Southend, Essex 27/2/11

Low cloud, sunny intervals.

M.S. & M..S

Started the day near the ice cream parlour looking for 'Rossi'

Ring-billed Gull    Adult w
Great Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Herring Gull

                                         Ring-billed Gull

Moved onto the pier

Mediteranean Gull
Kittiwake
Common Gull
Great-crested Grebe

                                         Mediterranean Gull     1st w

                                         Mediterranean Gull     1st w

                                         Mediterranean Gull     1st w

                                         Mediterranean Gull     1st w

                                         Mediterranean Gull     adult w

                                         Mediterranean Gull     adult w

                                         Mediterranean Gull     adult w

                                         Mediterranean Gull     adult w

                                          Kittiwake   adult w

                                         Kittiwake    adult w

Thanks for the help M.S.   I hope I got it right now !    

Thursley Common, Surrey, 26/02/11

Weather changeable, started with rain, the sun came out at intervals from midday, hail at 15.00 hours then another sunny period leading up to a nice sunset at 17.30

Parked in the Moat car park, walked out over the boardwalk, circuited Shrike Hill twice taking about 4 hours.

2 sightings of Woodlark, heard several more
2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers
1 Stonechat, m
3 Treecreeper

                                          Stonechat, m

                                         Bracket like Fungi

                                         Bracket like Fungi

                                         Treecreeper

                                         Treecreeper

North Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, 24/02/11

Another day out with M.S.

The day started out dull but at by 10.30 the sun came out, as the day went on the light got better to finish with a cracking sunset at 17.30 hours.

About 10.30 hours, we started at Barton-upon-Humber, a sailing club lake beside the Humber, just a mile east of the Humber Bridge.

2 Yellowhammer
2 Long-tailed Duck
Goldeneye displaying

We then drove westwards crossing the River Trent into East Yorkshire to Blacktoft Sands

Lots of Tree Sparrow
2 Long-eared Owl

                                          Tree Sparrow

                                          Tree Sparrow

                                          Tree Sparrow

                                          Long-eared Owl

                                          Mute Swan

                                         Dunnock

We left at 14.00 for SEO site, stopped on route, 20 mins, to look for RLB at South Ferriby (not seen)

Looking towards the Humber from this point were

Pink-footed Geese

Then to the SEO Site, arrived 15.00 hours

Sky Larks singing continually, everywhere, not seen

6 Short-eared Owls very active. A Marsh Harrier and 3 SEO gave a display and paniced 60 + Teal ?

At 16.30 hours the 7th SEO appeared. This owl is darker, it sudenly flew in from behind us (not one we had been watching) and sat on a fence post only 25 feet from us.

A stoat was backwards and forwards only 7 / 8 feet away in the grass from the SEO, neither noticed the other, no reaction. Perhaps SEO do not eat Stoat ?

7 Short-eared Owls

1 Reed Bunting

1 Marsh Harrier

Teal ? ?

                                         Short-eared Owl                 

                                         Short-eared Owl

                                         Short-eared Owl

                                         Short-eared Owl

                                         Sunset Worlaby Cars

Sunset 17.30 hours

Isle of Sheppey, 20/2/2011



 Very grey day, visability poor.

M.S. & M..S

A slow drive from the farm to Elmney RSPB Reserve, parked at the car park and walked the short route past the old oak trees to the ruined schoolhouse then down to the Swale.
1 Marsh Harrier
1 Grey Plover
8 Avocet
Black-tailed Godwit
Wigeon
Dunnock, House Sparrow, Robin, Blackbird and Pheasant round the feeder

                                         Dunnock

                                         Pheasant

                                         Pheasant

Then went to Harty Ferry.
1 Little Egret
Lots of Red-legged Partridge

The weather deteriated and we gave up at 15.30 Not the best day out for photos.

Two from last week !  

                                         Crow, 'nictating'

                                         Crow

North Lincolnshire, 16/2/2011

Another day out organised by M.S.

Waxing Gibbous.

Weather, slight frost, exceptionally nice blue skies all day !

Arrived at location in North Lincolnshire at 06.30 hours.

Sunrise 07.20 hours

Sunrise photo taken at 07.25 hours

2 Barn Owls and 2 Short-eared owls seen by 07.30 hours, a pretty good start to the day.

Watched 6 Short-eared owls continually active until 11.30 hours.

                                         Sunrise
2 Barn Owls
6 Short-eared Owls
50 + Fiedfare
8 + Yellowhammer with Goldfinch & Chaffinch feeding flock.
Great Tits and Blue Tits.
Reed Bunting, m.

                                         Yellowhammer

12.00 hours to 14.00 hours
We first visited South Ferriby to look at a resident Rough-legged Buzzard
(it was a bit distant for my identificational skills) but a lot closer than the Harty Ferry / prison RLB
Also a quick visit to one hide at Far Ings.

Goldeneye m & f
Gadwell
Mallard
Magpie

                                         Magpie

                                         Gadwell

14.30 hours, back for another look at the Short-eared Owls.

3 Short-eared Owls were active all afternoon, not close, I managed to scrape 2 distant flight shots late afternoon.

                                         Short-eared Owl

                                         Short-eared Owl

Sunset was due at 17.13 hours.

As I returned to M.S. for to call it a day and pack up, Mick waved me over.

He had had a SEO sitting on various fence posts for best part of an hour, about 15 feet in front off him

and   'STILL ON THE POST'.

17.10 hours to 17.20 hours, 10 minutes

In rapid fading light, I managed 6 shots of this incredable encounter.

                                         Short-eared Owl                           shutter speed 1/80  

                                                                                        exposure comp -1/3rd   

                                                                                                               640 Iso             

                                         Short-eared Owl                           shutter speed 1/30  

                                                                                                exposure comp 0   

                                                                                                               800 Iso             

                                         Short-eared Owl                           shutter speed 1/30  

                                                                                                exposure comp 0   

                                                                                                               800 Iso             

                                          Short-eared Owl                          shutter speed 1/40  

                                                                                        exposure comp -1/3rd   

                                                                                                               800 Iso             

                                         Short-eared Owl                           shutter speed 1/20

                                                                                        exposure comp +1/3rd   

                                                                                                              800 Iso        

                                          Short-eared Owl                         shutter speed 1/20  

                                                                                       exposure comp +1/3rd   

                                                                                                               800 Iso        

  

''What a finish for my day''

It was another superb day out with M.S.

Wallend Marsh and Dungeness, 13/2/2011

Very dull day, strong wind and occasional rain on coast

The day starting out from the Woolpack, Walland Marsh proceeding towards to Lydd.

Common Buzzard
100 + Fieldfare
4 Tree Sparrow
Kestrel

                                         Common Buzzard

                                         Common Buzzard

                                         Common Buzzard

                                         Common Buzzard

                                         Common Buzzard

                                         Common Buzzard

                                         Common Buzzard


RSPB Denge Marsh Hide
Red-necked Grebe
Black-necked Grebe

                                         Black-necked Grebe
ARC Pits
1 m Smew + 2 redhead Smew

1 m Goldeneye + 2 f Goldeneye

Bird count for the day :   49 species  M..S