September 28th 2010

Brambling


Spotted Flycatcher



DO I NOT LIKE BLAKENEY POINT!!

An early start today for the Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Most probably Alder) in Norfolk at 1 of the hardest sites to get to Blakeney Point (a 4mile hike over soft shingle) having yomped all the way up with my camera gear it soon became obvious the bird had departed overnight!! migrants were dropping in like Brambling,Redwing,Wheatears,3 Ring Ouzel,10+ Common Redstarts & Spotted Flycatcher but hardly compensation when most of these can be found on my local patch!! A slow (very slow) walk back composed myself & headed to Salthouse for the Barred Warbler (good views but no pics)

Spotted Flycatcher


Common Redstart

September 22nd 2010

After missing out on Wryneck last week at Heanor,Derbys i decided to head down to Buckinghamshire to Bacombe Hill,Wendover for the bird there! With only a few distant photos on the web i wasn't hopefull of getting any decent photos (How wrong was i?)on arrival i joined the birders & set up behind them & sat down watching the bird which was about 50ft away,after about 1/2 hr the bird suddenly started running up the mound towards me at 1 point less than 10ft away with me scrambling backwards trying to get away from it,with my lens not focussing down to less than about 20ft,amusing the assembled birders & photographers present. A cracking bird & a very enjoyable few hrs....

September 20th 2010

A call from John Judge had me heading over to Draycote this morning for a Black-necked Grebe which was showing close in off Hensborough bank (well it was untill i got there!!) having only a 20 min window due to work committments too photograph it the results wer'nt brilliant but still a nice bird & my 1st in Warks this year. Photos below

September 18th 2010

Red-necked Phalarope


After seeing the photos on Birdguides etc of the juv Red-necked Phalarope at Fairhaven lake,Lancs i decided to head north a quick divert into Stoke to pick up my good mate Steve Seal & we were off! on arrival there was a good crowd watching the bird & despite the constant updates on the phone txt alerts saying 'the bird is showing very well' It wasn't & stayed distant in the 4 odd hrs we were there!! It was nice to catch up with some of other photograper friends from around the country Jim Almond,Gary Jenkins,Mike Watson etc highlight of the day however goes to the 2 well known photographers who after a little encouragement from Steve hired a motor launch out to see if they could get any closer!! Classic stuff but you had to be there to see it!!! (best photo i could manage is above with a cpl below)
Red-necked Phalarope




Jackdaw

September 7th 2010

Decided to head to Shustoke this morning for a crack at the Little Stint in the good weather,however as i pulled into the car park a txt came thru from John Judge 'Red Necked Phal Draycote' Bugger so didnt even get out the car but made a steady journey over to Draycote & was soon at Farborough bank with JJ,Bob Hazell,Richard Mays,Terry Southgate already on the bird,a new Draycote bird,fantastic but distant!a late straggler 'Bob the birder' Duckhouse turned up & was soon on the bird after about 15mins Richard took a call to say Sandwich Tern off Draycote Bank a quick scan & a Warks tick for me in the bag(233)I decided to head off around the res to see if the Phal would come in closer (it did but not much,2 Record shots below! & before any of the photographers start panicking the bottom photo is a cheat from a few yrs ago of a juv i took in Norfolk) also had a flyover Grey Plover picked up superbly by Tim Marlow 1 Black Tern & 1 Arctic Tern (all in all a bloody good few hrs) got back home to an email letting me know the Stint had departed so the right move this morning!!!!

Red-necked Phalarope



Red-necked Phalarope

September 6th 2010

Started off at Draycote again this morning,but it appears most birds departed overnight! 2 Dunlin & 5 Ringed Plover still on Hensborough Bank,1 Common Sandpiper on Toft bank with 3 Swift & a few Yellow Wagtails being the best sightings!! So kept close to the computer for the next few hrs (Hoping for a biggie!!!) Nothing... then Sanderling came thru at Shustoke Res (Only a few mile up the rd) so off i set on arrival Little Egret just off the car park,carried on around & found a small wader which was most def not a Sanderling but Little Stint (2 bird theory?) spent a hr wiv it but the weather was terrible (so should be happy with what i've got)
Little Stint (Juv)






Grey Heron (Juv)



Little Egret

September 5th 2010

Missed my old mate Steve Seal due to work commitments y'day at Draycote (But glad to see that he had a good day & some of the birds stayed for him) On arrival at Draycote this morning i decided to head straight for Hensborough bank,i'd just got past the sailing club when i saw what i thought was a new lighthouse on the bank (My mistake it were a Brandon regular in a Daz white t.shirt on the bank, all the latest gear all with camo but in a dayglo outfit!! You gotta laugh..)Anyway after puttin on the shades & puttin the earplugs in i got myself into position & had a cpl of hrs in the mixed weather with the 1 Juv Curlew Sandpiper still present alongside 4 Dunlin & 4 Ringed Plover.. Other birds seen on site Yellow Wagtail in double figures 1(Juv) Little Ringed Plover on the outflow + the usual common stuff

Curlew Sandpiper (Juv)






Yellow Wagtail (Ad)



Yellow Wagtail (Juv)




Great Crested Grebe



Teal

September 2nd 2010

Another call into Draycote Water this morning to get some better pics of the ad Curlew Sandpiper,Y'days 4 birds still present with even more Ringed Plovers present at least 4 Dunlin,Common Sandpiper & Sanderling with no sign of the Ruff enjoyable cpl of hrs spent in the company of Richard Mays,Bob Hazell & Max Silverman

Curlew Sandpiper (Adult)





Curlew Sandpiper (Juv)



Ringed Plover





Sanderling (above & below)