The Mere - Great Northern Diver

A rather nasty viral throat put a bit of a dampener on my Christmas and it was with less enthusiasm than normal, I summoned up the energy to check out the Mere! And that was only after Tom tipped me off that the juvenile Great Northern Diver was coming close in at times.....

Whilst the Diver was tickable (near the far bank) on arrival, I had to wait nearly an hour to get a decent swim past and with low side lighting, decidedly tricky to get anything worthwhile!

And as the sun began to sink, another opportunity was looking pretty pointless

Than a patch of darker water and the last rays of sunshine combined  to ensure it hadn't been a wasted session?

As we looked each other in the eye!

A final turn of the head to end the day before diving and off to the far bank again!

Will it stick around ? 

 

Image of 2013 (final poll)

*** CURRENT POSTINGS MAY BE FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE ***

Here are a final 'Top Twenty' selections, a few favourite pictures of mine (in no particular order) taken during 2013. This includes the top three Shropshire birds - congratulations to the Two-barred Crossbill or Pied Flycatcher which tied with the Hobby close behind.
You will find an voting box to the right, to keep things simple, check the FIVE pictures you like most! (click thumbs to open a larger image) FIVE votes maximum only please! (Only one voter is possible per PC sorry!)

I will let this poll run until January 5th and then YOUR No 1 Picture of the Year will be declared the following day....

Have a fantastic Christmas and here's wishing everyone great birding in 2014!

Picture 1 - Spotted Redshank - Titchwell (March)

Picture 2 - Black-tailed Godwits - Titchwell (March)

Picture 3 - Black-bellied Dipper - Thetford (March)

Picture 4 - Red Grouse - Lochindorb  (May)

Picture 5 - Capercaillie - Highland (May)

Picture 6 - Ptarmigan - Cairngorm (May)

Picture 7 - King Eider - Ythan estuary  (May)

Picture 8 - Pied Flycatcher - Bridges (June)

Picture 9 - Caspian Tern - Rudyard Reservoir (July)

Picture 10 - Night Heron - Thornton Reservoir (August)

Picture 11 - White-tailed Eagle - Mull (August)

Picture 12 - Hobby - Venus Pool (September)

Picture 13 - Jack Snipe - Scilly (October)

Picture 14 - Lapland Bunting - Scilly  (October)

Picture 15 - Wryneck - Scilly  (October)

Picture 16 - Grey Phalarope - Gronant (October)

Picture 17 - Pied Wheatear - Collingham Pits (November)

Picture 18 - Red-breasted Goose - Sturt Pond (November)

Picture 19 - Two-barred Crossbill - Wyre Forest (December)

Picture 20 - Ivory Gull - Patrington Haven (December)

Horsehay - Yellow -legged Gull

I spend a lot of time taking 'record shots' of Gulls inh the gloom - all part of the educational process and 90% of them never see the light of day! I normally hate bright sunshine as mantle 'colours' are often easier to judge in overcast conditions. Well today, the sun came out, I took plenty of images and made the most of it with an adult Yellow-legged Gull. To make a composite sequence.....

The entry.....

Before loafing on the water, quite distant!

A bit of patient waiting to catch the take off!

And then trees forming a contrasting background.

It's not easy taking near overhead flight shots from the confines of a car!!

Gliding away.....

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Image of 2013 - Shropshire

Current postings will be posted below the image review postings, please scroll down to see what else is happening........ *** LAST CHANCE TO VOTE ***

It's that time again - the annual end of year picture accumulation from Shropshire. It's been an another great year locally with five Shropshire ticks (all of which feature here!!).

I've selected below a selection - of twenty favourite pictures (in chronological order) taken in Shropshire during 2013. You can simply select your favourite photos from the assembly - always interesting for me to see which is the most popular!

There is a voting box to the right - for this first round simply check the FIVE pictures you like most! (click thumbs to open a larger image) Five votes maximum only please! (Only one voter is possible per PC sorry!)

I will let this poll run until December 24th and then, the top three pictures will be included with more photos taken elsewhere in the UK during 2013. Voting will then begin again over the Christmas period / New Year with YOUR No 1 Picture of the Year being declared on 5th January 2014....

Picture 1 - Redshank - Polemere (January)

Picture 2 - Green-winged Teal  - Polemere  (January)

Picture 3 - Common Buzzard - Venus Pool (January)

Picture 4 - White-fronted Goose - Venus Pool (February)

Picture 5 - Spotted Redshank - Whixall Floods  (April)

Picture 6 - European Bee-eater - Wheathall  (April)

Picture 7 - Kittiwake - Wood Lane (May)

Picture 8 - Golden Plover  - Longmynd  (May)

Picture 9 - Pied Flycatcher - Bridges (June)

Picture 10 - Common Tern - Venus Pool (June)

Picture 11 - Peregrine Falcon - Shropshire (June)

Picture 12 - Water |Rail - Chelmarsh (July)

Picture 13 - Cormorant - Venus Pool (August)

Picture 14 - Hobby - Venus Pool (September)

Picture 15 - Spoonbill - Venus Pool (September)

Picture 16 - Kingfisher - Venus Pool (September)

Picture 17 - Heron - Venus Pool (September)

Picture 18 - Little Egret - Venus Pool (September)

Picture 19 - Whooper Swan - Venus Pool (November)

Picture 20 - Two-barred Crossbill - Wyre forest (December)