A few from the last 10 days

Have been rather busy over the last few days so not had a chance to do as much photography as I would have liked. I did however manage to head down to Dungeness about 10 days ago to try and see the Black-Winged Stilt that had been reported. The weather was awful - very windy and not really conducive to photography. Did manage to get a couple of shots I was pleased with though - despite the fact it was a little way away. Also managed a couple of swift photos but would like to tey this again when less windy and I can hold the camera stiller!
101. Black Winged Stilt

102. Swift

I then managed a couple of short trips to Old Lodge. Probably the closest reserve to me so ideal for quick trips. I will spend a bit more time there soon but I was pleased to get a few shots to be getting on with.

103. Tree Pipit

104. Cuckoo

105. Redstart

100 up!!

A trip to Dungeness last weekend provided me the opportunity to get the 3 birds I needed to get to 100 species. There were whitethroats everywhere although very flighty but I eventually managed to snap one! The Common terns have returned and I saw and photographed a distant hobby - however it was rather too distant so will try again for a hobby another day. Unlike the whitethroats the sedge warblers were very obliging and sat up nicely allowing me to get a shot of my 100th species.
Later at Rye I saw some lovely sandwich terns fishing and a few little terns as well (although sadly the little tern pictures are rubbish!)

98. Whitethroat

99. Common Tern

100. Sedge Warbler

Sandwich Terns

Pulborough Brooks

A morning visit to Pulborough Brooks last week was rewarded with some lovely views of Nightingales. Whilst often hidden by branches etc there was one that was very obliging and came out in the open regularly to sing. I also saw some ;ovely bullfinches whilst there but they didn't ever stay still enough to photograph. I did manage a (rather distant) Wren shot and was pleased to see a drake Garganey. I should have managed a photo of a garden warbler but messed up the settings!!
95: Nightingale

96. Wren

97. Garganey

Wales - Continued

The next day in Wales began as previous days had began - looking for dippers! By this stage we had worked out that a pair were flying up and down the stream where our cottage was on a regular basis. Thee was a rock with bird's mess on which we figured must be the spot the Dippers used. So we waited...and waited..until at last one of the dippers landed right in front of us on the rock. Cue excitement as we all raised our cameras up - and scared the little sod away!!! So yet again no dipper pictures!

We then headed off to Ynis Hir. Had a great day and although we didn't see many species of birds I did manage to see a Pied Flycatcher for the first time ever. Such a lovely bird. Also managed a couple of others toward my total.
88. Pied Flycatcher

89. Willow Warbler

90. Whooper Swan

The next day in Wales was our last and began as usual - looking for dippers. Yet again we failed to see any that weren't flying at such a speed we couldn't capture them. We were off to the Dyfi Osprey project but on the way decided to stop in at Gilfach NNR for one last look around. Eventually we managed to see and photograph a Dipper!!

91. Dipper

The Osprey project was great but the Ospreys were a long away away so my pics aren't very good. Nice to watch them though. Managed a siskin picture from the hide.

The next day we visited Slimbridge. A bank Holiday Weekend wasn't necessarily the best time to try and photograph birds but it was lovely to see the nesting cranes in front of one of the hides.

92. Crane

93. Herring Gull

94. Jackdaw

So overall a very nice few days away. Saw some great birds and the weather was great. Just as we were leaving Slimbridge we saw this little fellow that made the week even better:

Water Vole:

A few days in Wales

When I started this challenge I did not expect to be going to Wales for Easter. However with the weather being good we thought we'd take advantage of our time off and booked a last minute trip to Mid Wales for a few days.

First stop was Gilfach Nature Reserve. A great place which provided me with my first sighting of a dipper. Sadly it was distant and flew as I tried to get closer. Despite waiting around for a while I did not see it again so failed to get a picture (this would become a theme!)

We headed to our cottage and noticed a small stream at the end of the drive from the cottage. On the stream my wife saw another dipper and at the cottage there was a lovely (but slightly nervous!) Grey Wagtail.
84. Grey Wagtail

The next day we explored the area around our cottage. I saw 3 more dippers but all in flight and despite waiting quietly none of them landed anywhere near us! In the afternoon we paid a visit to Gigrin Farm. What an amazing place!! I could fill this blog just with the Red Kite pictures I took but for now will just add a few. I also saw a redstart (no pic) a Raven and some buzzards there.

85. Red Kite

86. Raven

87. Rook

Buzzard

When we got back to our cottage I spent an hour watching Dippers - but guess what? No pictures!!

More of Wales trip to come soon!!

A day on the Isle of Sheppy

Ok I have photographed lots of birds recently but have been very poor at updating my blog. I'll try and put this right over the next few days as I am very pleased with some of the pictures I have taken.

A couple of weeks ago I spent the day on the Isle of Sheppy. The first bird seen was (yet again!) a Marsh Harrier:

I then managed a couple of shots of birds I had not yet managed this year

81: Lapwing

82: Redshank

Had a great day and saw quite a few birds but most fairly distant so photos were few and far between. I did manage a distant (and only just passable for this challenge!) Yellow Wagtail.

83. Yellow Wagtail:

A couple of Summer Arrivals

The influx of migrants has meant that I have had a chance to get a couple of new species for my challenge:
78. Blackcap

79. Chiffchaff

I also managed a distant shot of what I originally thought was a marsh harrier but was actually a Hen Harrier :)

80. Hen Harrier

I saw green sandpipers and a glossy ibis also but sadly the pics are too distant to count for this challenge :(

Got a few decent pics of a couple of birds I had already seen:

Great Crested Grebe:

Marsh Harrier: