Venus Pool - Waders!!

It's pushing it to report that 21 Curlew, c100 Lapwing, 1 Common Snipe and two Oystercatcher represent an influx of waders at Venus Pool but.....

I called by at 4.30 after a day on 'garden' activity, the two Oyks, flying about....






Were joined by a lone Dunlin....






I then realised there were four more in front of the Memorial hide - they stayed long enough for me to get one or two shots and then, with everything back up in the air again - they were gone.....

Cork - Kennedy Pier

A talk to the Cork Alpine Garden group gave me a 'couple of hours' opportunity to check out the fabled Kennedy Pier at Cobh which was only a 20 minute train ride away....

My hosts were slowly having their car wing mirrors hacked away away as I left by a territorial and totally manic male Chaffinch! Always picking the spot where he could see those two other Chaffs invading his space?






The vistors board at Cobh (last port of call for the Titanic!) looked very interesting indeed! A shame it wasn't going to live up to it's reputation....






Less than 20 Gulls about and apart from Black-heads, all I had to feed was this adult Winter Common Gull.....










Everywhwere I seem to go lately, a Med Gull is never far away and Cobh was no exception - the only decent Gull of the session!








As for the House Crow which I had hoped to see, it was a no show (for me!) I did ask one or two of the locals but all I got was this long hard stare from all of them....

New Brighton - wader roost

High tide done and dusted, we drove over to New Brighton. A quick look over the wall by the Lifeguard station turned up a sparse number of the usual waders including this extraordinary Bar-tailed Godwit with a nasty looking growth projecting out it's throat!






The marina next to the fort was the next call and after managing to park amongst the mayhem of the 'Sunday afternoon' masses, got this smart adult Med Gull on the water.....






This was where many of the roosting waders were having a snooze - on the pontoon. Have a close look, there are six species on view here!







Another busy week coming up with talks all over the place including the alpine plant group in Cork! You never know, I might have time for a quick session birding?

Parkgate - Spring High Tide!!

One of Nature's special moments, the Spring high tide at Parkgate tempted SEVEN species of raptor to put in an appearance! It was not a day for photography however with dank grey skies but I manages a few 'atmospheric' shots from the day......

Little Egrets abound here and two were feeding in front of the old baths.








One or two ringtail Hen Harrier...






At least two maybe three Merlin were hunting quite regularly - this was the only species to perch within 100m!








The last raptor to show (coaxed into action by the rising tide) were the Shorties - two in front of us and at least another two more distant








The raptors not close enough for even record shots were Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine (and ironically way too close overhead! - a Sparrowhawk!)

Next stop New Brighton for roosting waders????

Chipping Norton - Oriental Magic

Apologies for the lack of things happening here. Whilst I've been very busy with talks etc. there simply haven't been any birds or totally inclement weather has stopped any worthwhile birding. Last weekend was the only 'birdless' weekend I can remember for a long, long time......

I'd booked today off a while ago with thoughts of a Parkgate highish tide and raptor action? I reversed the car out of the drive and headed towards the A5..... At least I tried to? Something was wrong with the steering and no matter how much I tried, 'JET' seemed hell bent on a course due South.....

OMG, I suddenly realised where it was heading for - the Satnav was screaming CHIPPING NORTON, CHIPPING NORTON!! OK, have your own way then I thought, if I have to.....

Only problem was, no garden access (according to the news services) so it was going to be down to a bit of luck and persistence?

I arrived just before 10:00 and realised No.41 HAD been open!! Lee Evans had brokered access to No 33 however - so I took my chances here? Being somewhat vertically challenged, I had to admire the initiative shown by one or two birders - bringing their own mini-stepladders!!






I looked on with envy at birder perched on boxes whilst all I could do was keep scanning the skies and hedge for that moment of 'luck'? An hour later, I took possession of a 'box' in 'prime location (the big green one on the left!)- crikey, I had now grown 12" and was now looking over the hedge!!

Plenty of Doves of the Collared variety, the odd Brambling and Pigeon but nothing tasty from the Orient! It was nearly midday and it was resigning myself to Oriental dips for lunch, when someone's mobile rang... Normally a source of irritation but.... this was good news indeed - the bird was showing further down The Leys! All of a sudden, the box became a very useful set of sprinters blocks as I joined the charge, camera over my shoulder and there in the hedge behind No 54, nearly 100m distant, one 'phew.... thank goodness' Oriental Turtle Dove of the Rufous veriety.........

The gap.....






Now don't start expecting feather detail, the bird was quite distant, against the usual milky white sky of late but it was THERE!






A couple more angles......








The post charge tightly packed gallery....






Job done then, as for Parkgate - I'll be there on Sunday with the SOS trip.....

Mumbles Meds up close

Med Gulls are amongst my favourite birds, they really are smart. Even in Winter plumage, taking the pure white plumage of adult birds out of the equation, the head and bill really are ‘eye-catching’ if you see what I mean. The red orbital ring and white eyelids coupled with that bright red bill really are a bit special!






Here's some more images of adult Winter birds.......










Younger birds are not bad either, you can see the bill colouration developing.....

First Winter






Second Winter






Trying to capture something artistic also came into proceedings although I had to delete countless shots to get an unusual but sharp ‘head on’ and well focussed images








You have to try something different once in a while?

Jim's off to the Med!

It’s February and I make no apology for the seasonal look at Gulls - there isn’t anything much of note about anyway! I had to pick Gemma up from Swansea and with the Mumbles just a couple of miles down the road, I had an opportunity to check out the local Med Gulls?

Having driven down through torrential rain, the mist an drizzle was a slight improvement but any chance of action shots was completely out of the question! Never mind, a perfect opportunity for the full range of developmental plumages to be recorded……

First Winter Mediterranean Gull with characteristic dark eye mask, dark legs, strong bill and variable plumage...












Second Winter Mediterranean Gull








Adult Winter Mediterranean Gull






Including a couple of ringed birds, both regular returners to the area - 3E40 was ringed as a pullus at Antwerpen BELGIUM on 3rd June 2006






White 3K80 ringed as a 3CY bird at Antwerpen BELGIUM on 19th May 2005






Some close ups to follow.....