Chelmarsh Reservoir - Pied-billed Grebe

I've had a few lucky moments now and then but this is right up there with the best of them and lasted for less than a minute! Well done Tom Lowe for finding this Pied-billed Grebe, I was happy just to see it and then this happened... I have no words - just a few images...   

Priorslee lake - Red-crested Pochard

A drake Red-crested Pochard was been present at Priorslee lake for a few days now. Perfect for a walk around the lake to where it was feeding off  the north west bank... Posing nicely!

Or preening...

When not preening, it was diving to collect weed...

Tasty stuff!

A final series following a wing flap or two...

Smart, very popular bird, showing well in great light!

On this day (Nov 24th) ... 2014 Purple Heron

On this day in 2014, a Purple Heron was, with a bit of stealth showing (eventually) really well on Anglesey at Capel Gwyn...

A long drive from the North East the previous evening and another early start with the alarm..... It's another bird to try and grip back after failing to see the North Warren (Suffolk) Purple Heron during a long session! The one was always going to be difficult too (aren't they nearly always?) and nearly 4 hours into a long blank vigil, things were not looking good :-(

Everyone else had given up and left..... and then by a twist of fate, I was eating a sandwich.... another birder arrived..... shut his car door.... and what should pop up then land in a viewable position from where it had been unseen all morning.... PURPLE HERON and (298) Punch the air or what!! Birds are all the more sweeter when you've spent a lot of time and effort :-)

After a while it relocated nearer the caravans!

Still tucked away in the vegetation but much more obliging!

Eventually having a preen and rest.....

A couple of closer crops to finish with!

A great day in the end and TWO to go.......

On this day (Nov 18th) - 2012 Wrexham Waxwings

Flashback on this day in 2012 for some excellent Waxwing opportunities from a visit to Wrexham 

Another Waxwing spectacular and with the Ruthin birds failing to reappear during the morning, a most effective plan B was formulated....

Jim ended up in hospital (grounds that is) with in excess of 100 Waxwings strutting, tossing and berrying their stuff.....

Quite mobile, it took 30 minutes plus to work out where that were actually feeding?

Yep - there! I won't even try to explain and if it was a weekday, security would have probably asked me to leave :-)

Off they go again......

Let's start with something a little different? Artistic or what?

A straightforward pose.....

Add a berry......

And a little bit of tongue? Welcome to the Waxwing circus :-)

The performing seal routine?

With tongue into the action!

 Front somersault with pike?
 

The sword swallower - how do they get these cannonballs down?

The tighrope walk?

Is this the clown with a hair-raising sized berry!

 I don't think I could tire of  their antics :-) Especially when juggling / tossing those berries!

Could do with some local birds showing well now!

On this Day (Nov 16th)... 2014 Ring billed Gull

On this day in 2014, I was towards the end of my 'Big Year' and closing in on the magic 300 mark. The 16th November was an important with three outstanding south coast birds in the bag, this Ring-billed Gull was an overdue highlight!...

To say this was the bogey bird of 2014 would be an understatement! Whilst in the area, I'd called at Gosport twice in April (coinciding with the Gull's departure from the area) and now dipped it again the previous Friday.

Light was fading and with rain starting to fall, I made it to the boating lake with about 30 minutes of light left. I got out of the car and..... Yessssssss, the Ring-billed Gull (296) was finally  there on the grass below the car park!!

I'd photographed this bird back in 2008 (in summer plumage) so nice to get the winter plumage!

It then flew onto one of the boating pool buoys....

Then onto the water.....

With some unusual late afternoon reflections!

A final close up and then......

The long drive back to Shrewsbury! This had really been a make or break weekend and with four more birds to go, a few more miles to travel :-)

PS here's the same bird in Summer plumage back in March 2008!! What a stunner :-)