"Shooting" British Birds

[Lafone]

Was back at Slimbridge on 21st April.

Was great to see a pair of cranes nesting on the far side of the South Lake hide. A lone spoonbill was also sleeping on the island behind a flock of godwits. Hard to know where to look!



As a result of all the action I spent quite a bit of time in the Discovery hide - it has a turf roof complete with wildflower mix and a wild Oystercatcher was making itself at home above the door.



It is of course gosling time for the Greylags and they were all over the place. One pair had just the one older gosling, probably hatched during the colder weather and the only one left but doting parents were carefully escorting it around and it was a lot larger than the other new arrivals.

Elsewhere there were multiples per pair.



I do enjoy gosling season



and being inside the hide meant the parents didn't mind the photos, though there were still a few angry glances.

Up on the estuary tower had views of a group of four cranes flying along the estuary which was wonderful to see.

On the way back from the tower there was a noisy blackcap warbler in the trees



Had good views of a common sandpiper but not near enough for a good shot. Avocets were also all over the lake and happy to come within good viewing distance of the hide. Of course you can see them in the free flight wetlands aviary a few minutes walk away and that's a good place to practice shots of them. One of the nice things about Slimbridge is you can check out behaviour of the captive birds and then go and find them by watching out on the lakes and surrounding wetland.

There is something about getting a decent shot of a wild Avocet that makes it well worth sitting for a while.



On the other side, in the deeper water, shovellers were also busy nest building and treated us to a floatby. One of my favourite ducks.



There was also a duck hanging around with a mallard. Not in a signed pond but within the area where captives and wild ducks mix. I thought perhaps it was a magpie duck but more of a hybrid as some odd markings.

 

[Lafone]

Had a good visit to Frampton Marsh at the end of April, a mix of sun and rain made for some interesting light and active birds.

The highlight of the day was seeing a wild Red Breasted goose among the Brents. No photos as it was too far away, but a generous RSPB warden let me look through his birding scope. So interesting to see a wild one. The theory was that the goose had become lost during migration and found the Brent goose as familiar from home so settled with them. The reserve staff expected the goose would head off as the remaining Brents depart in May. A lot of birders arrived to look at the goose, but for a few minutes I had a quiet view of a bird I have only seen in exotic collections.

The goose signalled a really fun bird day - lapwings were speeding around protecting their nests from all comers as well as other lapwings



A little ringed plover wandered back and forth across the marsh and was chased away



and a Ruff sped off to join a group on the larger pond on the far side of the reserve, where I had good views of them later on.



The seawall which borders the reserve is also the walkway for the cows who graze the marshes. I found myself surrounded at one point as 15 or so of them made their way at pace to the hayracks off the end of the wall. I sat on a bench to avoid them but H309 decided to wait with me vs following the others so I waited for her to leave (not a bird, but take your animal photos where you can on a day out!).



It was very windy and the birds were obviously not wary about the cows and came quite close to where I was - H309's company allowed me to get a nice avocet flying nearby as it soared around to get on the right tack to achieve the marsh on the other side

Down on the reserve side of the marsh again I was delighted to see a pair of spoonbills. I have been so lucky with these so far this year and I followed them as they fed in the water and flew from one area to another



getting good views of both male and female

I am always amazed by these birds in captivity or not



In the shallows I also managed to see a Skylark and get a photo, albeit from a distance



Heading back the sun came out briefly sound of warblers echoed around the reeds and bushes. To my surprise I managed to find a Sedge warbler right at the edge in a perfect place for photos.

Over a few minutes I managed to sneak gradually closer for a shot of the bird in voice. Fantastic little moment watching the breathing and hearing that chattering, vibrating call. I hear these birds a lot but getting a good view of one is rare for me.



Last birds of the day were more Greylag goslings, one practicing an early neck dip



Back on the marshland near the car park there was a nice looking great egret, mallards and shovellers, so there was much to admire before leaving for the day.

 

[Lafone]

Had a fun day in a hide in private woodland at the start of the month.

If one thing is likely to pay off in bird photopgrahy it's waiting (and a bit of luck thrown in) and while there were mostly 'common' birds it was still an amazing and indeed peaceful way to spend the day alone with a camera and a book of birds.

A few feeders and some water made for a good group of bird visitors over around 12 hours. The 'waiting' or at least pausing is the one thing I'd say makes the most difference to snapping our feathered (and indeed non feathered) friends, as does watching how they move around and where they land.

I was divided on my bird of the day. The Eurasian Jay I think pipped the others as it was the first time I had captured decent shots. A couple of them came in and out.

One took a nut and threw it to itself ...it did this a few times and I managed to grab it.



There didn't seem to be a reason for it to throw the food around but it was very excited while doing it so I wasn't sure if it was part of displaying or just that corvid playing around thing at work.

My other big highlight was Nuthatch. I love the way they balance on the trees and grip on. They have such a great profile.

For a small bird they have a mighty whistle. Was good to catch them as they can be very speedy when you see them out when wandering about.



Other fun sightings included a few Coal tits. I don't see these very often compared to Blue or Great tits (and even less than Long Tailed tits), so it was fun to see them mingling about with their more numerous relations.

Naturally, there were robins to enjoy. One repeat visitor had only one leg but looked to be getting on well despite that. A great bird to get in lots of poses and a popular one to practice on - robins are a great mix of being both curious and less flighty than lots of other small birds.



