52sdUz8nnmlQ43RZBlt5FMMTZnN98vkK1c3BeHiFvpzHv8aeT1CXZlsJ6oRkMt2J85p4MUaxIGa4g/s1600/IMG_1446+Lapwing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoFWRVYztvs35T980pZLcOVXRoRepyRx-uPnSgCiu3rrt9jf5sw1zvNVK6A3SAK52sdUz8nnmlQ43RZBlt5FMMTZnN98vkK1c3BeHiFvpzHv8aeT1CXZlsJ6oRkMt2J85p4MUaxIGa4g/s1600/IMG_1446+Lapwing.jpg" height="310" width="400" /></a></div>
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A brief visit to the Elms produced a Firecrest and Chiffchaff, although I was very close to the Firecrest, the light was poor and the photos rather disappointing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSf2cHDmNJOjf9-EJ4uhscjfg1_zsjE_zF1AwvPEagMxTul4ZGQGFi-duPY6wQadEtbnChLM3ZBEK2ruOuw5Ddtrl0W-jCnEgb1ZB-cqu_L_M0uSeEkwelJfzWI7ETrGdZ1td_QauvcU/s1600/IMG_1529+Firecrest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDSf2cHDmNJOjf9-EJ4uhscjfg1_zsjE_zF1AwvPEagMxTul4ZGQGFi-duPY6wQadEtbnChLM3ZBEK2ruOuw5Ddtrl0W-jCnEgb1ZB-cqu_L_M0uSeEkwelJfzWI7ETrGdZ1td_QauvcU/s1600/IMG_1529+Firecrest.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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As it was such a bright day I returned in the late afternoon for one last attempt at the Short-eared owl in flight. I nearly missed it, it started flying around just after 5pm and didn't hang around very long. I did get a couple of usable photos.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZrhWH4f-YX07deD7jO31vUp6C1kHeVncB3xdUWpS0KBpnaiKs1aLuyMIBugTNeAFGiXttHhbh2sDeuu6tTFdFNNWrQik61M6cljGEGDauL6tQHTeDI03LV_bDTSkSjrZ93jbynAG-Vc/s1600/IMG_1613+SEO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZrhWH4f-YX07deD7jO31vUp6C1kHeVncB3xdUWpS0KBpnaiKs1aLuyMIBugTNeAFGiXttHhbh2sDeuu6tTFdFNNWrQik61M6cljGEGDauL6tQHTeDI03LV_bDTSkSjrZ93jbynAG-Vc/s1600/IMG_1613+SEO.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Wednesday 8th</b>. A trip to Rye with my wife and mother in law was a good excuse for me to visit Rye Harbour while they shopped and lunched. I'd have been better off joining them really. I saw only 1 Mediterranean gull, the Sandwich terns were there in reasonably numbers but either too fast or too distant for any decent shots with my little camera. I spent ages trying for a flight shot but all were failures and the photos of the colony on the beach were rendered pretty much unusable by a heat haze off the pebbles and the distance of the birds. I did see a Ruff and some Ringed plover but again they were a little too far away for good quality shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzWeT-xco6wuToZayX2fDpPXDIWXPi6j9mnQb67B_fB4OO2K_eKpwDODG2xO9QbV3NIPxbfKFeS-Rx9Ag6Fd13YQ3JmFA57Z8kaAD4cFDhXglYD2a29dbrnONpwHV7_aYlGWw0ISfTpY/s1600/IMG_1667+Ruff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzWeT-xco6wuToZayX2fDpPXDIWXPi6j9mnQb67B_fB4OO2K_eKpwDODG2xO9QbV3NIPxbfKFeS-Rx9Ag6Fd13YQ3JmFA57Z8kaAD4cFDhXglYD2a29dbrnONpwHV7_aYlGWw0ISfTpY/s1600/IMG_1667+Ruff.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsxF9U9dntuiVZLMBL5Ekbn3UQGujk_8WfxRqRV4gw6EdPiR9CnpFjU3D-OGc7cQhpBeRPixIS7jewXq9888mXSjpmVSmdfZ6IMDTKwUY1SJ91HbIf7HZUDEMprDll66ZPF-z4edQGgg/s1600/IMG_2762+Sandwich+tern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsxF9U9dntuiVZLMBL5Ekbn3UQGujk_8WfxRqRV4gw6EdPiR9CnpFjU3D-OGc7cQhpBeRPixIS7jewXq9888mXSjpmVSmdfZ6IMDTKwUY1SJ91HbIf7HZUDEMprDll66ZPF-z4edQGgg/s1600/IMG_2762+Sandwich+tern.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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My best photos came from a pair of very confiding Linnet in the scrub to the north of the reserve. I did the usual trick of taking a few shots from the point they were first within range then taking a few steps towards them and firing off a few more shots, repeating this technique until they fly off or I can get the shot I'd ideally like. The camera is capable of great detail in the right conditions, see below. The birds remained, I took some like this and then backed away. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRgY2f5yd0l6jm9Hdndr3oNvVXEHvnLGmabRKoAw3Ei3LP_4iPXQsuLXpDES96-rdvq_EAPTEzWULlpg1bkff8PwFx0PDfpVYQDan-9NevH7MdVwciKqoWqh2wBiAb6rNsC374NWqtY8/s1600/Linnet-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbRgY2f5yd0l6jm9Hdndr3oNvVXEHvnLGmabRKoAw3Ei3LP_4iPXQsuLXpDES96-rdvq_EAPTEzWULlpg1bkff8PwFx0PDfpVYQDan-9NevH7MdVwciKqoWqh2wBiAb6rNsC374NWqtY8/s1600/Linnet-1.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Thursday 9th</b>. Combining a visit to my mother and a birding trip isn't always easy but I'd heard reports of Grey wagtail along the Nailbourne at Littlebourne and I could stop off there on my way. I had seen a couple of pairs (or the same pair displaced by ~1Km) a few days earlier but the pair I was going after had been seen at a different location on several days. I couldn't have asked for much better, I found the spot, the two birds were there and posed nicely on various branches over or obstacle in the river. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWIRRjPDGlKkpB8TFx5EnTEfEwgvqnaB5qLiX8mOD-OlEyAjRtlPa_Tvrcu3WYtxNiHsQZylAgqKjlUGhCa98Tw2dNJ2ttXV4Ma4-f4WHZaGG4NyD-M7SYlo7R6mJHghnaJT0_NJeAbA/s1600/IMG_2934+Grey+wagtail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWIRRjPDGlKkpB8TFx5EnTEfEwgvqnaB5qLiX8mOD-OlEyAjRtlPa_Tvrcu3WYtxNiHsQZylAgqKjlUGhCa98Tw2dNJ2ttXV4Ma4-f4WHZaGG4NyD-M7SYlo7R6mJHghnaJT0_NJeAbA/s1600/IMG_2934+Grey+wagtail.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0uf2SJPlIx-uKVPK8TXT6hUhAa59svFPWMt4hJSX3UIQlplV1hhI2CqXxfSoIX-xqNX2zNBm3SAFmhZ2KlS8n43OrFMgGxzLlv2xP7i9jBpKbLCP6k8Z0zMJnKHoNDZ_In8GQKDnBm0/s1600/IMG_2901+Grey+wagtail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0uf2SJPlIx-uKVPK8TXT6hUhAa59svFPWMt4hJSX3UIQlplV1hhI2CqXxfSoIX-xqNX2zNBm3SAFmhZ2KlS8n43OrFMgGxzLlv2xP7i9jBpKbLCP6k8Z0zMJnKHoNDZ_In8GQKDnBm0/s1600/IMG_2901+Grey+wagtail.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9O0axW_0oqd4dsTQ95NiX__TA74iuMHw4iNVRums353pSM5RhiKkdIaEpOKRO8DKw-S4S4OPRlCECTGnzhYGLmMGJpE6YSDeiO1lIB_i7-4XSq7AYyULr29BzcILE34mc0ZjGqSmQoM/s1600/IMG_2978+Grey+wagtail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9O0axW_0oqd4dsTQ95NiX__TA74iuMHw4iNVRums353pSM5RhiKkdIaEpOKRO8DKw-S4S4OPRlCECTGnzhYGLmMGJpE6YSDeiO1lIB_i7-4XSq7AYyULr29BzcILE34mc0ZjGqSmQoM/s1600/IMG_2978+Grey+wagtail.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Friday 10th, -</b> much like Wednesday, I offered to chauffeur, this time for a trip to see the delights of Broadstairs. I went on to Foreness Point which proved a bit of a disappointment. A few Linnet were on the grassed area but other than that very little. A pair of Fulmar were resting on a ledge on the cliff face but appear not to have moved since I last photographed them a couple of weeks ago. I did stand and watch a Dunnock singing away and House sparrows collect twigs off a shrub for nesting material presumably.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0U5AVHKIWP_4PXZssh8CVd6IeRWO85xZInvAi3dF5mbuQsQv4eFVlNyhq7knk78fgwMZPWvPMFHY2q2G8UOBn2AAq-XcHNi5jWZOhxJvJCwRugg3Q82Jv6iJ9STCy6eD6ROWoAc9W-dg/s1600/IMG_3090+Dunnock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0U5AVHKIWP_4PXZssh8CVd6IeRWO85xZInvAi3dF5mbuQsQv4eFVlNyhq7knk78fgwMZPWvPMFHY2q2G8UOBn2AAq-XcHNi5jWZOhxJvJCwRugg3Q82Jv6iJ9STCy6eD6ROWoAc9W-dg/s1600/IMG_3090+Dunnock.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbzDUqVeCRL_WU9aOPX3n6cjmgMkuhBa7w3HwhZwNBxOuWjFcrz7RHy_y6HPH11_BcOX8Sigk2EhbDBxhllEZq4wrWvG_9mbwa5pdq6piM3VLCVK1Ag8vGt-55jQ5Ops9_hsPhphywvA/s1600/IMG_3100+House+sparrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtbzDUqVeCRL_WU9aOPX3n6cjmgMkuhBa7w3HwhZwNBxOuWjFcrz7RHy_y6HPH11_BcOX8Sigk2EhbDBxhllEZq4wrWvG_9mbwa5pdq6piM3VLCVK1Ag8vGt-55jQ5Ops9_hsPhphywvA/s1600/IMG_3100+House+sparrow.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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With it being so quiet on the cliff top I decided to visit Margate cemetery, possibly an unlikely spot for birding but these large town cemeteries can be quite rewarding, lots of established trees, relatively quiet areas in an otherwise busy built up area. Unfortunately that wasn't the case today - there was very little here either. A few Ring-necked parakeets destroying the flower buds and blossom of the trees, and a couple of wary Jays.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2BxWwciRUMKvjMIgTHUYO9jBl5w6JAiW-LWq401_pqM0CSGDU2GoBfAr3yu6jRwuz96qgyhdCqWfSMPoVD_JgD7TTq8J-Ob_UE12pgDQnTfk-039Nv0eigOygTQuBRfbrwhfG09Slvc/s1600/IMG_3157+parakeet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2BxWwciRUMKvjMIgTHUYO9jBl5w6JAiW-LWq401_pqM0CSGDU2GoBfAr3yu6jRwuz96qgyhdCqWfSMPoVD_JgD7TTq8J-Ob_UE12pgDQnTfk-039Nv0eigOygTQuBRfbrwhfG09Slvc/s1600/IMG_3157+parakeet.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5zglSPOnys-PvTkXrU2PpG2W8f9C3l5vWXEDU6LEzntwfIoRvBig4OEwAL_e8R7aghrdSQXodfUuJDl8CohErtV6MhN7PxpJ2JeoXrhk88XOB9RwGlyBQQ1wKxZWFuFljR6-TZ6f01o/s1600/IMG_3170+parakeet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5zglSPOnys-PvTkXrU2PpG2W8f9C3l5vWXEDU6LEzntwfIoRvBig4OEwAL_e8R7aghrdSQXodfUuJDl8CohErtV6MhN7PxpJ2JeoXrhk88XOB9RwGlyBQQ1wKxZWFuFljR6-TZ6f01o/s1600/IMG_3170+parakeet.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Click on images for larger view.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPDHXJEUMeabgIk3alUHyrciEI6v9tRBDb0oQJXn9pa9Hv_GKee5Wz2AXJ8mS1geYtoWRbC03L40Cz8wMGZPpkOGplY6YvBOwZiG_qpFJ8JPBdsGVbM1QM3_eOJQvWuD8mgqDN1URljo/s1600/IMG_3164+Jay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPDHXJEUMeabgIk3alUHyrciEI6v9tRBDb0oQJXn9pa9Hv_GKee5Wz2AXJ8mS1geYtoWRbC03L40Cz8wMGZPpkOGplY6YvBOwZiG_qpFJ8JPBdsGVbM1QM3_eOJQvWuD8mgqDN1URljo/s1600/IMG_3164+Jay.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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While I'd been on the cliff top I'd seen another photographer wandering around, our paths never crossed but it was fairly obvious he was after birds as well. At the cemetery an hour or so later I saw what appeared to be the same man with a camera. This time our paths did cross and I asked if he'd been at Foreness, he had, mystery solved - it turned out to be Tom Webzell, someone I'd been following on Flickr almost since I'd started bird photography, but up until this point had never met.</div>
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<b>Sunday 12th </b>4 Shelduck were on the Scrape, a Chiffchaff in the Elms and Grey partridges in the fields between the Chequers pub and Cinque ports golf club.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocCPm5CmN0yXIX1ijtZ1ybsASd4Olpe7qP7iAH-jsWCtLIzS3Kj2lKsiKU2jX_NFQxtgzMgFQNLkDz88UfuQLsk_haEXNjeXNSIJwBbvmBAQtt7ku7xBnR620kmVJitB4jLJTgsRvbvQ/s1600/IMG_3396+Grey+partridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocCPm5CmN0yXIX1ijtZ1ybsASd4Olpe7qP7iAH-jsWCtLIzS3Kj2lKsiKU2jX_NFQxtgzMgFQNLkDz88UfuQLsk_haEXNjeXNSIJwBbvmBAQtt7ku7xBnR620kmVJitB4jLJTgsRvbvQ/s1600/IMG_3396+Grey+partridge.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MDxupIqPi5Z46WJ-HqkVNK4iEbnEcxXifqeQ3U0hhc1SEAQtXtE_ykekbhhFKWr8pZhxykY5S5OA3ElO_ob_BYGXAS3GIvCD4hDqKds0JOxoxbSsxTofyNa9WF3vw-LP7IFYCKjjnmo/s1600/IMG_3369+Shelduck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8MDxupIqPi5Z46WJ-HqkVNK4iEbnEcxXifqeQ3U0hhc1SEAQtXtE_ykekbhhFKWr8pZhxykY5S5OA3ElO_ob_BYGXAS3GIvCD4hDqKds0JOxoxbSsxTofyNa9WF3vw-LP7IFYCKjjnmo/s1600/IMG_3369+Shelduck.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Monday 13th. As it was a bright afternoon I decided to have one more look for the Short-eared owls. While I was waiting to see if they appeared I noticed 3 Wheatear in the turf field near Dickson's Corner. I stood at the fence and took a few distant shots, there were 2 males and a female. There was no sign of the owls so I decided to sit down in the turf field to see if the Wheatear would get any nearer. Over a period of time they became quite inquisitive and first a male then the female started to gradually approach. I was taking shots with each meter they got nearer. At one point the female was within about 10 m, I'd taken a couple of shots and then some guys on motorbikes drove past, the bird didn't take much notice of the engine noise and I sat motionless hoping it would remain. Then one of the clowns on a motorbike blasted his horn - it was obvious it had been done to disturb whatever it was I was trying to photograph, unfortunately with great success, the bird flew off. Thanks!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I nearly quit at that point, I'd not taken a coat as I hadn't expected to be sat quietly in a field, I was pretty cold and my fingers were getting numb, but I sat a little longer and the birds began their slow progress towards me again. I was really pleased I stayed, some of the closest shots of a Wheatear I've managed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">A trip to the woods near Nonington on the Tuesday 14th to collect a few wild garlic leaves (Ransoms) which my wife was going to make into a version of pesto (we've not tried it yet but it came recommended), soon saw me distracted when a Goldcrest started flitting about just above my head. There are often excuses, and this time is no exception, the angle of the light was poor and the Goldcrest was - as anyone who has seen them will know - constantly on the move. Being such a small bird and flitting about so much, I was finding it nearly impossible to get the camera to focus on it. A couple of times it revealed just how bright it's crest is but I failed to get the shots. There were a couple of shots that showed how close it was but they aren't very good. 3 buzzards circled on the thermals, they were a bit far away but I couldn't help but have a go, again, not very good!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GrtjM-2vRKkIJDhtmcxxTC6zb_QkRzUSnBbiYNZnSbOPPHZw6Bv_STgF3UmZM0ZQAmYeW6i070TnlzaFf05tBkUawgOwP7-PUCd00Ipqj9SPTx72EhLAkIKpo-CwsA906SzgnHwfp64/s1600/IMG_4288+Goldcrest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GrtjM-2vRKkIJDhtmcxxTC6zb_QkRzUSnBbiYNZnSbOPPHZw6Bv_STgF3UmZM0ZQAmYeW6i070TnlzaFf05tBkUawgOwP7-PUCd00Ipqj9SPTx72EhLAkIKpo-CwsA906SzgnHwfp64/s1600/IMG_4288+Goldcrest.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWNcAgDwSHp5_yoDMtg6ipQZ4X1zuo5PrkH4xXYwXselIhnNxiCJswezHASyX-sAavBtImZTu9zvKXynOAZjSyy5KiJO5n50o-lBmMGzob4jt2JG4X8Xmn15cy5h_pxsMSmnlZ7qv_xw/s1600/IMG_4327+Buzzard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWNcAgDwSHp5_yoDMtg6ipQZ4X1zuo5PrkH4xXYwXselIhnNxiCJswezHASyX-sAavBtImZTu9zvKXynOAZjSyy5KiJO5n50o-lBmMGzob4jt2JG4X8Xmn15cy5h_pxsMSmnlZ7qv_xw/s1600/IMG_4327+Buzzard.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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A slightly easier target was a Small tortoiseshell which was feeding on dandelion flowers, with the warm sun on my back it could have been summer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZNjc3F7Gt9WgfNEKgkJ1dQgXsEoHkGNncxf-7VQJIutBdzjMq8AoZUHBcwJSdrT1ygSUBZ3fH8gdKp-QDP9Xp9a7U0UNyIecRbaQ632k3uXqraOzVlmQ0MZOW4f3FNA5GoydMz1f2p4/s1600/IMG_4370+Small+tortoiseshell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZNjc3F7Gt9WgfNEKgkJ1dQgXsEoHkGNncxf-7VQJIutBdzjMq8AoZUHBcwJSdrT1ygSUBZ3fH8gdKp-QDP9Xp9a7U0UNyIecRbaQ632k3uXqraOzVlmQ0MZOW4f3FNA5GoydMz1f2p4/s1600/IMG_4370+Small+tortoiseshell.jpg" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-11764460397859899412015-03-25T17:45:00.000-07:002015-03-25T17:53:09.609-07:00Owl encounter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's not been much to talk about recently, Sandwich Bay has been the most productive, the Scrape has had good numbers of ducks over the last few days and I did get a Wheatear, one of the first to arrive this year. Also my first ever Firecrest, in the Elms at the Bay, more a record shot but as it was my first I was pleased to have seen and photographed it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVbSjjT4sPBNxKQo80qTLdNf0nhfc0tNuVpbKuU7g0HOqSi_hjPVIeqhxsML9ogOf-fTgvE5vhZ_BjwwxsX1-OH6OHHW-NAJY5zjBy6opJi1G08F7WQktAGAvwP1jfr6kGfK258c0TDw/s1600/Firecrest-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvVbSjjT4sPBNxKQo80qTLdNf0nhfc0tNuVpbKuU7g0HOqSi_hjPVIeqhxsML9ogOf-fTgvE5vhZ_BjwwxsX1-OH6OHHW-NAJY5zjBy6opJi1G08F7WQktAGAvwP1jfr6kGfK258c0TDw/s1600/Firecrest-1.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hhY_1U-i9581ReKW0vVEAx0dCV1Rrb_CcIkeyy2A4O7GLHm1zJ7D_LXcTMklAEPdssE66VO0Z8Qqm6-xHjk5ldhWbAoEJPRUpdQH5wf_s1XMimGJR6MPJxZfWjLatiZcOu7iZhy0BhY/s1600/Wheatear-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hhY_1U-i9581ReKW0vVEAx0dCV1Rrb_CcIkeyy2A4O7GLHm1zJ7D_LXcTMklAEPdssE66VO0Z8Qqm6-xHjk5ldhWbAoEJPRUpdQH5wf_s1XMimGJR6MPJxZfWjLatiZcOu7iZhy0BhY/s1600/Wheatear-1.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
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Today, 25th March, the weather was supposed to deteriorate to rain by the afternoon so I went out in the morning more in hope of something interesting than expectation. I visited the Scrape but it was surprisingly quiet, a few Shoveler over the back and an occasional Coot or Little grebe swimming by, but very little to point the camera at. I walked along to where the Wheatear had been on Monday but no sign. I walked back to the Elms for another go at the Goldcrest and Firecrests I'd seen on Monday, they were nowhere to be found. In fact I hardly took a photo really, certainly nothing worth keeping. I returned home for my lunch rather disappointed with how little I'd seen.</div>
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As it turned out, the weather didn't deteriorate, in fact it was marginally more sunny in the afternoon than perhaps it had been in the morning. I decided to go out again and ended up back at the Scrape having convinced myself something might drop in if I was lucky. Well, it was 'busier' than it had been in the morning, one Goosander had returned and things were nearer to the hide than they had been in the morning.</div>
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A Little grebe spent quite a bit of time fishing in front of the hide, and lovely specimens of both male Gadwall and Shoveler came in very close.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1wDAIO4HHiPhsqxejPxH6soZ1SYn_I1DIuAJLmjVrD6LW9LCsl1erfOPIX5-5Ptp4qZfhiCa9FHMXqHDQZJaDBFmQQXFmYG_dmpALP1HhlqWi9f6czXk8g7ssR7IFVo45VDv3L5o7dc/s1600/Little+grebe+25-03-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE1wDAIO4HHiPhsqxejPxH6soZ1SYn_I1DIuAJLmjVrD6LW9LCsl1erfOPIX5-5Ptp4qZfhiCa9FHMXqHDQZJaDBFmQQXFmYG_dmpALP1HhlqWi9f6czXk8g7ssR7IFVo45VDv3L5o7dc/s1600/Little+grebe+25-03-15.jpg" height="483" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little grebe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kUjkSSYTm9hSkoL3hJnTUckFoiGwvEBieDWTXksY04qWArqeXFJjoMTQuo0FNSaKKp9Zt-VKm4DgkpZ2pOFQmX1-QAWNOVwxkEJJSMqHytuIf-pPPCdzQNzp8v70Cz0zfeZ6ahiZ8us/s1600/IMG_0437+Gadwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kUjkSSYTm9hSkoL3hJnTUckFoiGwvEBieDWTXksY04qWArqeXFJjoMTQuo0FNSaKKp9Zt-VKm4DgkpZ2pOFQmX1-QAWNOVwxkEJJSMqHytuIf-pPPCdzQNzp8v70Cz0zfeZ6ahiZ8us/s1600/IMG_0437+Gadwall.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Gadwall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHj7flEKlIdIV7QG_jEsZH6xRbbuIqXVlpVQP2YE1U5np96vnusdprI26LjWM6L-u6qY8WLerOBtyTN3YQti-c6bdcCT650CtxI9fEqQ7DPkNjYdVCNKEJbDJkEtgMBFmnhszsjrM-vA/s1600/IMG_0394+Shoveler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHj7flEKlIdIV7QG_jEsZH6xRbbuIqXVlpVQP2YE1U5np96vnusdprI26LjWM6L-u6qY8WLerOBtyTN3YQti-c6bdcCT650CtxI9fEqQ7DPkNjYdVCNKEJbDJkEtgMBFmnhszsjrM-vA/s1600/IMG_0394+Shoveler.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Male Shoveler</td></tr>
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Something caused the ducks on the bank to enter the water and a couple of seconds later a 'ringtail' Hen harrier flew around the left hand side and back edge of the Scrape before disappearing over the bund towards the Elms, everything quickly settled down again. I took two shots but both are hopelessly out of focus - it is just possible to see the white rump on both images but not worth the space to post here. One other bird that made frequent appearances but I have found difficult to photograph was the Moorhen. Rather like photographing a Coot, the overall dark feathers are difficult to get any detail in without blowing out the paler colours in the bird. The one below was one of my better efforts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2ha89LkqICwmfF01dFOc3WzA9ScHY_YV-deFBK00Wk6ex2V1D-zTHTn4hfjzUGtJJr84bQcR0asTzUySTZlkg7vbeGYy0KsPkONrNKkZHcguj39cLmNwz4HasTJMDUoagXwBQMhl23E/s1600/IMG_0426+Moorhen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2ha89LkqICwmfF01dFOc3WzA9ScHY_YV-deFBK00Wk6ex2V1D-zTHTn4hfjzUGtJJr84bQcR0asTzUySTZlkg7vbeGYy0KsPkONrNKkZHcguj39cLmNwz4HasTJMDUoagXwBQMhl23E/s1600/IMG_0426+Moorhen.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, on to the Short-eared owls. I left the Scrape hide at just after 4:00 pm and drove up to Dickson's Corner (I was intending to sit in the car and wait and also to warm up, the temperature had dropped anyway in the NE wind and now the sun was behind cloud it was positively chilly). As I pulled over into the small lay-by where the pile of road chippings are being stored, I spotted something on one of the metal posts the other side of the Ancient Highway, it was a Short-eared owl {SEO from now on]. I couldn't believe my luck but it was a bit distant and there was no obvious way of getting any nearer without being in full sight of the bird. I took a few shots, standing against the car, using the roof as a rest. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRlKHx06arG0KTqmK_-351xIc8G11vqJZtsynJ0T1PM2FnRUBH4_dtlSghLZLZXi4-QlDWp2e0Gp7-Hc-OGi0ol1ynWIPrOIFu3dtDC3aFhYXXrw4F30G9nTq1Uv9TRROIW8qXwqG_k0/s1600/IMG_0482+SEO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRlKHx06arG0KTqmK_-351xIc8G11vqJZtsynJ0T1PM2FnRUBH4_dtlSghLZLZXi4-QlDWp2e0Gp7-Hc-OGi0ol1ynWIPrOIFu3dtDC3aFhYXXrw4F30G9nTq1Uv9TRROIW8qXwqG_k0/s1600/IMG_0482+SEO.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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The owl seemed unconcerned by cars and bicycles passing on Golf Road but I didn't try to get closer for fear of scaring it off. After a few minutes it glided off the iron stake and flew a few meters - towards me, and landed on a fence post quite a bit nearer. I stayed behind the car and took a few more shots, but as the owl was now much nearer Golf Road, where the occasional car or bicycle was passing within ~20 m of it, and it was showing no sign of being scared off, I took a few tentative steps towards it, it basically ignored me but I didn't want to frighten it away so didn't go far. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiVR8d4hAkwXLgV72nuARDZhuExMH50IR4byM9PNJSi20qCvun-m20TDQhyphenhyphenuXFbBF-XorVkFWokO1y4k9MafJ-G6NCvco1lSS3gVwiQ6Jn5hDjNm5rbXMDI2DbeNPHtTK6CutYqDye00/s1600/IMG_0502+SEO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiVR8d4hAkwXLgV72nuARDZhuExMH50IR4byM9PNJSi20qCvun-m20TDQhyphenhyphenuXFbBF-XorVkFWokO1y4k9MafJ-G6NCvco1lSS3gVwiQ6Jn5hDjNm5rbXMDI2DbeNPHtTK6CutYqDye00/s1600/IMG_0502+SEO.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The two shots above have been cropped to the same extent to show how much nearer the owl came.</span></div>
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After a further couple of minutes it took off and started hunting in the long grass to the south of the yacht club, finally diving onto something and staying down for a short while. I walked around to join the Ancient Highway and shadowed the owl as it hunted along the sea wall heading gradually south towards Deal. The light was poor and those who have read earlier blogs will know I've moaned about how poor the little Canon can be at flight shots, but I continued to take some anyway in the hope a few may be OK. Well, OK is about all any of them were, most were a smear of pixels across a blurry background.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6dha8GtYxS3rJVh6DJpnFrI_hQJjnMT6tFLXPPDDjCE14FIcWywBsWFYXEGb5_lx6gWuTOs-Kr6_ZjYAB_ueFbAwP1IYJz_C6FKH7H_0EFJJr6q2X5jX2pjNmqqDKuVUd4MGKjxW2u4/s1600/IMG_0524+SEO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6dha8GtYxS3rJVh6DJpnFrI_hQJjnMT6tFLXPPDDjCE14FIcWywBsWFYXEGb5_lx6gWuTOs-Kr6_ZjYAB_ueFbAwP1IYJz_C6FKH7H_0EFJJr6q2X5jX2pjNmqqDKuVUd4MGKjxW2u4/s1600/IMG_0524+SEO.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of the less blurry flight shots.</div>
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I walked along the Ancient Highway towards Deal and watched the owl hunting, a second SEO joined the first and I was torn as to which to watch but they went their separate ways after a while. As the sun slowly re-emerged from the heavy cloud so two microlights flew in over Worth Marshes, putting up hundred of gulls and waders, and scaring off the SEOs. My earlier good luck had run out, I'd been banking on one of the owls being around by the time the sun re-appeared which would give me a much better chance of a flight shot when I could get a reasonable shutter speed. The microlights slowly made their way off towards Thanet and relative peace descended again and the afternoon sun was lighting up the golf course. One of the owls appeared from behind a hillock and flew within 20 m of me and off into the distance before settling on a post beside the track. Not daring to hope I'd be able to get to it before it flew off again I set off towards it, taking shots once I was within range then moving a few more meters and taking another few shots. By doing this I managed to get very close, it sat on the post with the sun on it and I reckon I got within 10 to 15 m of it. All memories of the dull and uneventful morning had gone, I took about 50 shots before it decided to try hunting again, what a result. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kUjkSSYTm9hSkoL3hJnTUckFoiGwvEBieDWTXksY04qWArqeXFJjoMTQuo0FNSaKKp9Zt-VKm4DgkpZ2pOFQmX1-QAWNOVwxkEJJSMqHytuIf-pPPCdzQNzp8v70Cz0zfeZ6ahiZ8us/s1600/IMG_0437+Gadwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kUjkSSYTm9hSkoL3hJnTUckFoiGwvEBieDWTXksY04qWArqeXFJjoMTQuo0FNSaKKp9Zt-VKm4DgkpZ2pOFQmX1-QAWNOVwxkEJJSMqHytuIf-pPPCdzQNzp8v70Cz0zfeZ6ahiZ8us/s1600/IMG_0437+Gadwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kUjkSSYTm9hSkoL3hJnTUckFoiGwvEBieDWTXksY04qWArqeXFJjoMTQuo0FNSaKKp9Zt-VKm4DgkpZ2pOFQmX1-QAWNOVwxkEJJSMqHytuIf-pPPCdzQNzp8v70Cz0zfeZ6ahiZ8us/s1600/IMG_0437+Gadwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hhY_1U-i9581ReKW0vVEAx0dCV1Rrb_CcIkeyy2A4O7GLHm1zJ7D_LXcTMklAEPdssE66VO0Z8Qqm6-xHjk5ldhWbAoEJPRUpdQH5wf_s1XMimGJR6MPJxZfWjLatiZcOu7iZhy0BhY/s1600/Wheatear-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-64443327036283230892015-03-10T02:51:00.000-07:002015-03-10T03:13:52.846-07:00Success on the Scrape<b><u>4th to 8th March</u></b><br />
Reports of a Pink-footed goose [PFG] on The Scrape at Sandwich Bay tempted me, I'd not knowingly seen and had certainly never photographed one before so I headed there to take a look.<br />
The Scrape can be very good especially for photography, the hide is near to the water compared at least to hides at places like Pegwell Bay and Oare. There is nearly always something to point the camera at. During the winter months it is mainly Teal, Gadwall, and Tufted duck, Greylag geese and lesser numbers of other ducks together with Little grebe, Moorhen and Coot. However, if you are there long enough just about anything can drop in, as was the case for me.<br />
Having been unable to resist taking what were only ever going to be poor shots of species I'd already got - mainly because they wouldn't swim near the hide, an Egyptian goose landed on the water close to what is showing of the island. It swam around for a few minutes, climbed out onto the island to preen then took off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnlGOqn_auMwQNwNOVOBwuQK2msHj9mNRna9drMb5u9DLSw7DPEXdyWoJpDzG9ZgyLAIJVDEvI8xmXw5BdbBPY1lEZKMB4Ybo8WmW78v8pA6ZjzNgA2qYiRI2pI_bOk-qpzgTawQ-aEg/s1600/Egyptian+goose-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnlGOqn_auMwQNwNOVOBwuQK2msHj9mNRna9drMb5u9DLSw7DPEXdyWoJpDzG9ZgyLAIJVDEvI8xmXw5BdbBPY1lEZKMB4Ybo8WmW78v8pA6ZjzNgA2qYiRI2pI_bOk-qpzgTawQ-aEg/s1600/Egyptian+goose-1.jpg" height="518" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egyptian goose</td></tr>
