Black-throated Diver

On Thursday evening there were some superb pictures of a summer plumage Black-throated Diver posted on the web. They were taken at Farmoor Reservoir near Oxford. Now I may not be into "twitching" or keen on travelling long distances for a bird, but I will travel for a good picture and these were too good to ignore. So Friday morning, I was in the car early and off to Oxford full of anticipation for the show stopping shots I was about to get.

Great plan but the execution was not quite as good. Nobody had told the bird to co-operate. Just before I arrived it had been feeding at the edge of the reservoir but it had been flushed by one of the anglers boats and when I arrived it was sitting out in the middle of the water and there it stayed.

I walked around the reservoir a couple of times. Somehow they always looks closer to the far bank but they never are once you walk round there. It was probably going to come in closer to the bank to feed at some stage but I had to get away about three o'clock to get home for an evening commitment.

This was my best shot. Its a big reservoir and with a 500mm lens, 1.4 extender and 1.6 multiplier in the camera this was the best I could get.

Distant Black-throated diver in the centre

You can blow it up in Photoshop but it's never going to give you a good picture and cannot compare with those taken the day before when the people had it ten to twenty feet from the camera. It just gives me an idea of what I missed.

Heavy crop of the shot above.

Still it was not a wasted trip. As well as the Diver, I saw my first Yellow Wagtails of the year, although I did not stop to photograph them as I was so keen to get to the Diver.

There was also this odd couple sitting on the reservoir causeway. They seemed inseparable and were not at all phased by the walkers, birders and photographers coming within a few feet of them - not me of course.

Dunlin and Sanderling

Summer plumage Dunlin

Summer plumage Sanderling

I went back to look for the Yellow Wagtails but they were gone. The best I could manage was a Pied.

Pied Wagtail

It was a long drive home with the thoughts of the missed opportunity but at least I came away with a couple of year ticks.

Greenshank and Others

Today was about catching up with a few of the birds I had missed out on over the past few weeks. Top of the list was the Little Gull. There have been plenty of reports of the bird but I had failed to connect with one despite visiting all the right places. So today was a visit to Wyckham Farm at Steyning to see if I could find the birds reported there.

I had a quick look for the Siberian Chiffchaff but I am not sure I would recognise it if I saw it. There were a few suspects about but they all had too much yellow showing to be the Siberian. Still it's always good fun trying to get any of the little brown things in focus long enough to get a picture.

There were gulls on the field as reported but unfortunately they were all Black-headed. I walked on and came back about thirty minutes later to find two more promising suspects flying with the Black-headed gulls.

Little Gulls - showing black underwing and bill

The birds stayed very distant but I still managed to get a couple of record shots.

Little gull

Little Gull

Next stop was the Nore stream. The Spotted Redshank was there as usual but this time it had a Greenshank along for company.

Spotted Redshank

Greenshank

keeping an eye out for aerial attack

Posing for another picture

I think that Greenshanks are one of the most impressive of the waders and this bird looked in great condition. I always expect them to be a lot more flighty than the Redshanks so was really pleased to get these shots although they do not really convey the quality of the bird on the day.

Flushed with success I then headed off to East Head to see the Snow Buntings. No luck this time. There were a few birds about but the sand was really whipping across the head. It was uncomfortable for me so it must have been difficult for the small birds. The majority of the birds were hunkered down on the exposed sand spits but the Sanderling seemed oblivious to the wind and driving sand and were still running around on the waters edge.

Sanderling

There were also Meadow Pipits feeding on the more sheltered eastern side of the head.

Meadow Pipit

And, one final picture. The red orbital rings on this Great Black-backed Gull caught my eye. They apparently indicate a bird in full breeding plumage.

Great Black-backed Gull

Perhaps the fish head is a little treat for some prospective partner.

A Few Quiet Days Birding

Its all been very quiet on the birding front lately. I have been out plenty of times but its just the usual suspects around, I have not managed to see anything new or unusual. I have had some target birds in mind, Turtle Dove, Flycatcher, Little Tern, Osprey and they are about, if only in small numbers, but so far not visible when I am there. Still it's great getting out into the countryside early in the morning, it really makes you feel alive. I know my luck will change soon, I just need to go birding even more often to make it happen!

The following pictures are the best from the past weeks birding and where better to start than the ubiquitous Whitethroat.

Whitethroat - Seaford Head

Linnet - Hope Gap

Another Whitethroat - Hope Gap

Rye Harbour looked like giving the best chance of seeing the Little Terns and at first I thought I was in luck, but you start to get suspicious when you realise they are not moving.

Perhaps if I added a bit of blur in Photoshop ......

Plenty of Common and Sandwich Terns there and a few Mediterranean Gulls on the edges of the Black-headed Gull colonies.

Sandwich Terns nesting amongst the Black-headed Gulls

Sandwich Tern

and in flight

Common Tern with half a fish

Mediterranean Gulls

I also called in on Arlington Reservoir. There are Turtle Doves around there somewhere and I often hear them calling but I have yet to see them. The Osprey did drop in whilst I was there but unfortunately I was off investigating the river just below the weir which is usually a good place for Damselflies and I missed it.

I did get to see a Great Crested Grebe trying to swallow a large fish. It took about a quarter of an hour to get it down as the bird was getting tired and the fish kept slipping out. It did succeed in the end but as it sailed off into the distance it still had the end of the fishes tail sticking out of its mouth.

Great Crested Grebe with its catch

Just a quick swallow

Proving a bit harder than expected - keeps slipping out

All gone - nearly!

 Do birds suffer from indigestion?

Nice to see so many so many fledglings about as well. This Pied Wagtail was busy trying to keep three hungry youngsters happy.

Already bigger than its mum.

And to finish off a nice sunset shot of a Sanderling in full summer Plumage.

Sanderling

Great Grey Shrike

Monday and with no sign of a Great Grey Shrike in Sussex we decided to drive over the border to Thursley Common in Surrey. There have been regular reports of a bird there and with an area named Shrike Hill it sounded like a good starting point.

When we arrived it seemed very similar to the Sussex commons, mostly devoid of birdlife. There was very little flying with only Chaffinches seen and a Woodlark heard. We picked what seemed like a good observation point with decent cover and after about twenty minutes we got our first distant views. We then relocated seeking cover again and trying to stay below the skyline.

Distant view of Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrikes are usually very visible, preferring to sit out on prominent perches where their white colour can be seen from a distance. It does, however, cover a large territory so seeing is easy but getting close enough for good pictures is difficult.

We managed a few shots but even though the ponds were frozen over there was a surprisingly high level of heat haze coming off the common which made focusing through the camera at a distance difficult. This year we seem to have missed out on those crisp cold February and March mornings, which give such good observation conditions.

Great Grey Shrike

Good record shots but should have been better

I usually complain about dog walkers spooking the birds but this time it was other birders wandering about and disturbing it. Better to sit and wait for it to come to you.

I suppose all bird photographers have the same approach. See the bird, get a record shot, get a better picture. We achieved the first two but the better picture will have to wait for another day.


Tuesday and the Red-breasted Goose was back on Farlington Marsh. Unfortunately I was over on Thorney Island looking for it in the wrong place. I did a complete circuit of the island and checked every goose I saw particularly the Brents. There were thousands of them on the island and on the surrounding mud flats and I was completely knackered by the time I got back to the car. I had already visited Warblington church and had an unsuccessful search for the Glossy Ibis so quiet a few miles covered carrying all the camera gear. Why did it have to choose today to change locations?

Kestrel over the Warblington Church turn off

Hidden benefits though, I missed the Red-breasted Goose but I did get year ticks in Whimbrel and Greenshank with nice pictures of the latter.

Whimbrel

Greenshank - Just inside the western security gate

Greenshank

And - a nice picture of a Sanderling on Ferring beach on the way home.

Sanderling

The exercise did me good but I need to see the RBG. The geese will all be leaving soon and it may not come back at the end of the year.