Dolydd Hafren - aquatic Merlin!!

A morning spent in South Shropshire on a Goshawk quest with Yvonne turned up trumps with an adult pair and juvenile performing in the stratosphere! This juvenile Goshawk at least gave chance for a record shot....






We were planning to head for Titterstone but it was now afternoon and no news of Ring Ouzel was forthcoming or no birders were up there?

Never mind, the decision to try elsewhere paid off big time! Dolydd Hafren in nearby Powys put Shropshire to shame! A pair of Little ringed Plover, Green Sandpiper, White-fronted Goose x 4 , Pink footed Goose x 6, Red Kite for starters!

On/by the river: Goosander, Kingfisher and Merlin amongst others. Wait a minute... Kingfisher and WHATTT! Yes, a female Merlin - stood by and then cooling it's feet down in the river Severn - eyeing up the Pied Wagtails etc for lunch! And if you don't believe me, have a look at this sequence....








Not sure whether she was trying to catch fish or just coolinge her talons down?










Lunch was missed but the sight of a Merlin skimming the water was quite something!!

Exminster Marshes - Water Pipit

For the third time in the space of a month, my activities took me down to Devon for an alpine plant show. Birding time was at a premium however and I had just the Friday afternoon spare....

The target species - Water Pipit - always a useful one for the year list and a bird to date, I'd never had close enough for a picture, this is until today!!

I stopped at the sharp bend on the access road where there is a bit of parking and listening out of the window could hear one calling! Eventually, I found it at the top of a nearby tree....






A public footpath cuts through the marshes and I sensed the bird would eventually land on the marsh (or fly away) - incredibly it chose the former - within 30m or so!!! A smart bird too, developing Summer plumage!

Keeping still, I covered most angles of this obliging bird as it fed moving even nearer.











A tasty worm or two, rapidly disappearing.....








The sun came out briefly, illuminating the plumage - what a difference that makes!!








The fun had to stop of course and a second bird flying over prompted the disappearance of both to the far side of the marsh - usually what happens in the first place!!

Stoke St Milborough - Ring-necked Parakeet!!

I'm used to seeing Ring-necked Parakeets flying around Kew Gardens where they have become well established. Quite a surprise to find one turn up in a South Shropshire garden!!

By chance in a birders garden too! Paul Barker had certainly made it easy for everyone with exact directions and tips for picking it up. I arrived approx 3pm with Yvonne and after a long vigil from the Severn Trent mound we walked the village - no sign! Rob Stokes joined us and eventually we began to hear the bird in the trees over the stream at the bottom of the gardens.

Deciding it may not come to the feeders, we managed to ford the stream and at last got reasonable views....








The bird eventually flew and we decided to stake out the peanut feeder in Paul's garden - eventually at approx 6pm - it returned!!






Then proceeded to feast on peanuts using one of it's feet to feed with!








It's not easy to perch with a tail this long........






A cuppa courtesy of Paul and the hospitality of his parents was was much appreciated - cheers!!

Cardiff Bay - Bonaparte's Gull....

Devon done and apart from American Herring Gull it was 100% success. Question was, would the Bonaparte's Gull in Cardiff bay stick? This was the next target.

Satnav got me to Jim Driscoll Way in the usual hassle free manner and this time, no parking problems!! A local birder was on the case - it didn't look good as I got an all too familiar response: "Showed well all morning mate, a boat's just flushed it though".

We set about refinding it.......






Which was not easy, there were a couple of hundred Black-heads busy picking/catching flies and it was a question of working through them one by one!

Couldn't miss this striking 2nd winter Mediterranean Gull!






Back to scanning the Black-heads and after an hour or so prospects didn't look good! I decided to walk towards the road bridge where another group of small Gulls were fishing for flies. The vantage point wasn't quite so good due to trees in the way but the light was much better and within minutes I'd got the Boney!!!

Reminiscent of a Phalarope as it busily paddled in cicles picking flies from the surface of the water.

Decent record shots even.....















Plus a wingflap to see the upperwing detail! There was just a hint of brown in the coverts and a dark primary streak. Just wondered if this was a 2nd winter bird in virtually full adult winter plumage? The Cheddar Res bird (which I didn't get anywhere near this close to) from last Spring even - where did that go??








Another bonus Gull for the afternoon, a Little Gull flying relentlessly up and down.....






Don't you just love it when all goes to plan (in the end). The £25 doesn't seem so painful now......

Exminster Marshes - Showy Cetti's

A Friday morning in Devon before heading home saw me pick Exminster Marshes as the venue of choice for a Spoonbill (I'd seen everything else!!) As luck (wouldn't) have it, the bird was almost as far away as it could get! I decided to give it an hour or so, to see if it would fly closer?






It didn't!! The only flying it did was even further away. But...... every cloud has a silver lining! I could hear Cetti's Warbler calling from time to time, not far along the access track and couldn't believe my luck......

One popped up in the nearby brambles - checking out the nearby explosive songster?? It was an opportunity not to be missed! The downside was the fact it was too close and always behind an obstruction or two!!

I really shouldn't grumble, how often have you seen views of Cettis like this......



















I'd decided that whatever happened, my main afternoon aim was Cardiff Bay and the Bonaparte's Gull? M5/M4 here I come ..........

Paignton - Penduline performs!!

A talk on digital photography to the Exeter Alpine Garden Society group gave me just the excuse/opportunity I needed to have another go at my bogey Penduline! I headed down to Devon with first stop Paignton! The Penduline Tit hadn't been reported for a couple of days but this was much less of a twitchable bird now, I wasn't taking this as evidence of departure!

I arrived just after ten o'clock, imagine my relief on deciding to check out the Young's Waterpark site first....






It was there!!!!!!!

Not only was it there, it was sooooooo obliging and even when out of view, constantly calling to give away it's location.

Most angles are covered here!














One of the big advantages of fine detail images is the ability to see exactly what's going on. The initial assumption when watching this bird, is that the fine reedmace seed is the major diet. Looking here though, the Penduline is clearly getting a more substantial meal courtesy of small larvae present hidden within the seed head!






I took literally hundreds of shots and I still haven't even broken the back of scanning them all! After an initial trawl though - these two stood out as my favourites!!!








How much would you pay to see a Penduline Tit (excluding travelling!) Looks like this little bird just cost me £25!! Any publishers out there want to buy an image to cover my loss......

Whixall Moss - Shortie sortie

What a day for raptors, a morning spent with Andy hoping for a Goshawk turned up half a dozen in the South of the County! It was all distant scope work (pictures next time???)

Highlight was watching one bird stoop from tremendous height like a bullet to virtually ground level before nearly making off with a Magpie which managed to just evade capture - an awesome sight!

An afternoon spent excavating a large root in the garden was brought to a halt when Mike Stokes rang at 4.45 to say the Great Grey Shrike was showing on Whixall Moss! Down went the tools and before long I was watching an even more distant County year tick....

One of the Short-eared Owls then put in an appearance and with the light fading - a few record shots. Despite the twilight - I rather like the watercolour painting effect of the middle shot - atmospheric or what.......










Three significant County year ticks - a good day methinks!