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It only remained for about 15 minutes so if you weren't there at that time you would have no idea it had been there, so very much a case of 'right place, right time'. I'd photographed these before at the Cotswold Water Park but not in Kent, so that was a County <i><b>photo tick</b></i> for me. The Pink-footed goose didn't appear however so I'd have to try another time. A pair of Gadwall drifted past the hide and the 'resident' Pochard went for a little paddle but wouldn't venture very near.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSrl8R6oVBSVetwN3YOYigN3MKSbMCoXlouVdyXAXL5ZeTDDtiX1qofqN3v4Ij9CJGnJk2JV5FBEAW7DvEKc3rTLOTeNfldbxJpJGBTREX45FINutrs6VBKBkyb1wca8kDKcJ1qQcWD4/s1600/Gadwall+pair-1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSrl8R6oVBSVetwN3YOYigN3MKSbMCoXlouVdyXAXL5ZeTDDtiX1qofqN3v4Ij9CJGnJk2JV5FBEAW7DvEKc3rTLOTeNfldbxJpJGBTREX45FINutrs6VBKBkyb1wca8kDKcJ1qQcWD4/s1600/Gadwall+pair-1.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNFKOSEXyHXwToTfgKncSB0Mvg_Sw9uCvsclhDiykdofm3MjvEcJoFT94b5t85gnqd52YKa8Ia90Csc9UjXY7ZvrThT41Uk2h4aUsxkBIcMnecSuHAWSt8IzRLZHekCmXp4J1dCAJnLQ/s1600/Pochard-1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNFKOSEXyHXwToTfgKncSB0Mvg_Sw9uCvsclhDiykdofm3MjvEcJoFT94b5t85gnqd52YKa8Ia90Csc9UjXY7ZvrThT41Uk2h4aUsxkBIcMnecSuHAWSt8IzRLZHekCmXp4J1dCAJnLQ/s1600/Pochard-1.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Gaddwall ♀ left and ♂ right, Pochard ♂</div>
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I wasn't able to return until the weekend and I made the effort to get there early which was worthwhile but the light was poor. The 3 Goosander which have been hanging around now for nearly 3 months were all visible and for a change, active. They did a lot of swimming around and preening but most of my early morning shots were poor - too little light and lots of blurred images. Several Greylag geese were swimming around but I couldn't see the PFG, then, with much honking a small flock of ~15 geese flew in and one was the PFG. Again, the early photos I took were poor, it remained quite distant and was often partly obscured by the Greylags, I did get one record shot as it stood on the bank on the far side of the Scrape, the difference in bill colour is quite obvious here but when the birds are swimming around it can be very difficult to pick out the PFG, especially if it is facing away from you.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT5ZVyrOBUAfmJy6Nng-7fLcxC5IxFLIQZ1yox1avWqELZw5zEbIITUlRgdsK9-wcx6jxaJkFGhCPlHcswmhU_NyiFetaJPyhml0SuTzjkHdxU5WyPj-3bjsYwlnpWPPNKPiYB1xxz0s/s1600/PFG-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhT5ZVyrOBUAfmJy6Nng-7fLcxC5IxFLIQZ1yox1avWqELZw5zEbIITUlRgdsK9-wcx6jxaJkFGhCPlHcswmhU_NyiFetaJPyhml0SuTzjkHdxU5WyPj-3bjsYwlnpWPPNKPiYB1xxz0s/s1600/PFG-1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink-footed goose and 3 Greylag ~70 m from the hide.</td></tr>
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The sun did eventually come out and after another period of rest, the Goosanders went for another swim around. I returned the following day in glorious sunshine and basically had a repeat performance with the PFG coming in around 11:30 and the Goosanders (now 4) putting on a good display, the photos below are a mixture from the two days.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjby0Oi5jWyLg40xGTvvK6xmLTXbSZOpHzxLHdBrAFHRbH0a4s0wop-JWcFYrinIojD8VGfPF0DUi2L7oB8Lgs5kEuZVfdT7IVxgJU9E1GbQVYrOuCJ8ppV0NE8gmtHLd3bPf3Z0SFILxI/s1600/PFG-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjby0Oi5jWyLg40xGTvvK6xmLTXbSZOpHzxLHdBrAFHRbH0a4s0wop-JWcFYrinIojD8VGfPF0DUi2L7oB8Lgs5kEuZVfdT7IVxgJU9E1GbQVYrOuCJ8ppV0NE8gmtHLd3bPf3Z0SFILxI/s1600/PFG-2.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopr0QU613AxL1vtbIIA9p2cxYuC1CGGBS3Da1OsmNJpd6TSldgYoUN7NFlDxlDQeWFPbHl0Z4wFO7nR0YQ4dIKqTtgSYiI1OF4BGiZ6fJLkLVYwjAzTdkR8nSAuRp2jgb4Ny1ibfJoiI/s1600/PFG-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopr0QU613AxL1vtbIIA9p2cxYuC1CGGBS3Da1OsmNJpd6TSldgYoUN7NFlDxlDQeWFPbHl0Z4wFO7nR0YQ4dIKqTtgSYiI1OF4BGiZ6fJLkLVYwjAzTdkR8nSAuRp2jgb4Ny1ibfJoiI/s1600/PFG-3.jpg" height="278" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink-footed goose - my 19th new photo tick since November </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsfItfjgTovw54LqREzwB3NivSP6JWlwuwjn8nZRiTVzxz2M-FZVU92bbszCvyfcLx39acg88Mi_mz-OlbjResh3tiqSYTKs1JJzcrRm3BeZOE4Ae0i6gcQ_1nuhahPTBn87JoVNcvL0/s1600/goosander-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsfItfjgTovw54LqREzwB3NivSP6JWlwuwjn8nZRiTVzxz2M-FZVU92bbszCvyfcLx39acg88Mi_mz-OlbjResh3tiqSYTKs1JJzcrRm3BeZOE4Ae0i6gcQ_1nuhahPTBn87JoVNcvL0/s1600/goosander-1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXJu4Vqet2n5EBOftXLpgwpLZ_sHRHnWJrcxADXCCxaBT-AqxGf1BB4vumdktJwdmFi6ve3K1fHRzX_6jvhpjCjAiOcz6fRGc25PcxrfjJVCTVNvXm_L1DL_KrnPYGhXbjrEx1E8gCks/s1600/goosander-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXJu4Vqet2n5EBOftXLpgwpLZ_sHRHnWJrcxADXCCxaBT-AqxGf1BB4vumdktJwdmFi6ve3K1fHRzX_6jvhpjCjAiOcz6fRGc25PcxrfjJVCTVNvXm_L1DL_KrnPYGhXbjrEx1E8gCks/s1600/goosander-3.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I managed to get some close shots of the Tufted duck, always difficult as the contrast between the white belly and flank and the black of the back plays havoc with the exposure - under expose for the white or over expose for the black? Anyway, the results can be seen on my Flickr page along with larger images of the birds mentioned here.</div>
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<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bignick58/16765707091/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/bignick58/16765707091/</a> </div>
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Tufted duck and other Scrape photos backwards from this photo.</div>
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Just before I departed, a Lapwing landed on the grass immediately in front of the hide, I took half a dozen shots before it flew off and an Oystercatcher took its place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb4NQUHT3x8g6GJB3S85eye3gm_WgQ9WrZrekvNucnTXEn0Iw6NUzBpoRm4VfC_onzTqYHU56cAIXhrTinzQ_hI-WX_hGuHXoSoCrgb1mtHwbwjSImIzMba_YmM-4B-MMsX5sgFJyxAo/s1600/Lapwing-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizb4NQUHT3x8g6GJB3S85eye3gm_WgQ9WrZrekvNucnTXEn0Iw6NUzBpoRm4VfC_onzTqYHU56cAIXhrTinzQ_hI-WX_hGuHXoSoCrgb1mtHwbwjSImIzMba_YmM-4B-MMsX5sgFJyxAo/s1600/Lapwing-1.jpg" height="156" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GP3t3kxoWJOt9y5KnHtSf2KBRuU_aLV0Doh1LlSG7jyjgnurh6CI84a52ZJXkKXsNb9f2PbPdY3HnAS9ecFNj9jjkbSe4NsF_ACN2MWrlaJC98BiL1xWe9TXH3689wDu7oS5TD5_500/s1600/Oystercatcher-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0GP3t3kxoWJOt9y5KnHtSf2KBRuU_aLV0Doh1LlSG7jyjgnurh6CI84a52ZJXkKXsNb9f2PbPdY3HnAS9ecFNj9jjkbSe4NsF_ACN2MWrlaJC98BiL1xWe9TXH3689wDu7oS5TD5_500/s1600/Oystercatcher-2.jpg" height="161" width="200" /></a></div>
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I also got some nice shots of Shoveler, Little grebe and a Coot which can been seen on the Flickr site, link above.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-74803162509275550342015-03-09T17:10:00.002-07:002015-03-09T17:13:36.716-07:00A mixed bag.<b><u>3rd March</u></b><br />
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I've lots of catching up to do, with several days of bright sunshine during the last week I was out quite a bit so very little time to write the blog.</div>
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Having been very lucky in finally catching up with the Short-eared owl at Sandwich Bay on the 2nd I was keen to try and improve on my success. The weather was bright and breezy so I had to decide where to go until it was worth heading back to the Bay for the SEO at around 15:30. I weighed up my options and decided on Hampton yet again. I'd previously got some reasonable shots of the Purple sandpipers but wanted to better them, and they wouldn't be around much longer. If you catch the tide right (high tide or just either side of it) Hampton can be very rewarding. I did a 10 minute detour to see if the Buzzards were displaying again, which they were, I've still to nail a decent Buzzard flight shot but I think this is an improvement on the earlier ones, but it still lacks the detail and sharpness I'd like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4dtRXl4ZNtzkXrkm8hLX8c4gI19dKVmXcQ88QZ9ZsoJBFMXqU_nSOiOLKIVi6mWbXNChTrmAtdNWy9DzgSvMfMqklb7aZhtGUTprmTX7AjR_6mzUcn98FznVzDaY4aXVQ0cxTd5ZhIQ/s1600/buzzard-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4dtRXl4ZNtzkXrkm8hLX8c4gI19dKVmXcQ88QZ9ZsoJBFMXqU_nSOiOLKIVi6mWbXNChTrmAtdNWy9DzgSvMfMqklb7aZhtGUTprmTX7AjR_6mzUcn98FznVzDaY4aXVQ0cxTd5ZhIQ/s1600/buzzard-1.jpg" height="492" width="640" /></a></div>
I got to Hampton around 13:00 just after high tide, the tiny bit of beach near the groyne was just beginning to show, which was ideal, the birds were anxious to feed as the water receded. There were upward of a dozen Turnstone running around the beach and a lone Redshank, but it took me a couple of minutes to locate the Purple sandpipers feeding beside the blocks of stone sea defenses. I sat on one of the lower stones and waited for them to pass me as they ran back and forth along the tideline. This time I think I got the shots I wanted, the birds practically filled the frame and the light was good. The top one is one of my favourites and a larger version can be seen on my Flickr site:-<br />
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bignick58/16709091975/in/photostream/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/bignick58/16709091975/in/photostream/</a><br />
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The breeze and the bright sun gave me a good opportunity to practice taking some flight shots of gulls as they remained suspended in the air above me - not really flight shots as they weren't really going anywhere, but good practice all the same. The sharpest of the lot was on one that I'd not managed to get completely in the frame - I'd be better zooming in less and getting the full bird.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">3rd winter Herring gull I believe</span></td></tr>
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As the tide dropped the number of birds increased, it was the usual Redshank, Turnstone, Oystercatcher, and the 2 Purple sandpipers together with Black headed, Common and Herring gulls. I didn't sea the Med gull this time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE76EUn9e_SJWtzlxhm_F4oIEHQWODTz0ET7LENpl1kOCINqnBQxk-qFHWC2FZkT5ao4KUcn950kGPd6aBimIwW-dkAU0TN9YdzuaftlpLgvPmxvGeEPLsVLudfOBXyVqwDQUwTiJwkIE/s1600/Redshank-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE76EUn9e_SJWtzlxhm_F4oIEHQWODTz0ET7LENpl1kOCINqnBQxk-qFHWC2FZkT5ao4KUcn950kGPd6aBimIwW-dkAU0TN9YdzuaftlpLgvPmxvGeEPLsVLudfOBXyVqwDQUwTiJwkIE/s1600/Redshank-2.jpg" height="148" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix08wZ3u7O8vqIHzBxjUlGY-ANlNwKSCYEU5Agh9JuwWM0yE1HnOv2sC2ZFT9CeSSp-0uPu7qTPvQdgsl5R6q_AFWT8Lezs7tKhBQgG4UrhPzx9FUa0TlyXQjTbQIrqH07TR6l6SKZ6Ts/s1600/Oystercatcher-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix08wZ3u7O8vqIHzBxjUlGY-ANlNwKSCYEU5Agh9JuwWM0yE1HnOv2sC2ZFT9CeSSp-0uPu7qTPvQdgsl5R6q_AFWT8Lezs7tKhBQgG4UrhPzx9FUa0TlyXQjTbQIrqH07TR6l6SKZ6Ts/s1600/Oystercatcher-1.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Click on the images for a larger view.</div>
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Leaving Hampton I drove back to Sandwich Bay and waited for the owls to make an appearance. Two were seen flying out over the golf course but at best we only got distant views and the 2 shots below were the best I managed.</div>
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This was my last opportunity to try for the owls for a few days and it would seem I'd been lucky in seeing them at all as they haven't been around much since, and although the shots above are very distant, it does give the atmosphere of the evening and is how most people would see the birds hunting. </div>
Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-85974439471205771412015-03-04T15:01:00.000-08:002015-03-04T15:11:34.236-08:00Short-eared owls at last<div style="text-align: justify;">
Monday 2nd March.</div>
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Despite reports of 3 Short-eared owls at Sandwich Bay and 7 at Blakehill Farm in Wiltshire where I'd been last week, I'd not managed to see any of them let alone photograph them, so they were high on my list of targets for the next decent weather.</div>
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Monday <u>was</u> that 'decent weather'. The owls at Sandwich tend to be seen in the late afternoon so that left me the morning to find something to photograph. With no real plan I set off and drove part of my 'Buzzard route'. There are never any guarantees with birding but I usually reckon on being able to find a Buzzard within a few miles of my home and today was no exception. Two were performing some amazing aerial displays over Sangrado's Wood off the A256. Fortunately there is a little lane running parallel where I was able to park and try to photograph them.</div>
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I wasn't able to catch them in their fast dives but managed a few shots as they flew past. I have probably mentioned before that the Canon SX50 isn't the camera of choice for flight shots, finding focus on a moving target is very tiresome and the subject is usually quite a way off before the camera focuses, so it really is a case of taking lots in the hope that some will be OK. The birds drifted away after a little while so I did as well. Staying local I walked around the area near Betteshanger business park. A few birds were moving about and I soon found a small group of Long-tailed tits (not sure of the collective noun!). I was able to stay a few paces ahead of them while they worked their way along the hedgerow and they largely ignored me as long as I didn't make any sudden movements.</div>
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From Betteshanger I went to Sandwich Bay to see what was around at the Scrape. There were still good numbers of Fieldfare in the sheep field along Guilford Road, although they are not easy to photograph as they are quite timid if you get out of your car - the one below was photographed from the car, I pulled on to the concrete field entrance opposite Old Downs Farm, giving me those extra yards.</div>
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The Scrape was very choppy because of the strong ~ NW wind and most of the ducks were hunkered down on the far side. The Pochard was swimming around and feeding but remained steadfastly far away from the hide only really just coming into range when it took up it's normal position on the island.</div>
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With not much else to point the camera at I practiced my BIF (birds in flight) shots on passing gulls, the best of the bunch was a 3rd winter Herring gull which floated on the the stiff breeze long enough for me to focus.</div>
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I went home for a spot of lunch before returning at around 3 pm for the owls, I was surprised to see six or seven cars parked up between Dickson's Corner and Mary Bax's Stone (for those that don't know, the stone is a memorial - "On this spot August the 25th 1782 Mary Bax, spinster, aged 23 years was murdered by Martin Lash, foreigner who was executed for the same.") The Owl paparazzi were out in force and I was joining them. </div>
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Everyone waited for ~1.5 hours but the consensus of opinion was that they would have arrived by now if they were coming and they were probably hunting elsewhere so everyone left. I, along with Bernie [one of the few readers of my blog so he deserves a mention] went back to the hide at the Scrape for a last look. A lone Snipe was feeding on the front of what remains of the island but otherwise things hadn't changed much since earlier.</div>
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Deciding on one last look for the owls I drove slowly along Golf Road to the far end and equally slowly back again, <b><i>nothing</i></b>, not even the ever reliable Grey partridge. I was about to head for home when I spotted Bernie crouching behind a fence pointing his camera. I followed his line and saw the SEO on a fence post - it was a long way off but at least I'd seen it. I quickly covered the ground to where Bernie was standing and we walked very slowly towards the owl, taking shots every few yards. Eventually we got within 40 to 50 yards, by which time the owl started to take notice of us. </div>
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The first two shots were at quite a distance across the corner of the fenced field, the last one was the nearest we got by walking along the path following the fence line. The owl departed and started hunting below the bank of the sea defences, drifting ever further towards Deal, we followed on foot but never got very near and the light was failing fast. I took a few very distant flight shots but most of them were nothing more than a smudge of light brown! The one below was the best of a bad bunch but recognisable as to what it is.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuQMthJmKcr767QBn03JdTpTVs6TG1lOU4lhTrhAsWQlbPaSAGf-JoX3VJJkctUvgNe2SOxvQwQXtdME9f0U0dKsB4xKqdvL2_HfxN0Pg8ZiOvWC5W0N9k75Oi4mYcGCVefuTzwIEpEw/s1600/SEO-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuQMthJmKcr767QBn03JdTpTVs6TG1lOU4lhTrhAsWQlbPaSAGf-JoX3VJJkctUvgNe2SOxvQwQXtdME9f0U0dKsB4xKqdvL2_HfxN0Pg8ZiOvWC5W0N9k75Oi4mYcGCVefuTzwIEpEw/s1600/SEO-4.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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We spotted a second owl hunting near the road but it was too dark for photography - certainly with my camera anyway.</div>
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I went home a happy man, room for improvement but the SEO was the 17th new species I'd photographed since my end of year tally and although I'm not doing it for the numbers I still find it astonishing to think that I'd seen and photographed (of variable quality, admittedly) so many birds, mostly in Kent. </div>
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Full sized images on Flickr <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/bignick58/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/bignick58/</a></div>
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Thanks to anyone who is reading this and comments welcome.</div>
Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-22855118772686493212015-03-02T17:34:00.002-08:002015-03-03T01:31:33.132-08:00Duck scaring in Gloucestershire and an absence of owls.<div style="text-align: justify;">
21st to 25th Feb </div>
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I had a few days visiting family in north Wiltshire and Oxford but I got out with the camera when the opportunity arose. The weather was generally grey with some rain and a few sunny spells, so not that good for photography. It is difficult to decide where best to go when you have limited time, one place on my 'to do' list was visit Blakehill Farm nature reserve just outside Cricklade for another chance at the Short-eared owls, I'd been there in January but only saw one owl at a great distance. They were best attempted in late afternoon according to the reports of sightings, so for the daytime I decided to revisit my usual haunts in the Cotswold Water Park, Gloucestershire, a series of lakes and lagoons, mainly disused gravel pits. With over 150 bodies of water in 40 square miles of countryside it is still difficult to decide where to go.</div>
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As I mentioned above, I'd been there in January and at that time there were reports of at least 4 Smew in one of the gravel pits, I'd found them but they were so timid they flew off the moment they saw me which I hadn't expected - nor had the chap who'd been hiding on the bank for 4 hours waiting for them to come closer - I didn't know he was there until I'd scared off the ducks and he emerged from the undergrowth. [I later discovered he was someone who I was following on Flickr - sorry Dave!]</div>
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So, armed with the knowledge that the Smew were timid, I returned to the same lake to see if they were still there. As I drove along the road running alongside the lake I saw them on the far side. I parked and walked back along the road hoping for a view through the hedge, I did get a view and a photo, see below :-</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DmCYWDNwjvgLsEcAnczVsaXxiIFTZY2PL1fGO5GvXs7NmA4gsu-Njijc6W0dmXsrw7UmF9awtRfsWMBYI6fJuxAom8uKNCgv5v1rqKBkGjeR7LreOdqflGIlbd6AcfXk4G9vJibmqmA/s1600/smew+flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9DmCYWDNwjvgLsEcAnczVsaXxiIFTZY2PL1fGO5GvXs7NmA4gsu-Njijc6W0dmXsrw7UmF9awtRfsWMBYI6fJuxAom8uKNCgv5v1rqKBkGjeR7LreOdqflGIlbd6AcfXk4G9vJibmqmA/s1600/smew+flying.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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I couldn't believe it, even from that distance the Smew saw me and flew off the moment I got to the gap in the hedge. Rather miffed by my failure I headed off to Coke's Pit, a nature reserve further along the road. This had a few more birds on but unfortunately the path around the lake is right on the waters edge for much of it so anything within camera range soon moved away. I did sneak up on a Great-crested grebe for a couple of shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1kP2c2FH_W1f03mmWlULnq5ZOXrkCkNKf__qGQAhasq6gSW0Vv0ob7ieUjuVmEWxTdw0_BHmetKUp562xx21zyJx-3HOt41O89MhOZEspPN2A59FJVLA58i8Ddf6HIAns6PDE4zbwAk/s1600/GC+Grebe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj1kP2c2FH_W1f03mmWlULnq5ZOXrkCkNKf__qGQAhasq6gSW0Vv0ob7ieUjuVmEWxTdw0_BHmetKUp562xx21zyJx-3HOt41O89MhOZEspPN2A59FJVLA58i8Ddf6HIAns6PDE4zbwAk/s1600/GC+Grebe.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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Assuming you haven't scared everything away, there is a hide around the side of the lake, things were a bit distant but a Red-crested pochard swam just into camera range, and I spotted two male and one female Goosanders on the far side of the lake, far too distant for anything other than an ID shot unfortunately.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGsSNJo74xgEXk5Lmhl7ULdr4POhwWlv3UhndLmiGlYu-LQqW5SvgOL8BeCwKUSq5irCyDwQlbpBvEkVzyL2B8XKaTXj2rbslknw9gxuj6RMdou4BZF64pUG4CzyXA8-Gxkwry6Zw3cI/s1600/red+crested+pochard1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGsSNJo74xgEXk5Lmhl7ULdr4POhwWlv3UhndLmiGlYu-LQqW5SvgOL8BeCwKUSq5irCyDwQlbpBvEkVzyL2B8XKaTXj2rbslknw9gxuj6RMdou4BZF64pUG4CzyXA8-Gxkwry6Zw3cI/s1600/red+crested+pochard1.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-_7uI562hJefQvd3cZkT38sA_mlEUnCRI9qgqTWP86r4kkTDcDo9OrFysASI49HFN8JkwU1Z0EvJO0oUj_qWHyDTsuglCLqOQmohOKE__DWT-ZTAFCWKbcAq1pN_Afa00Ai1mdjbMGc/s1600/goosanders-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-_7uI562hJefQvd3cZkT38sA_mlEUnCRI9qgqTWP86r4kkTDcDo9OrFysASI49HFN8JkwU1Z0EvJO0oUj_qWHyDTsuglCLqOQmohOKE__DWT-ZTAFCWKbcAq1pN_Afa00Ai1mdjbMGc/s1600/goosanders-1.jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></div>
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A pair of Great-crested grebe were performing their courtship display on the far side of the lake which was great to watch but difficult to photograph in the fast failing light, and a raft of Tufted duck drifted past just out of range.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqHJXUZA1bJlgac0UFE75X-jyyVQ5bSHegV1jY_F62-9HLo3AAY8_XN5-0I6j8XHnu1uvT-nhyphenhyphenLnXuDUmxUGg1XVOkP3ku1OQahJktZj_mi-oGKijDMSdOOr5MCXFR_xUgCvl3HiVvM4/s1600/GC+Grebe+displaying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqHJXUZA1bJlgac0UFE75X-jyyVQ5bSHegV1jY_F62-9HLo3AAY8_XN5-0I6j8XHnu1uvT-nhyphenhyphenLnXuDUmxUGg1XVOkP3ku1OQahJktZj_mi-oGKijDMSdOOr5MCXFR_xUgCvl3HiVvM4/s1600/GC+Grebe+displaying.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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As the light was getting bad and rain threatened I decided to head back to the car. I noticed that the path continued around the back of the lake in the direction of the Goosanders, it was worth the few hundred meters to get nearer, but just like the Smew, once I was in view of the Goosanders, they departed very quickly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9rmW0-OtE5cQFnt8gK8psg1ybSKp3SQXkN6iYs36kEO5BwAag-AHg_xk9KzEhZ0LVmRmG1Ng_VHNzIlGoBX8DxyigSAyuUbh9NZnAOrvxMA1J2OOaf3Ssf-oUmxLf-Mw4lt0dDt2YGY/s1600/Goosanders+taking+off-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9rmW0-OtE5cQFnt8gK8psg1ybSKp3SQXkN6iYs36kEO5BwAag-AHg_xk9KzEhZ0LVmRmG1Ng_VHNzIlGoBX8DxyigSAyuUbh9NZnAOrvxMA1J2OOaf3Ssf-oUmxLf-Mw4lt0dDt2YGY/s1600/Goosanders+taking+off-1.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></div>
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The rain soon set in and that was that for the day, I'd have to hope for a decent afternoon for the Short-eared owls during my remaining time there.</div>
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24th Feb was a lovely sunny day for the most part and a trip out gave me a missed opportunity for some good shots of Buzzards. I'd not seen this before, there were four or possibly 5 Buzzards together with lots of BH Gulls following a tractor ploughing a field.. The Buzzards were landing behind the plough and presumably collecting worms or other invertebrates, as the tractor turned the whole mass of birds would take to the air and settle again once the tractor had moved on, the gulls were braver than the Buzzards so they were nearer the plough.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQATxK6o_ls2xwKdl9RRI9a4iCTs0z2GQbrh4rwHp7mcyszStgo9JmzSvnNa7WIVAZiEVwv-KCw7D6-VO-3gejBNjgRbrGZFasiSacZ9A6nRiuJIH1-U6ExbLmRp6G0OkuB4bk0hNX5s/s1600/Buzzard3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQATxK6o_ls2xwKdl9RRI9a4iCTs0z2GQbrh4rwHp7mcyszStgo9JmzSvnNa7WIVAZiEVwv-KCw7D6-VO-3gejBNjgRbrGZFasiSacZ9A6nRiuJIH1-U6ExbLmRp6G0OkuB4bk0hNX5s/s1600/Buzzard3.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8o3b4McfSo7nNpSz-RyCegXiiRbvKIxEl90HCGP1bkT6MxPKb8ebuen3UFvpXAdU85gw7d-bkNu7Z7fvISTvLzc9TU12fRuqcvRBiJeP6gjdBTw0p6mufs4t5kmCmJIl7Na_-MD8DGg/s1600/Buzzards1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc8o3b4McfSo7nNpSz-RyCegXiiRbvKIxEl90HCGP1bkT6MxPKb8ebuen3UFvpXAdU85gw7d-bkNu7Z7fvISTvLzc9TU12fRuqcvRBiJeP6gjdBTw0p6mufs4t5kmCmJIl7Na_-MD8DGg/s1600/Buzzards1.jpg" height="210" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_1332705163"></span><span id="goog_1332705164"></span>It's a terrible photo (they all are!) but there are 4 if not 5 buzzards here, I can't decide on the one flying in, top left.</div>
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I returned to a church in the village of Clanfield, Oxfordshire, where last year at about the same time of the year I had seen several Bullfinches.. I was in luck, two males and a female were on the grass in the churchyard feeding on Sycamore seeds as they had been last year. I was very fortunate as there was a low wall that I could hide behind to take some shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRWGZAz4TQREIwItpE-VTerfadJSRUlXQaMMVN6gs19YlekSAh3gExN5GFm4jPs1rhrVaGskvABUR7jIqo3WJRV6UfQR4jluxeukNZcnJJchwV9QbGmn6RHye2Sh8KndQBwo3a1xWuDA/s1600/Bullfinch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSRWGZAz4TQREIwItpE-VTerfadJSRUlXQaMMVN6gs19YlekSAh3gExN5GFm4jPs1rhrVaGskvABUR7jIqo3WJRV6UfQR4jluxeukNZcnJJchwV9QbGmn6RHye2Sh8KndQBwo3a1xWuDA/s1600/Bullfinch2.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkV87FuUAuUs-LCnyJHdz9OC_vaRVdWK6Ue52oQjiMnhObWKx1_XFrNh2mXjOtHv-fdukJ0E7pwFsMeG2oqFm55P6tbWJM0xBxGsYnlYtAL_1d5_EqUz3NnRBWH6DIiNVx8bITqhAC5Cs/s1600/Bullfinches-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkV87FuUAuUs-LCnyJHdz9OC_vaRVdWK6Ue52oQjiMnhObWKx1_XFrNh2mXjOtHv-fdukJ0E7pwFsMeG2oqFm55P6tbWJM0xBxGsYnlYtAL_1d5_EqUz3NnRBWH6DIiNVx8bITqhAC5Cs/s1600/Bullfinches-1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Very satisfied with my shots of Bullfinches I was confident of seeing the Short-eared owls, the sky had cleared completely and it was a lovely late afternoon as I headed the short distance to Blakehill Farm. I walked from the car park to the viewing point, it was bright and sunny but bitterly cold on the exposed former airfield which is the reserve. I met up with someone who'd seen the owls previously and he to was confident of some good sightings. According to the chalk board there had been 7 seen recently (unless someone was just having a laugh). As the sun dipped below the horizon some one and a half hours after my arrival, all we saw was a Kestrel and a couple of foxes. There were three of us hoping for an owl and none of us wanted to be the first to leave but in the end we admitted defeat and headed back to the relative warmth of our cars. </div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-28127246490994204152015-02-18T17:03:00.001-08:002015-02-18T17:03:57.927-08:00Oare Marshes and a return to Hampton<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was invited to join a couple of ex work colleagues Geoff and Tim, they were off to Oare Marshes. It was a beautiful bright sunny day, we arrived just after 11:00am to coincide with high tide which usually pushes all the waders off the shore onto the reserve. The Environment Agency are doing some work there at the moment so the road was awash with mud and the car park busy with agency workers cars. Whether it was the huge dumper trucks plying up and down the road or some other reason, I'd not seen Oare with so few birds before. We had a reasonable species count but nothing like the numbers of birds I've seen whenever I'd been before.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK2wqWIMPBqo1a04cE64MaGhF_IZ9L5eURLJJNwSzp5bN6iqvAE3A20_jvtMfzc2HFST011Tk4fyrBuEFsOsBTipsCphBtFVE8Mjd1O_YNnR8EtycwB0O6DjJtNQgvXl-Y8T7jefvCZw/s1600/Reed+bunting-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuK2wqWIMPBqo1a04cE64MaGhF_IZ9L5eURLJJNwSzp5bN6iqvAE3A20_jvtMfzc2HFST011Tk4fyrBuEFsOsBTipsCphBtFVE8Mjd1O_YNnR8EtycwB0O6DjJtNQgvXl-Y8T7jefvCZw/s1600/Reed+bunting-1.jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></div>
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Male Reed bunting</div>
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We walked along the sea wall but there was very little around, a few Greylag geese squabbling on the scrape and an occasional passing cormorant. The reed bunting (above) was searching for food amongst the grass, although he was quite close it was almost impossible to get a clean shot, there was always some grass or stem in the way. This and two distant Bearded tits were the highlight of the outward walk, although we could pick out most of the common duck species on the lake. The only waders there in any numbers were Redshank and Dunlin, there were a few Godwits, Avocets and Lapwing and that was about it.</div>
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Distant Dunlin </div>
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Whilst in the East hide I spotted a male Pintail fly up from the lake and land just the other side of the road, I knew there was a ditch there and a very small pond so I reckoned if it had landed in one of these it would be quite close to the road and could offer a 'photo opportunity'. I left the hide and got to the road as quickly as I could and sure enough there were two male and one female Pintail on the little pond - probably still ~30 meters away but in good light. I took a lot of very similar shots (although it is surprising that despite everything being pretty much the same for each photo, there are usually only one or two that catch everything just right - angle of the birds head, shadow cast by the bird or something else, sharpness etc). So I've learnt to take lots, it is easier to delete the unwanted ones than to go back for another attempt.</div>
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I was briefly distracted from the Pintail by a hovering Kestrel and although really just out of range I liked the action shot here. It's not that sharp and quite a heavy crop (the photo not the bird) but you don't usually see the legs dangling quite like this.</div>
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Squelching our way back through the liquid mud on the road we decided to move on. Geoff and Tim hadn't seen the Purple sandpipers or Mediterranean gull at Hampton so we called in there to have a look. Reliable as ever we soon found the Purple sandpipers they were with a dozen or so Turnstone in the section of Hampton beach where a freshwater stream empties out. Also there was a Dunlin which took us a little while to identify. To all three of us the initial views looked like the bird had a short, very pointed bill and not the longer and slightly down curved bill of a Dunlin, however, when a little closer we could see the bill more clearly and all agreed Dunlin.</div>
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Dunlin with Turnstone bathing in fresh water at Hampton</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3gHRB3fSeL2sgHeW-Ji8Z3cMAgSwCPe93-h3ay7fxWmVjgVIfx83zD6QY-FM0xDiJ_KVkrsqRXGEr47UKiV2NCh5La2799KRTcllnIuP250m9LmPnb0j6Q8FT5mf1obSvRDuI_imAeo/s1600/Dunlin-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3gHRB3fSeL2sgHeW-Ji8Z3cMAgSwCPe93-h3ay7fxWmVjgVIfx83zD6QY-FM0xDiJ_KVkrsqRXGEr47UKiV2NCh5La2799KRTcllnIuP250m9LmPnb0j6Q8FT5mf1obSvRDuI_imAeo/s1600/Dunlin-1.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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That just left the Med gull, there were 50 or 60 BH gulls and a few Common gulls out on the water and on the beach, I'd scanned them earlier but couldn't see the Med gull. Seconds after Geoff had said "So where's the Med gull?" or something similar, I spotted it on the water. Once seen it is fairly obviously different to the winter plumage BH gulls but until you see it everything looks like a possible candidate. It floated around for a few minutes and then put on a little display, flying about a bit before landing on the beach. In flight it appears very much whiter than the other gulls, and the lack of black on edge of the primaries is quite noticeable. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj25pIFXSMmDi6EOa1QIb4Zdab9IxWgXZ57bjCgyoa-NXr4u7P_SQW_6f-CrWTjOID7FrIvUlXjisFClFdQK9DgEaRO0fkDLEHrJxgkCcaEMuQg9aAOm7npyAxMFU0Sj10-JMzYA6Txqg/s1600/Med+gull-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj25pIFXSMmDi6EOa1QIb4Zdab9IxWgXZ57bjCgyoa-NXr4u7P_SQW_6f-CrWTjOID7FrIvUlXjisFClFdQK9DgEaRO0fkDLEHrJxgkCcaEMuQg9aAOm7npyAxMFU0Sj10-JMzYA6Txqg/s1600/Med+gull-3.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-BQiabCMCNkJRbzzEn81azRsJo-nuRCETXSq-bXrvlsBAtSnsUCo7f_iVIIH_4ZD2vGr8V1zQzyYFlRd7Z4neGE3pyY4j0XU7-wFZDWSghPrnqflzZklPJ-YSccRB3BbYmWdr2Dxzzg/s1600/Med+gull-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-BQiabCMCNkJRbzzEn81azRsJo-nuRCETXSq-bXrvlsBAtSnsUCo7f_iVIIH_4ZD2vGr8V1zQzyYFlRd7Z4neGE3pyY4j0XU7-wFZDWSghPrnqflzZklPJ-YSccRB3BbYmWdr2Dxzzg/s1600/Med+gull-4.jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></div>
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A very enjoyable day despite the lack of large numbers of waders at Oare.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-24870204434064913362015-02-16T10:38:00.001-08:002015-02-16T10:44:36.917-08:00A Knot not a Dunlin<div style="text-align: justify;">
Trying to find some reasonable weather I headed to Thanet, which, according to the BBC weather website was due rather more sunny periods than around Sandwich. I stopped off at Ramsgate Western Undercliff but the tide was much higher than I'd expected and most of the beaches were under water. A dozen or so Turnstone were sitting out the high tide on one of the concrete groynes but other than those not much else stirred. For no apparent reason I decided to head for Foreness Point, Margate. Unsurprisingly the tide was high here as well but I walked along the lower promenade and found several Fulmar on the cliff face. As the cliffs aren't that high here it offered a good chance for some photos.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa3uF3AAlPoxyEFvS3giVt7GUks6_Kd1-3d-wfkjQkHqfhcy8RiGqASwWW5NvLmshhLg6f24rrK1y5U44jcApj_UqWCvvBYMFt-_KYLHhyIJjGZzUXKsG_XMhbyAo-lAZ0LjL9LlG6j4/s1600/Fulmar-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa3uF3AAlPoxyEFvS3giVt7GUks6_Kd1-3d-wfkjQkHqfhcy8RiGqASwWW5NvLmshhLg6f24rrK1y5U44jcApj_UqWCvvBYMFt-_KYLHhyIJjGZzUXKsG_XMhbyAo-lAZ0LjL9LlG6j4/s1600/Fulmar-1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BpFhEar4RdYyuk65PzeIqn7L_LSRgAfq7NoB8GRLYTIqlQLrh4YOKONfjkP1gz1q6F0mzq5UI_oiLyiLJumQ25WLrSme5Rj3x3EYXb-sDjJpshELH-6qcPqSt3hmR3K9VpdqqylXMRs/s1600/Fulmar-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BpFhEar4RdYyuk65PzeIqn7L_LSRgAfq7NoB8GRLYTIqlQLrh4YOKONfjkP1gz1q6F0mzq5UI_oiLyiLJumQ25WLrSme5Rj3x3EYXb-sDjJpshELH-6qcPqSt3hmR3K9VpdqqylXMRs/s1600/Fulmar-2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh393VibHQrzrZ_nX-3VfScjrAwzLN5rSSWcigvMHIxkhbGeIk36IRpcS-JqCYLPRym5nnZLgC41F6n1TfuNt7RUl0F_NB3vCZ05ChxDAumXFH8qQIDiZm77f_PjTwwWbKf7a8bBjrofDU/s1600/Fulmar-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh393VibHQrzrZ_nX-3VfScjrAwzLN5rSSWcigvMHIxkhbGeIk36IRpcS-JqCYLPRym5nnZLgC41F6n1TfuNt7RUl0F_NB3vCZ05ChxDAumXFH8qQIDiZm77f_PjTwwWbKf7a8bBjrofDU/s1600/Fulmar-3.jpg" height="466" width="640" /></a></div>
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The tide was receding slowly so I walked back up to the top, along past the water treatment work and looked out onto the sands of Botany Bay, a small flock of about 17 Ringed plover were gathered on the tide line so I decided to make my way down to them to see if I could get some shots.</div>
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Taken from the cliff top showing about half of the flock.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaV6aPSXT_jdMXov-bUEj5QPaJDY1aP9-Uc26D8OaCl6AhgXUYlooz0vv5kO1U6XrrwlLrXvKsCLUXZh2rlAnCDXa5KTRZy2bG0EhV2sE18jsRfGithHXK-WjFvXC6rI4A2CYUT4HhRbE/s1600/Black+redstart-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaV6aPSXT_jdMXov-bUEj5QPaJDY1aP9-Uc26D8OaCl6AhgXUYlooz0vv5kO1U6XrrwlLrXvKsCLUXZh2rlAnCDXa5KTRZy2bG0EhV2sE18jsRfGithHXK-WjFvXC6rI4A2CYUT4HhRbE/s1600/Black+redstart-2.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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Just before heading off down to the beach I spotted this Black redstart, I only had time for one shot and was on the wrong settings really, I'd been using 1/3rd stop under exposure for the Fulmar but because the Black redstart was against a light background of the distant sand it could have done with using 1/3rd of a stop over exposure, I've lightened it on the computer.</div>
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I scrambled down onto the beach through the obviously often used little gully down the cliff and walked back towards the water treatment works and the Ringed plovers. Inevitably, before I got anywhere near them they were chased off the shore by an over exuberant dog, twice! I carried on partly in the hope that they would come back - they didn't, and that I might see the redstart again as it appeared to drop down to the beach from where I'd seen it, I didn't.</div>
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However, all was not in vain, the first mussel beds were just beginning to be uncovered by the receding tide and about a dozen Turnstone were pacing around the concrete blocks under the water treatment works, waiting to feed. I then spotted what I took to be a Dunlin amongst the Turnstone but it turned out to be a Knot, which was a photo first for me (may well have been a sighting tick as well, not really sure if I'd seen one before).</div>
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About the same size as the Turnstone and a straight bill, not slightly downturned.<br />
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Obviously larger than a Sanderling (Dunlin are about the same size as Sanderling).<br />
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I had to wait until I'd got home to confirm my identification, I'd not got a guide book with me, but I tried to take lots of photos of it with other birds to help the ID. I'd made this mistake in Guadeloupe, relying on the photo of the bird in isolation, where all relative comparisons are lost making ID much more difficult.</div>
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Sanderling looking for food.</div>
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Pleased with my 'discovery' and what I hoped were going to be some reasonably shots of the Knot and Fulmar, I headed up the gully to the cliff top and home for lunch but was distracted for a further 30 minutes by a pair of Stonechat. They did what most Stonechat seem to do, pose for a photo but fly off to a slightly more distant perch before you're ready, continuing to give you the run around for as long as you're prepared to play, I favoured food over another shot of a Stonechat.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-85543213561693068242015-02-14T17:15:00.000-08:002015-02-14T17:15:52.961-08:00Glaucous gull<div style="text-align: justify;">
I decided to head to Dover to see if there was anything interesting in the harbour and to try my hand at gulls in flight (I've said before that flight shots are difficult with the SX50 but with something like gulls, where there are lots of 'willing' subjects, and as they are reasonably predictable in their flight path, they provide good practice). Just before setting out I checked a few of the blogs I follow intermittently, one of which was the blog by Tony Morris <a href="http://stmargaretsphotodiary.blogspot.co.uk/">http://stmargaretsphotodiary.blogspot.co.uk/</a> as he is quite local to me. From this I learnt that there was a Glaucous gull at Dover, and a very useful description of where to look for it. I read it, made a mental note and set off. I stopped on the way and invested a massive 45 pence on some value sliced white bread and headed for Dover. When I'd read Tony's blog I had a picture in my mind as to where he was describing to give views down onto some of the roof tops of offices that the gull favoured as a roost. When I got there and went to the place I'd pictured I realised I'd got it totally wrong. I was up high on the cliff above the P&O offices which was a very long way from where I needed to be. To compound my error, there was a tailback of lorries waiting to enter Dover for the port about 1 mile long. </div>
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Having eventually made my way to the seafront I walked around the inner harbour, sometimes a good place for a divers, grebes, cormorant or shag, but today it was devoid of any bird life at all save a couple of feral pigeons and a herring gull.</div>
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A walk along Prince of Wales pier revealed a small cluster of birders looking towards the disused hovercraft pad. The Glaucous gull was way over towards the back but quite distinguishable from the other gulls by it's overall cream appearance and size. Within seconds of me arriving it took off, flew towards us and circled once before landing near the Cruise terminal. I managed a couple of shots but thought that was going to be it for me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5V-uw08ogRJD2mQLhm2z99-vALuozvYmKucSIhS87l3-2w1vs8BUFAqM_lRx7Wjyn8tDNb9rlQ9Glt31_W0ya31ncpVoIEBIPpqAZrUJ30HorpziEFLtF5DjJAGwOjufgDosQ9HM9OY/s1600/Glaucous+gull-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5V-uw08ogRJD2mQLhm2z99-vALuozvYmKucSIhS87l3-2w1vs8BUFAqM_lRx7Wjyn8tDNb9rlQ9Glt31_W0ya31ncpVoIEBIPpqAZrUJ30HorpziEFLtF5DjJAGwOjufgDosQ9HM9OY/s1600/Glaucous+gull-2.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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Glaucous gull on the right ~400metres away.</div>
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Everyone else departed at this point but I still had an unused sliced white loaf. I reckoned that if I could see the gull, it, and the others, would see me throwing food out. I walked a little further along the pier and threw slices of bread into the harbour - Frisbee like- to get as much distance as I could. Gulls came from all quarters, including the Glaucous gull and I was able to get quite a few shots.</div>
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Above and below - having a bit of a wash and brush up.</div>
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Gull ID parade L to R Juv Herring gull, adult HG and Glaucous gull.</div>
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So despite the shaky start it proved a very successful morning with a new tick for me - and photos to prove it.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-43298428246049503342015-02-13T11:47:00.003-08:002015-02-13T11:47:22.484-08:00Daylight at last<div style="text-align: justify;">
After two days of heavy cloud and looking constantly like 0600 hrs, Friday started a little brighter which was good, I was beginning to get photography withdrawal symptoms. I had popped out on Wednesday afternoon for the Goldeneye on the Scrape at Sandwich Bay but that's another story if I have time.</div>
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I sat in the relative warmth of the Scrape hide and with nothing much to point the camera at I started trying to take shots of Lapwing coming in to land on the island - without much success. I am happy to sing the praises of the Canon SX50 from the rooftops but it is not good for flight shots (nor in a couple of other situations but I don't want to dis it too much here!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB2dPwP6BgK2UAjUDNowvjzlDB3lcOrPdlla49y8NiqjlXSg9CneV03kzP7R9qz1JoxWklULPPlEP8Fah1Rj2CLzQn-4JFzNaoMJkcdlNdeVHejJf-Kuw6PvZNgdVXQ34etod4w5035c/s1600/Lapwing+flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB2dPwP6BgK2UAjUDNowvjzlDB3lcOrPdlla49y8NiqjlXSg9CneV03kzP7R9qz1JoxWklULPPlEP8Fah1Rj2CLzQn-4JFzNaoMJkcdlNdeVHejJf-Kuw6PvZNgdVXQ34etod4w5035c/s1600/Lapwing+flying.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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This was the best of the bunch. Even though I know how difficult it can be I was a little disappointed considering how many I took, <1% success rate! </div>
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There are nearly always plenty of duck, mostly Teal and Gadwall, on the Scrape and despite my best efforts to resist, I took some more shots of them - I'm not sure how many photos you have to take of something before you finally decide 'enough is enough'?</div>
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Male Gadwall</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1erjmbQmPuUSQs_ZLxuGnddYX9Yox30aqZ0HQXq8OcY9f0ndPVe3wjF6HbzvL0DhqfjiZzbLnU1QE9Z6PKgUknuCFFlguLIssCNssNRqpBsZOpMKYEgRnbSiTYRlYpobuHuqQRqn6cG0/s1600/Teal-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1erjmbQmPuUSQs_ZLxuGnddYX9Yox30aqZ0HQXq8OcY9f0ndPVe3wjF6HbzvL0DhqfjiZzbLnU1QE9Z6PKgUknuCFFlguLIssCNssNRqpBsZOpMKYEgRnbSiTYRlYpobuHuqQRqn6cG0/s1600/Teal-1.jpg" height="242" width="320" /></a></div>
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Male Teal</div>
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A small flock of Curlew (about 15 in all) flew around and I thought, hoped even, that they were going to land in front of the us but long before reaching the hide they flew off and landed somewhere out to the west of the Scrape. I took a few of shots and had slightly more success than I'd had with the lapwing - percentage wise. Still a long way short of what most of the people I follow on Flickr get with a DSLR and telephoto in terms of quality though. The Little grebe put in an appearance long enough for a few snaps.</div>
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I took a walk from the hide along to Dickson's Corner, the male Stonechat and some Meadow pipits were in the field with the gorse bushes and the Black redstart was still at the sailing club, and as uncooperative as ever. It is definitely camera shy, watched from a good distance it feeds happily among the boats and trailers, but point a camera at it and it soon seems to disappear. I did take a few shots but they were poor, this is also poor but about the best I've managed, from a few days ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_7J_GPsAd6x-Fei1wlvCXvI4CcZFbFDEg6eQ1CLFz2kli5XsDMwiWPxsL6vVaD0O5TrFyY7WE73sCTEL4SKQdGexM0oPIHUytAmXsfOxe88OS6vlCMTE9FdhPjByPlOVM2bBbQY4i-k/s1600/Black+redstart-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4_7J_GPsAd6x-Fei1wlvCXvI4CcZFbFDEg6eQ1CLFz2kli5XsDMwiWPxsL6vVaD0O5TrFyY7WE73sCTEL4SKQdGexM0oPIHUytAmXsfOxe88OS6vlCMTE9FdhPjByPlOVM2bBbQY4i-k/s1600/Black+redstart-1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I had to go to Deal to get some shopping so cruised slowly along Golf Road, I find the car a very useful hide and have had reasonable success photographing Curlew, Stock dove and Grey partridge along here from the car. The Curlew are usually very nervous and don't hang around long but today I spotted one that had ventured quite close to the road AND there was no traffic in either direction, so I pulled up slowly, opposite it, window down already and I managed to get a few shots before it decided it didn't like what I was doing and walked off.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKqqfscffAWYDIfZjORt1COHlORbFrLPYs9oE4VngEfhtuSz0B6Qg_NO2dm_CF63pE8IOBFWEBPwCjtPzKlSGRsBD9rDwCGiS72uqTEVOQEAopfr1uJWAlMGIUepUdxsxWiTs3YUQI_Y/s1600/Curlew-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLKqqfscffAWYDIfZjORt1COHlORbFrLPYs9oE4VngEfhtuSz0B6Qg_NO2dm_CF63pE8IOBFWEBPwCjtPzKlSGRsBD9rDwCGiS72uqTEVOQEAopfr1uJWAlMGIUepUdxsxWiTs3YUQI_Y/s1600/Curlew-2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is probably the closest I've managed to get, the two images are resized to post them but essentially uncropped, just a little to centralise them.</div>
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There were also large numbers of Fieldfare here, feeding in the grass, and I've now convinced myself that situations like this are not well handled by the camera. I took a lot of <i>really nice</i> shots of the Fieldfare but on getting home and loading them on the computer they are nearly all out of focus. It appears that the camera struggles to focus on the subject when there is a lot of other material (grass in this case) all around - it looks sharp enough in the viewfinder but the results are very poor. This happened a few weeks ago with Lapwing in the same situation. I'll have to get lower so that the bird is showing above the background?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDWJ-v0VhdjrGZwf1Zg2hMtviYQPNrynbogTYufObbNF0F6u0To147XxI8I-w8B6cY3IUNff9lPnjLqDajy5diEZ44SCeTDdXGiCKYP1xlgF0ibpoNeCZaP-b4d0pS80tgf7sKmoWl8E/s1600/Fieldfare-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxDWJ-v0VhdjrGZwf1Zg2hMtviYQPNrynbogTYufObbNF0F6u0To147XxI8I-w8B6cY3IUNff9lPnjLqDajy5diEZ44SCeTDdXGiCKYP1xlgF0ibpoNeCZaP-b4d0pS80tgf7sKmoWl8E/s1600/Fieldfare-1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fieldfare with worm - I saw quite a few catch worms which must say something about the worm population!</div>
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As for the Goldeneye - I'd seen the report on the SBBOT website, but it was such a grey overcast day I didn't think I'd get a photo, but after a bit of procrastination I took the camera out into the garden to see what light levels were like. ISO 800 gave me shutter speeds of 1/80 or at best 1/100 second, just about ok and with the light off the water....</div>
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I went to see it, just as I parked the car outside the Scrape someone in a microlight or to be more precise, a powered parachute, flew over my head and out behind the hide. The effect was more impressive than a circling squadron of Peregrine falcons, the sky was full of birds, including I'm guessing the Goldeneye. Roly, who had been in the hide, stuck his head out of the door to see what on earth had happened and, expletives deleted, said that the Goldeneye had been there but departed with everything else - as far as I'm aware it didn't come back. So for the sake of a few minutes deliberating with the camera in the garden I'd missed it.</div>
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Ahh well, that's birding for you.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-30296003861515065062015-02-11T09:55:00.003-08:002015-02-11T10:02:11.597-08:00Hampton, Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
I didn't intend to publish the Hampton blog, it wasn't finished, I'd intended to save it as a draft and come back to it, now it will have to be 2 parts.</div>
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After leaving Reculver on a still rising tide, I headed straight to Hampton. There wasn't much beach remaining below the pile of boulders alongside Hampton Pier Road which was for me a good thing, it meant that the Purple sandpipers would probably be on the beach adjacent to the playing field. A lot of gulls mainly Black-headed and some Common were on the sea and several on still exposed rocks, I scoured them with my binoculars to try to spot the Mediterranean gull which has apparently been there since December. Fortunately it was sat one of the rocks quite close to the road. I took quite a few shots to make sure I got something, then approached a little nearer and adjusted the exposure, the sun on the birds chest was so bright most of the detail was burnt out, I never got it quite right but did manage a few reasonable shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiLW0e3P41AqtKtVI976vxkf1rQaqZCuNsw40DJCsnrPCDkfQgwYQ2tWgjBYmMdMEgswVIvDzgmdm_PxgEZDdkujy2358F78zT-MD6pJoCYmiU9DdnQV9iJY3Gb8Yjs_m3UHJvaO1kIg/s1600/Med+gull-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBiLW0e3P41AqtKtVI976vxkf1rQaqZCuNsw40DJCsnrPCDkfQgwYQ2tWgjBYmMdMEgswVIvDzgmdm_PxgEZDdkujy2358F78zT-MD6pJoCYmiU9DdnQV9iJY3Gb8Yjs_m3UHJvaO1kIg/s1600/Med+gull-2.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mediterranean gull.</div>
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I missed a trick here as the gull on the rock behind was a Black-headed gull and if I'd taken a shot to include both it would have served as a good comparison. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_BDEYAT2-NvFKNeA9SvcTeX43lZlYZKTVTIpMC3MAmyziSPTr2gam-vIuoKQXsbLO0q7_CLzQNl8kUbKKuYlkkUWnRXRo70KLRXErACzutjMz4ElPrUij3VRKNlSeIdVl4Byarn-hVc/s1600/Common+gull-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_BDEYAT2-NvFKNeA9SvcTeX43lZlYZKTVTIpMC3MAmyziSPTr2gam-vIuoKQXsbLO0q7_CLzQNl8kUbKKuYlkkUWnRXRo70KLRXErACzutjMz4ElPrUij3VRKNlSeIdVl4Byarn-hVc/s1600/Common+gull-1.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_F9-Z_JiDbWWYINai135JBWkNDU_DqEnuWbSnWjlIFaTvPHko5SGJZJHmCKUYsT8F3N3JK3Xu2nydzZW9YO74JQbHIzVE25BQ5-Mxw697a8JMyjzP1a-4Vk5yq9k6Z0Wd7VHYOwVFuI/s1600/Common+gull-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_F9-Z_JiDbWWYINai135JBWkNDU_DqEnuWbSnWjlIFaTvPHko5SGJZJHmCKUYsT8F3N3JK3Xu2nydzZW9YO74JQbHIzVE25BQ5-Mxw697a8JMyjzP1a-4Vk5yq9k6Z0Wd7VHYOwVFuI/s1600/Common+gull-2.jpg" height="148" width="200" /></a></div>
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Common gull - click photo to enlarge.</div>
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Having bagged both the Med and Common gulls I moved on to the beach. There were numerous Turnstone a Redshank and two Purple sandpipers. As the tide was still coming in (and in contrast with Friday it was quite a calm sea) I got myself on to a clean-ish bit of beach - there is a lot of debris on the shore and laid down with the camera set for the conditions. The Purps weren't long before they were toing and froing along the surf line picking up anything edible in the washed up weed. Nothing like as bad as Sanderling or Ringed plover they are still very mobile little birds and consequently they can be a little difficult to focus on but I was working on my usual principle of take lots, one may be OK.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqWQOg-p_LT7z0FZQM5fknsEaPnWSgexHYOmXv8bB9IvNO5QAhYKmu7PT72Qex-4_-fG2CU09baz-SWKLOTrgBnL6vO_eg0ghtBUC6Nq7-m8cNMUPJvJ8chyphenhyphenQIYcEnAbIkweqlVOp-Mk/s1600/Purp-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqWQOg-p_LT7z0FZQM5fknsEaPnWSgexHYOmXv8bB9IvNO5QAhYKmu7PT72Qex-4_-fG2CU09baz-SWKLOTrgBnL6vO_eg0ghtBUC6Nq7-m8cNMUPJvJ8chyphenhyphenQIYcEnAbIkweqlVOp-Mk/s1600/Purp-5.jpg" height="481" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxH4EmUbowP2mntUIBmpdtSqcrWSitflpXLuBflczB258kCjNkylk06I4yaX22CajLVPUHgKO2M81JD8t0akoAEvDCk31VIV9TMBxczMl4yM-zo_jqFTRSG5WMtF6XBCyigGv1omkEKfo/s1600/Purp-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxH4EmUbowP2mntUIBmpdtSqcrWSitflpXLuBflczB258kCjNkylk06I4yaX22CajLVPUHgKO2M81JD8t0akoAEvDCk31VIV9TMBxczMl4yM-zo_jqFTRSG5WMtF6XBCyigGv1omkEKfo/s1600/Purp-1.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb31ptezCQC0uKYuw3EbdMPEA4QyobbCJlIwQ4nQT9dO0_NF1KpeSeqS6L59c2aoU-kjSzk7OXUFWsGt_y3Qnb-dVdOmnK4RgiJ9nsedD8bSvOTsSjvIgfIxAGS42yknxYLDxEsYABljU/s1600/Purp-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb31ptezCQC0uKYuw3EbdMPEA4QyobbCJlIwQ4nQT9dO0_NF1KpeSeqS6L59c2aoU-kjSzk7OXUFWsGt_y3Qnb-dVdOmnK4RgiJ9nsedD8bSvOTsSjvIgfIxAGS42yknxYLDxEsYABljU/s1600/Purp-2.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXF3MUsmuwkjjhsS3YGLou4yfWevtjXEizt0hcTRE1Vyvo5Guv7S1I4nULScLXmx-zym1xc9bLO_7k34Z4L2OMDFixI0ldDpNnDL4X9t8enEyFnSjwk5tU10JFm5J4cklRsSffL5bfWR8/s1600/Purp-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXF3MUsmuwkjjhsS3YGLou4yfWevtjXEizt0hcTRE1Vyvo5Guv7S1I4nULScLXmx-zym1xc9bLO_7k34Z4L2OMDFixI0ldDpNnDL4X9t8enEyFnSjwk5tU10JFm5J4cklRsSffL5bfWR8/s1600/Purp-3.jpg" height="151" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFs-x5Ysu-cAnkTIqZhH7Pf18MfzClBbxHl6wKB-pSCto3M3FFXhQeM0Xkwi2D-qDSUpdkK_5D14t_-XNSY-Dfuu-JyDM5Z6xupm9pWsD1TakYywPOksg2xi1YnK8B2CQrU7LQkkAGEtw/s1600/Purp-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFs-x5Ysu-cAnkTIqZhH7Pf18MfzClBbxHl6wKB-pSCto3M3FFXhQeM0Xkwi2D-qDSUpdkK_5D14t_-XNSY-Dfuu-JyDM5Z6xupm9pWsD1TakYywPOksg2xi1YnK8B2CQrU7LQkkAGEtw/s1600/Purp-4.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
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One species I hadn't expected on the beach was a Stock dove. I'd managed a couple of quite distant shots along Golf Road at Sandwich Bay but the doves there seem very nervous and usually the wrong side of a barbed wire fence so it isn't easy to close the gap. There was one on the boulder breakwater which was quite confiding.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tyHRDwlqhNOeruvnmwSKVJXJCrDHja1qOTRFJTIyZAaNVFqEhamUZuIapWjPwDjC5weqQUXXmbDhYgxbrXdNaWYuyQjF_8fRh-MXCIWxHykPymXj6qM3pXHrzsAguYnmKXyH2I8gTxQ/s1600/Stock+dove-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2tyHRDwlqhNOeruvnmwSKVJXJCrDHja1qOTRFJTIyZAaNVFqEhamUZuIapWjPwDjC5weqQUXXmbDhYgxbrXdNaWYuyQjF_8fRh-MXCIWxHykPymXj6qM3pXHrzsAguYnmKXyH2I8gTxQ/s1600/Stock+dove-2.jpg" height="484" width="640" /></a></div>
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Stock dove</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_KeyridfF3R7NXlpA3ZKMt0nE7TGr8cVZmC_Juoy-k6NWJL9X7gBnvf_BueNUYxZS-kZnAmPhzL5GEhdO2gs7oXJnX8SgIdwoym4mcxEHTpoh5tWKO-l8UI6FIesmmo0dosi0OcLTqw/s1600/Redshank-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_KeyridfF3R7NXlpA3ZKMt0nE7TGr8cVZmC_Juoy-k6NWJL9X7gBnvf_BueNUYxZS-kZnAmPhzL5GEhdO2gs7oXJnX8SgIdwoym4mcxEHTpoh5tWKO-l8UI6FIesmmo0dosi0OcLTqw/s1600/Redshank-1.jpg" height="320" width="272" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11K6xIpdExKhAoG7V-rj1IJKKnyaHqSjFijLLxhmY7iSDka345WOG4szak1zRSsb4WPzgRa2k7or7xF-AqExUu9wkdREkrOmeqzJSNk3iMokjyV1yj5RheIy0NAmWaBU5vi5PZcw8WXM/s1600/Redshank-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11K6xIpdExKhAoG7V-rj1IJKKnyaHqSjFijLLxhmY7iSDka345WOG4szak1zRSsb4WPzgRa2k7or7xF-AqExUu9wkdREkrOmeqzJSNk3iMokjyV1yj5RheIy0NAmWaBU5vi5PZcw8WXM/s1600/Redshank-2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Redshank and Turnstone</div>
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As I was leaving I saw the Med gull on the pub roof, it didn't make a good photo. I threw a bit of food out for the gulls and was quickly surrounded by them, the Med gull did fly around but I couldn't get a pic, I did get quite a nice one of a Black-headed gull with the remains of Herne Bay pier in the background. </div>
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All together, a very good afternoon.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z4p_tq9EjOaiGsHHjaxGq57SMVM0CEbk5ohaEiE-8HWxcWoIShTUfBAOLQHOqb-fQ5-Kz9OualY3B1Jdql7x6oGKLd3vKcvv-Dx3E3TRrrqgQnPNXs64Vr-BNeoQIiHqzTo2QS3DeWk/s1600/Gull+and+pier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-z4p_tq9EjOaiGsHHjaxGq57SMVM0CEbk5ohaEiE-8HWxcWoIShTUfBAOLQHOqb-fQ5-Kz9OualY3B1Jdql7x6oGKLd3vKcvv-Dx3E3TRrrqgQnPNXs64Vr-BNeoQIiHqzTo2QS3DeWk/s1600/Gull+and+pier.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-79781229490195535152015-02-10T16:52:00.002-08:002015-02-10T16:52:58.716-08:00Hampton - Herne Bay, not Richmond upon Thames<div style="text-align: justify;">
At the western end of Herne Bay is the pier of the former hamlet/village of Hampton which was washed away. From the BBC Domesday reloaded website:-</div>
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"In 1866 the Hampton Oyster Company was opened by the Mayor of London. This was to rival the Whitstable Companies. A pier was built so that boats connected with the
trade could load and unload. The
Company was quite profitable for about
15 years but then the operations were
moved to Faversham. It is thought that
the building of the pier caused
erosion of the land on its westward
side and 30 acres containing the old
buildings were worn away." </div>
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I visited there on Friday 6th Feb, mainly to see if I could photograph the Purple sandpipers that have been seen there, also a Mediterranean gull. It was bitterly cold with a strong N or NE wind blowing, but it was also bright and sunny. The cold wind was an advantage to me as there were relatively few people out and about. This proved very a very productive trip but as always, I thought I could do better so I returned on Monday 9th. </div>
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I don't expect miracles with weather forecasting but some semblance of accuracy would be good. On Sunday evening I checked the forecast on the BBC website for Monday- thick cloud all day. The radio forecast on Monday morning said that there would be some sunny intervals but the website still showed unbroken cloud throughout the day, I'd resigned myself to staying in. By about 10:30 there were gaps in the clouds and intermittent spells of sunshine. I decided to go out and a return to Hampton beckoned. High tide wasn't until 15:30 ish so I stopped at Reculver to see what was around. A walk westward from the towers along the beach produced large numbers of Brent geese a few Grey plover and quite a few Ringed plover.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9ebhrocmfqQjzsVLl3BSJ5LHfymFV7uW-pG_ixoRBC6QSoUmObOLg9enyvbPYFgOo_QbsTQGdavdxkxBEpkl_rgaox16TZU_tAD3gjAlliMUt1ITNTTlkqSfleQZkrFEImZt_mbJI1Y/s1600/Brent+geese-1.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9ebhrocmfqQjzsVLl3BSJ5LHfymFV7uW-pG_ixoRBC6QSoUmObOLg9enyvbPYFgOo_QbsTQGdavdxkxBEpkl_rgaox16TZU_tAD3gjAlliMUt1ITNTTlkqSfleQZkrFEImZt_mbJI1Y/s1600/Brent+geese-1.jpg"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9ebhrocmfqQjzsVLl3BSJ5LHfymFV7uW-pG_ixoRBC6QSoUmObOLg9enyvbPYFgOo_QbsTQGdavdxkxBEpkl_rgaox16TZU_tAD3gjAlliMUt1ITNTTlkqSfleQZkrFEImZt_mbJI1Y/s1600/Brent+geese-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Grey and Ringed plovers were as unapproachable as ever and the geese - several hundred - flew off long before I got anywhere near them. I found a suitable seaweed covered rock and sat down, camera poised and waited for the tide to do its work. I sat on the rock for over half an hour watching the Ringed plover move ever closer as the tide slowly pushed them up the shore. They were obviously aware of me but were far less skittish moving closer to me than they were with me moving closer to them. They often ignored me and I watched with interest as they started displaying to each other. As I was mainly watching through the camera, so I couldn't easily see the whole scene but the birds, presumably males, would crouch low, chest and head down, wings up but not out and tail fanned to the max, peeping and piping loudly. Every now and again the display would end in a flurry of wings and what appeared to be a brief squabble. I was never sure if the display was courtship not always well received or an act of aggression towards another rival.</div>
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The shots above show a typical scenario, I don't know if it is possible to sex the Ringed plover from plumage but I'm assuming these are males, if anyone knows, please get in touch.</div>
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Date of visit 27 Jan 2015<br />
After seeing some stunning photos of both male and female Smew taken by people I follow on Flickr, and having a free day as my wife was out to lunch and shop, I took myself off to Dungeness. I stopped first at the ARC hide to see if the reported Kingfisher was around, it wasn't, but there were some distant Goldeneye - which are all I ever seem to see, and a Chiffchaff was briefly feeding so close to the hide it was difficult to get a shot. Just as I'd decided to leave a Sparrowhawk swooped past the hide and into a clearing in the reeds just out of sight. Judging by the pitiful alarm calls and squawks, a Blackbird was about to meet its end.</div>
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I made my way to the Scott hide where the Smew had been seen. They were still about although quite distant, however after a little while a female swam in towards the hide, they seem to favour fishing around that area, everyone got ready to take some shots but the light was terrible for photography, the sun was behind the bird and reflecting off the water terribly. I took quite a few shots, especially when she came up with a sizable perch, but I later deleted all these shots, even allowing 2/3rds of a stop over exposure the bird was essentially silhouetted. Having caught a fish it swam away to eat it at leisure out of the gaze of its admiring public.</div>
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I had to content myself with a cormorant that was sunning itself on the water level board just outside the hide, it had no such coyness towards the avian paparazzi, posing and performing like a seasoned celeb.</div>
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The cormorant was forgotten when a Kingfisher flew towards us and settled on a branch to the right of the hide, again light was bad but no glare off the water, I got a couple of shots before it flew off.</div>
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The male Smew started swimming towards us and again we all got ready but he swam into the overhanging trees off to the right, caught a fish and made his exit. They were much larger fish than I'd imagined they could catch and eat, probably over 15cm long, (bigger than most of the fish I've caught!) I went for a walk to see what was around at the other hides, a Marsh Harrier and Bittern were the highlight of this break from the Scott hide but both were too far off for a photo. I did however get some shots of these two ewes, looking one way, then the other, then at each other - I was sure there was a comic line I could add but haven't thought of it yet.<br />
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I returned to the 'Smew hide' and I'd apparently missed some good views but everyone seemed confident they would return. They did, both male and female although the female did her fishing out of sight of the hide. I did get some half decent shots of the male.</div>
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Click the photos for a larger view.</div>
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A swim past by a Little grebe (how do they stay so dry and fluffy ?) finished my day at the hide, with one last walk around ARC lake I was rewarded with a Bittern which had climbed up a bunch of reed stems to get a view out across the lake, either that or it was a giant bird.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFrsvyI1Y3c7zQ8aoEDTaw7cHYRWLfLvE653IVRKnFxZ0wt-H3ktnrP1nntCwA-JTvmH0uW0Janp8jM210kkFCFDfektgmZAR-UilrnP9fhT10I-PpLnFtWWr2N7GCr5j82TuXNI7DbY/s1600/Bittern-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFrsvyI1Y3c7zQ8aoEDTaw7cHYRWLfLvE653IVRKnFxZ0wt-H3ktnrP1nntCwA-JTvmH0uW0Janp8jM210kkFCFDfektgmZAR-UilrnP9fhT10I-PpLnFtWWr2N7GCr5j82TuXNI7DbY/s1600/Bittern-1.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></div>
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Heading back home I couldn't decide whether to leave the A20 and take the Alkham Valley or stay on it to Dover, I chose the latter as it can be quite busy trying to get out at the junction in Kersney. Bad mistake - both lanes of the road were blocked by lorries, not apparently Operation Stack but just too much traffic to clear the port of Dover. I was stuck in the queue for about seventy five minutes before I could leave at the Capel junction, not the perfect end to a very good day.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-74041950803169604772015-02-09T16:04:00.004-08:002015-02-10T09:39:15.682-08:00Guadeloupe - brief summaryI may well come back to this topic, I took so many shots whilst there that I couldn't possibly post them on a single or even multiple blogs, so I'll summarise the trip and add a few of the photos.<br />
From the moment we stepped out of the airport I could see this was going to be a sort of birding heaven for me, there were humming birds flitting from bush to bush as we walked to the hire car office. The shots below were taken much later on in the trip, when I'd got the hang of things a bit more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgdME5RtIrIcif0nA5_cpGIl8qbx9u7fxI4XKRjfrCHHiAAx_-k3niAZWwhCCfVSL2Nmn2Mosh9UiHQ9IYIyfOQ7lkzcW2lG1NDYzcoDtrUSl7qQIA0_AHzjOk16Bcji_6aWCNGibGwo/s1600/Antillean+crested+hummingbird-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgdME5RtIrIcif0nA5_cpGIl8qbx9u7fxI4XKRjfrCHHiAAx_-k3niAZWwhCCfVSL2Nmn2Mosh9UiHQ9IYIyfOQ7lkzcW2lG1NDYzcoDtrUSl7qQIA0_AHzjOk16Bcji_6aWCNGibGwo/s1600/Antillean+crested+hummingbird-1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Above and below - Antillean crested hummingbird</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_U0_BttThDRCozrMte37LfIfEGZm0wiJnu-_N6kqXm-4OUJexQBx-3amimZKC0ObtkL7uKbdpdCkNbpPyjXQmPIJ45CTvZNP8MP8arnp-QNFAHavYMNZNcHs-v4iur4mAshz1n_MWsg/s1600/Antillean+crested+hummingbird-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_U0_BttThDRCozrMte37LfIfEGZm0wiJnu-_N6kqXm-4OUJexQBx-3amimZKC0ObtkL7uKbdpdCkNbpPyjXQmPIJ45CTvZNP8MP8arnp-QNFAHavYMNZNcHs-v4iur4mAshz1n_MWsg/s1600/Antillean+crested+hummingbird-2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_U0_BttThDRCozrMte37LfIfEGZm0wiJnu-_N6kqXm-4OUJexQBx-3amimZKC0ObtkL7uKbdpdCkNbpPyjXQmPIJ45CTvZNP8MP8arnp-QNFAHavYMNZNcHs-v4iur4mAshz1n_MWsg/s1600/Antillean+crested+hummingbird-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
