Stubbers Green - Caspian Gull

It's Gull season again folks! Another three or four months of watching these tantalising birds off and on. A puzzler or good bird in every session :-) Today there was no puzzle, just a classic adult Winter Caspian Gull!

A few hours were spent trying to get some decent images of this adult Caspian Gull which must have fed well early in the day as it was there on arrival and still loafing about on the water when I left for the Chasewater roost.....

The light was awful despite the forecast of a 'blue sky' day, Oh well, at least I got the bird!

This is one Gull that stands out from the crowd!








At this time of year all the Herring Gulls have streaky heads, with Caspian Gull just a little faint streaking around the hindneck.....



A horse spooked the flock briefly creating a flight shot opportunity. Again, a distinctive pattern to the primaries





A couple of preening shots, the first showing the distinctive inner web to P10 - a long white tongue, separated from the white mirror by a sharply defined black bar which extends as a narrow band up the outer web.



Large white mirrors on P9 and P10



All this hanging around is quite boring!



Time for a drink.....





Pose of the day?



Before taking to the water....




Like a couple of bouncers on the door - looking on a par for meanness, with this Great Black backed Gull .....



The final and most distant shot with upperwing pattern nicely displaysd!

Norfolk catching up!

A reflex few images were grabbed as an Arctic Skua shot by - to start off Day 4 of my Norfolk trip - the highlights of day 4 (one more to go....) are posted here







Quite a few waders on show.....

Wall Farm - Sparrowhawk

A male Merlin has been showing well at Wall farm so I thought I'd take a chance on an appearance? A 90 minute session was beginning to drag before a caught sight of it bearing down on a flock of finches in the 'ploughed field'. I couldn't make out if it caught anything as both the Merlin and myself got distracted by another raptor, joining in - blimey 'a pair' was my first thought although they had a bit of go at each other, then both went to ground out of sight. After a couple of minutes, the larger bird flew off heading towards the right of the hide and came vaguely within range - all was revealed.... a bloody Sparrowhawk!





I then cought sight of the Merlin hightailing it across the field in the opposite direction, Oh well....

I kept myself amused photographing anything that flew and this Stock Dove was the only other bird which came near enough!



The Steppe Shrike has now definitely departed, I think Wednesday was the last positive sighting. A great bird and one that has certainly put Wall Farm on the map!

A check of VP revealed that the water level is recovering and a few decent sized puddles are now merging into stretches of water - it will be back to normal this Winter I reckon. The Common Teal thought so too - I counted 96 present!

Venus Pool - Scaup trio!!

Martyn Owen picked out three Scaup on the adjacent fishing pool this lunchtime. Problem was, all they wanted to do was sleep!

Even with their heads tucked under, flashes of the striking white patch at the bill base was occasionally obvious. The head shape, pale cheek patch, bill and plumage, all characteristic of Scaup......





The adult female atually 'untucked' for a second or two - blink and you would have missed it though......





Before dozing off again!

Timewarp to 2009 - Cover shot

I've had a broad smile on my face recently and here's why......



Peering back at me from the magazine shelves last week was a smart Grey Phalarope. After I'd got over the illusion that it must be someone else's, I realised it was mine! Taken from a session in November 2009 (at Crosby Marine Park). A seasonal image, if we get another big blow?

The original posting is here

Here's the original web sized image - it makes a cracking 10 x 8 print if anyone is looking for an early Christmas present for someone :-) Cheapest pressie you'll ever buy!



I looked back in the archive hard drive and as ever, there were plenty of images gathering pixel dust which have never seen the light of day. I'd better point out if anyone has dived straight in past the words to look at the pictures - THESE ARE HISTORIC - FROM NOV 2009!





Another close up.....



A few more action shots capturing droplets.....





A fitting image to end with!



I must do more delving in to the archives through the Winter, which reminds me Mike -I'll be sorting the rest those Cirl Buntings again..... one day.... :-)

Wall Farm - Steppe stacks closer

No - it wasn't any closer but I decided to try stacked converters to double or nearly triple the focal length of a 500mm lens and bring the Shrike nearer to me......

Sounds fine in theory but it isn't a recipe for success! The depth of field is much shallower, every tiny vibration sets up 'shake' and of course you can forget auto focus. I did however establish that with a 7D, autofocus does actually work when in live view!

Anyway, back to the bird - twice as close but twice as shaky! Record shots remain the norm and these will have to do!

Post preening and somewhat 'fluffed up' pose!



A few flight shots showing the upperwing (various degrees of quality but it's the detail that counts)...









And the underwing.....







If you haven't been (and wish too) please note that there will be no access to the field tomorrow (Sunday!) This will be reviewed for next weekend if the Shrike is still there?

Wall Farm - Steppe still showing

Would you believe it, showing all week albeit distant, the Steppe Grey Shrike has got sleepy Shropshire back on the birding radar for all the right reasons. I manged a quick session today and didn't get any better static shots but will settle for this flight shot only 150 odd metres away?

The Shrike was always always distant. 150m (ish) the best it will normally do and more distant the norm but it never seems to leave the hedgerow it favours. Looking back over the week, I don't think anyone who has been on site has not had decent scope views and from what I'm told, everyone has gone away happy!




I'll be back helping out with organisation tomorrow!

If anyone is thinking of travelling......

The Steppe Grey Shrike was still present until late afternoon today but Access arrangements for the Weekend remain unchanged. Local birders will be on site from early am. Please note the directions - there is no other access other than the field car park! Approx 3 miles West of Newport on the B5062, turn left (if heading from Newport) down a narrow lane, signposted 'The Wall'. After approx 1/2 mile there is a farm on the left and after another 200m or so, turn right into the field designated for parking at SJ679179. Do not park on any of the verges of the narrow road or the farmyard. The landowner has made the field available for parking and opened up access to an area which is normally out of bounds. Go past the hide and almost immediately turn left over a small bridge. Turn left and follow the field perimeter to the far side. The fence line gives decent views. He has asked for a donation of £3.50 per CAR. All proceeds will be going to the Poppy appeal.

The rain hammered down late afternoon and still is locally but tomorrow should be fine! The the car parking field is OK at present, the entrance from the road is getting a bit churned up however so be careful when exiting (near a tight bend) or driving down the narrow lane nearby.......