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By waiting with the camera pointing at the flower it was possible to catch the birds coming in to feed, but there were nearly as many frames with no bird in as there were with the bird.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNklucHl8nEy-s_0tpLG6LslwerCvkj9cSdFb7rWMuPUTOw3pzTWJrZKo-nz7FKi4LDW0TI7vwUZ639TiGhqwuRP0uMlWcSRjaznuWIGTlU02NTTzAjZflhnKRBQLHm-WlbJMYwwV4qg4/s1600/Green+throated+carib.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNklucHl8nEy-s_0tpLG6LslwerCvkj9cSdFb7rWMuPUTOw3pzTWJrZKo-nz7FKi4LDW0TI7vwUZ639TiGhqwuRP0uMlWcSRjaznuWIGTlU02NTTzAjZflhnKRBQLHm-WlbJMYwwV4qg4/s1600/Green+throated+carib.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Green throated carib</div>
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When the sun caught the throat of the bird above there would be an iridescent flash of green, difficult to catch but I did mange on a few shots.</div>
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There were plenty of opportunities to find and photograph new species, I think I photographed about 70 species in Guadeloupe, a few of those were record shots and although I practically never went out without my camera it was after all a family holiday so I took my opportunities when I could. If you went on a dedicated birding trip you could see a whole lot more.</div>
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One of the more common species around the hotels and beaches were the Zanaida dove, a very elegant bird with a pinkish purple iridescent patch on its neck. With this and nearly all the birds I photographed, I took an awful lot of shots to get a few decent ones, but that after all is the beauty of digital photography, it gives you the freedom to do that at no extra expense.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcHcqfjMA4hoXV2NUgAozumfUdQ_lfewWixH-FIsm-D_HCM4UMJhGLj3iYBwERlk60A5HikFFOr0axagjRfFljcY_XNzePvf5AdVSEMpywmzXerNLyOTXNzzdu6IwKtjqpxDbey28gu8/s1600/Zanaida+dove-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNcHcqfjMA4hoXV2NUgAozumfUdQ_lfewWixH-FIsm-D_HCM4UMJhGLj3iYBwERlk60A5HikFFOr0axagjRfFljcY_XNzePvf5AdVSEMpywmzXerNLyOTXNzzdu6IwKtjqpxDbey28gu8/s1600/Zanaida+dove-1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Zanaida dove</div>
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One thing that I wasn't expecting was the variety of waders that I saw, there were a couple of shallow ponds - former salt pans I think - on the island of Desirade, another in the Guadeloupe group. These ponds were amazing in the range of birds I saw there, I was drawn back like a magnet at every opportunity, and each time revealed something different, I won't list them all but to give an idea - Lesser and Greater yellowlegs, Stilt sandpiper, Wilsons snipe, Least sandpiper, Killdeer, Willet, Pectoral sandpiper, Sora, Black-necked stilt, Long/short billed dowitcher and belted kingfisher to name some. I made a lot of mistakes at these ponds, so many poor shots, but thankfully, because of the number of shots I took I got reasonable photos of most of the species I saw. I'd love to go back again knowing what I do now having had over a year with the camera.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd4wRo_8zT6_qBKBkbFJbnlIDDMo0v5oSjf5YhfcS6e9rg4hB-WyiBPLs8hrLrmCqj2rPzjJVE4P3NuBWxy0JW9buaC8GshtUCEsmB_Z2bjf51xWXHpj_ftimfK7v5-VT4u9uFr7SuAI/s1600/Least+sandpiper-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd4wRo_8zT6_qBKBkbFJbnlIDDMo0v5oSjf5YhfcS6e9rg4hB-WyiBPLs8hrLrmCqj2rPzjJVE4P3NuBWxy0JW9buaC8GshtUCEsmB_Z2bjf51xWXHpj_ftimfK7v5-VT4u9uFr7SuAI/s1600/Least+sandpiper-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Least sandpiper - as its name suggests, it is a tiny little wader and this one was very confiding.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77hcrRGOBoWQo0D6p2TRfQ_0D_5qUHaUwP3Nk9UTAtntI1WBb-KG05bB8sMmZ8mpb8XMUW1640DJXSb4HsXblwM-Efh3L-VIVYJu_MPYzdb8ADTXwewUAYBI1_SRTqeXOrDPPRZgWAVo/s1600/Brown+trembler-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77hcrRGOBoWQo0D6p2TRfQ_0D_5qUHaUwP3Nk9UTAtntI1WBb-KG05bB8sMmZ8mpb8XMUW1640DJXSb4HsXblwM-Efh3L-VIVYJu_MPYzdb8ADTXwewUAYBI1_SRTqeXOrDPPRZgWAVo/s1600/Brown+trembler-1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Brown trembler - again, as its name suggests, it is brown and it trembles !</div>
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We had a month in Guadeloupe, booking travel, accommodation and hire car through the internet. The cost of the flights didn't change much however long you stayed and we got a good deal on the self catering apartment and hire car, so the cost of staying 1 month compared to two weeks was a long way off double. Gwada, as it is often called, is a French Department, uses the Euro, they speak French and Creole. The supermarkets were full of produce you'd recognise if you've ever shopped in France and on Thursday November 20th they'd even got supplies of Beaujolais Nouveau! I would go again at the drop of a hat.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-3646537673023597882015-02-09T15:08:00.000-08:002015-02-09T15:08:00.199-08:00First outings with the Canon SX50 HSI bought the SX50 in early October 2013 and wanted to see what it and I were capable of before my trip to Guadeloupe in November. I started going to the Scrape hide at Sandwich Bay as it was a good place to more or less guarantee something to photograph and I could do it from the comfort? of a bench. Although not large, the Scrape offered the opportunity to try the camera out over various distances - it is capable of a massive 200 x digital zoom - albeit with drastic loss of quality but very useful for distant bird ID. Well the Scrape didn't let me down, with one of the first birds I photographed being a Jack snipe, not a brilliant photo by many standards, but I was delighted with it at the time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeFLhCUXYpRutgVUVa8WLU7uajjdbB_m9BkYdaIWCwvekgmB-VlYfel38Vt-w4AGple9PxgjcT0NPt4HVSJUa7Lws5hl2pH3OfIJyueGPYMD0Al-L6MW7-aitR0EgDFRr6_rGY1uCaRw/s1600/Jack+snipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyeFLhCUXYpRutgVUVa8WLU7uajjdbB_m9BkYdaIWCwvekgmB-VlYfel38Vt-w4AGple9PxgjcT0NPt4HVSJUa7Lws5hl2pH3OfIJyueGPYMD0Al-L6MW7-aitR0EgDFRr6_rGY1uCaRw/s1600/Jack+snipe.jpg" height="498" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Jack snipe was shortly followed by a Common snipe and then I found a rather tired Swallow at Sandwich Bay. The feather detail on the Swallow made me realise what could be achieved but it isn't always possible for many reasons, one being low light and hence slow shutter speeds which usually gives much poorer results. The image stabilisation on the SX50 seems pretty amazing and although I make use of whatever is around to jam or rest the camera against, I don't usually take a tripod with me, giving me great mobility.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqtGOe19xFFfngzZ9QK-p0T5LE0_WrHE7L1RjEnvssLtZNTdm0HfII4RJIDDPJTXIomR5tR-KOdHyBM9jYvokADcws2P8nVheLQNqlw-Phw8v060akDOjWcFbrcKvLMaIA3uuzyS1It8/s1600/Snipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqtGOe19xFFfngzZ9QK-p0T5LE0_WrHE7L1RjEnvssLtZNTdm0HfII4RJIDDPJTXIomR5tR-KOdHyBM9jYvokADcws2P8nVheLQNqlw-Phw8v060akDOjWcFbrcKvLMaIA3uuzyS1It8/s1600/Snipe.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62GE1K3GkqdYFpo4LL_FbbsmR8zsNl5KMI741pfqDalebv74G86caNiVvvPwbP3zKsm8w1JfNpw6XFQcsjNrsBkPWujX2dD83sR2FPU4iDmnubVeu_dy2Zx2naDQ9kO8TcMFBZ5_xIeg/s1600/IMG_5870+Swallow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62GE1K3GkqdYFpo4LL_FbbsmR8zsNl5KMI741pfqDalebv74G86caNiVvvPwbP3zKsm8w1JfNpw6XFQcsjNrsBkPWujX2dD83sR2FPU4iDmnubVeu_dy2Zx2naDQ9kO8TcMFBZ5_xIeg/s1600/IMG_5870+Swallow.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The last subject I'll post here before the Guadeloupe trip was a Kestrel, hovering near the hide. Fortunately it remained for quite a while giving me chance to make some camera adjustments in between volleys of shots which was lucky as so many were rubbish. These probably turned out to be some of the best birds in flight shots I've yet managed, this being one of the cameras downfalls. Everything came right for these shots, there was enough light for a decent shutter speed, the sun was shining on the bird itself so it wasn't too silhouetted and it remained fairly constant in its hovering so I could get the camera to focus.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTckQyB60XjqV6zVNeppzCL33XiLA8FoLCikD7H7pJLUvtRVYEe8WHgdfSS5BybF8TQXMFQwL3oJtsnAPdKHtLVv1NpHWVsaHhVLjD9DkzRBg3SClAUFNQclxErdMqQdPl0RnyTTSeww/s1600/IMG_7485+kestrel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTckQyB60XjqV6zVNeppzCL33XiLA8FoLCikD7H7pJLUvtRVYEe8WHgdfSS5BybF8TQXMFQwL3oJtsnAPdKHtLVv1NpHWVsaHhVLjD9DkzRBg3SClAUFNQclxErdMqQdPl0RnyTTSeww/s1600/IMG_7485+kestrel.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Although I still had lots to learn and I was destined to make lots of errors, I felt I was <i>au fait </i>enough with the camera for our big Caribbean adventure.</div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4640182447876086790.post-63640909475436594192015-02-09T11:57:00.002-08:002015-02-09T14:23:45.217-08:00In the beginning....<div style="text-align: justify;">
I thought I'd have a go at running a blog, as I've not done it before there will be mistakes but hopefully I'll get the hang of it. The idea behind it is it will give me a diary of where I've been birding and the chance to post a few more images than on the Flickr site https://www.flickr.com/photos/bignick58/ I will probably only post weekly but it will depend a lot on what I've done. The first couple of posts are to bring it up to date, so firstly how my interest was rekindled.<br />
I have had an interest in wildlife and especially bird life for many years and have always fancied having a go at bird photography. In the days of wet film I had an SLR camera and 400mm lens and attempted to photograph bird life. Basically, I couldn't afford my mistakes. With the cost of the film and then the processing, and more often than not 36 blurred images, I eventually gave up trying.</div>
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Then came digital photography, no film costs, no processing charges, it meant you could keep trying until you got it right. Well, after a few small digital camera I ended up with a Canon G9 with which I finally managed to get some decent photos, the photo of the robin below was the first time I realised what the little camera could do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKgnHB35Qs8kdTrNifadqbdXGerz0nPuiV-Xlj7s8SimeW1NoAmKHwzloiSLVdLjpRIMV1FYTY14XrrnX5iEXHtPMqwcJFpXIi8_tD9osZ9dsdSKNuMudKpxFgh90s49WPQYf6l4Pro4/s1600/Robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKgnHB35Qs8kdTrNifadqbdXGerz0nPuiV-Xlj7s8SimeW1NoAmKHwzloiSLVdLjpRIMV1FYTY14XrrnX5iEXHtPMqwcJFpXIi8_tD9osZ9dsdSKNuMudKpxFgh90s49WPQYf6l4Pro4/s1600/Robin.jpg" height="452" width="640" /></a></div>
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After I'd seen the quality of the robin photo I set out to capture some of the birds that visit our garden in SE Kent. The problem was that the camera only had a 6x optical zoom which meant you had to get close to get a decent image. I got around this by using the camera on a tripod and a 10m remote capture cable (meaning I could operate the camera from a laptop up to the length of the cable) from the safety of my garden shed - and out of sight of the birds. This proved very successful giving me images like the ones below of the Goldfinch, Jay and Great spotted woodpecker.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OFASXBPW2yfCMmGXMhPW1__FjaRX244P7eNKJtShpDlVkAskjqVa2FtD8N0e122DbKSdh_nld75SadIIZj08HivLXYB5JByolTFqz3jhIqPNop9bCCtisHnUEdYtJvJkGIfCKUQ-0Ow/s1600/goldfinch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OFASXBPW2yfCMmGXMhPW1__FjaRX244P7eNKJtShpDlVkAskjqVa2FtD8N0e122DbKSdh_nld75SadIIZj08HivLXYB5JByolTFqz3jhIqPNop9bCCtisHnUEdYtJvJkGIfCKUQ-0Ow/s1600/goldfinch.jpg" height="640" width="504" /></a></div>
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<b>Golfinch on teasel - primed with niger seed (<i style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Guizotia abyssinica)</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDV_UOULIlVpKVRA5puThgiR9OfOoDnWAo4mJuDtkF2M6Xp2lxjiQB5PvRzzOmDQ_k2gOa04IFnDUFqGJFw20apJDGk9Al4Im6MtMt7LatUw2AGRhO9x1o3wmHmPqlGgE7v6igPwzt8Qc/s1600/Jay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDV_UOULIlVpKVRA5puThgiR9OfOoDnWAo4mJuDtkF2M6Xp2lxjiQB5PvRzzOmDQ_k2gOa04IFnDUFqGJFw20apJDGk9Al4Im6MtMt7LatUw2AGRhO9x1o3wmHmPqlGgE7v6igPwzt8Qc/s1600/Jay.jpg" height="452" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Jay attracted by peanuts in the log</b>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dSSmK_NMn0dfbsoEjxhkNtQ44Wi8cWKwoPS_AgnnE3zS_nqolWBo_T2cysRuQaJcmuIlfYHP3ucyj-h3lOduTkLxC0Now9fWN3Gs5CAbci0qnYwjbOVk9jBUhwGPRWEgBaref6loCiY/s1600/Woodpecker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dSSmK_NMn0dfbsoEjxhkNtQ44Wi8cWKwoPS_AgnnE3zS_nqolWBo_T2cysRuQaJcmuIlfYHP3ucyj-h3lOduTkLxC0Now9fWN3Gs5CAbci0qnYwjbOVk9jBUhwGPRWEgBaref6loCiY/s1600/Woodpecker.jpg" height="640" width="452" /></a></div>
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<b>Great spotted woodpecker, I drilled holes in the old tree and put peanuts into the holes.</b></div>
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So, I was able to get acceptable photos of birds in my garden, but then I wanted to photograph birds that didn't come into the garden and couldn't be tempted. I briefly considered going down the route of a DSLR and big lens, it wasn't particularly the cost that put me off, just the practicalities of carrying 5 or 6 kilos of equipment around with me all the time. I was due to go to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean in November 2013 and wondered if I would really want to drag all that gear around. Then I saw the Canon SX50 HS, a bridge camera with powerful zoom, I saw some photos someone had taken with one and decided that at around £300 it was worth buying it to see how I got on. It has been brilliant, it has its limitations but I'll go into those another time. It opened up a world of photography that I'd previously only ever dreamed of. </div>
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Bignick58 wildlife photoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03317148933489335371noreply@blogger.com0