The feeder attracted a pair of pheasants with the male looking particularly shiny. While you see these a lot around the fields, I really enjoy getting ground level shots of these birds.



A Magpie made a brief visit too, before seen off by the Jays



A few pairs of Chaffinch, Blue tits and Great tits made up the rest of the visitors, along with grey squirrels.

 

[Lafone]

Back on the wander round all day track on the 5th May, I headed to RSPB Strumpshaw Fen, where I was to have a lucky bird day indeed.

Just a few miles East of Norwich, it's an interesting mix of Reedbeds, marshlands, riverside walks and woods. It has a nice visitor centre. The weather was sunny and warm and along the banks of the river it was a busy day for boaters of all shapes and sizes from motor vessels to ones under sail. Three hides in different locations make for good views of the more open water and the reedbeds.

Along the water set back from the river, fish were feeding in the shallows, kicking up a lot of water. For a moment I thought perhaps it was an otter, but the fins gave the game away. No idea what they were but there were a lot of them and they were a size!

The Fen hide offered the main treat of the day. It overlooked a natural pond, with Greylag geese and Shovellers nesting on the banks. The sun was in the right spot for some nice light. As I arrived the sound of a male bittern booming could be heard in the reed beds.

First though a heron flew in to feed on the pond.



Not finding much to eat it flew off across the marsh.

A couple of male shovellers were bobbing at a female and then bobbing in unison with each other as they swam around. I really enjoy these big billed ducks.



One of the other people in the hide then said they saw a bittern fly up and back into the reeds. General excitement ensued and then out of the reeds the male bittern boomed really loudly and shot up, landed and disappeared again. I got a shot of the landing, missing it completely in flight.



But a sighting is a sighting! And I thought well if that's all I get all day I did get one! The booming continued but there was no sign of the bittern. Then, after about 30 minutes out it emerged again, flying straight across the front of the hide.

Quite the moment! I have never photographed one in flight before and have had few actual sightings. Previously it's been 'there must be one over there' booms. Wonderful to see one so close and with just over 200 males recorded in the UK in 2022, quite a rarity.

After the excitement of the fen hide I made my way to the tower hide, where a pair of greebes were making a nest and mating nearby.





Marsh harriers were also busy over the reed beds.

There is a walk of a few miles across the top of the reserve, following the river and then going back into the woodland. On the marsh between river and woods, a kestrel was hunting



offering some nice views as it swooped down to the fen bed and back up before it flew off over the trees. There are walks through the marsh area in some of the year but they were closed for nesting birds and to allow the highland cattle to graze the area.



In the woodland on the way back there was some welcome shade as the temperature went into the 20's. Noisy and active Muntjac deer led me to find a hare fold on the edge of a sandy bank and there were some nice long tailed tits in the trees near the path to end a great day out.

 

[Lafone]

Taking my luck on the road yielded a mixed bag of results on the early May Bank Holiday weekend.

First I headed to Titchwell Marsh, an RSPB site on the East Coast with an extensive beach, marsh and reed beds and man made lagoons. It's been a while since I last visited, but it is usually an interesting site for wading birds. Recent sightings there include spoonbills, cranes and spotted flycatchers, though none of those on the day I was there.

There was a bit of excitement as the coast guard were in attendance rescuing a dog from one of the islands in the lagoon. Although dogs are permitted on the main path, they are not permitted to run free. But it turned out to be a rescue dog who had got scared on the beach in Hunstanton (some 5.7m away!) the day before and been spotted in the reserve by the wardens that morning. A very relieved owner and a great job by the coast guard to get the dog off the island and by some random birder who grabbed it as it scrambled up the bank.

I was expecting a good number of people around the whole reserve but thought they would spread out. Instead there was hardly anyone to be seen and the beach was deserted.



I guess people had gone to the other beaches along the coast with nearby parking.

I walked a mile or two to the cordoned off area at the point to see if I could spot any interesting birds, but they had also decided on a quiet afternoon. I did see a few nice Oystercatchers flying overhead and feeding down by the tide line and in the dunes there was a flock of bearded tits though a photo eluded me.

On the way back a pretty little Dunnock was singing away in the bushes at the edge of the dunes



gazing around, the lord of all it surveyed.



Spending some time in the different hides the black headed gulls were nesting on the grassy roof of the main hide and elsewhere and Oyster catchers and Avocet were busy across the marsh, along with Greylag and Canada geese with their youngsters.



A couple of Greylag geese had a brood of thirteen goslings they were escorting along the footpath and down to the water with some spitting and hissing, though they did permit picture.

 

[Prochilodus246]

@Lafone It appears I have been missing your posts as with many of my watched threads as alerts don't appear to be coming through.

Your trip to Slimbridge looked lovely. The shot of the oystercatcher is gorgeous as it's amongst the ribwort plantain. Initially I did wonder how you had managed such a fabulous eye level shot but given it was on the living roof that adds up. Some sweet gosling shots and that avocet one is a beauty.

Nice work at Frampton with the spoonbills in flight. I also enjoyed the sedgie shots. I still lack a photo of a sedge warbler.

Superb work on the jay in the private woodland. Such a beautiful yet fairly destructive species but they do a good job with planting all those oak trees. Some of which is done deliberately.

Really good shots of the bittern, a species that still eludes my camera!

Those greylags seem to be doing well with 13 goslings of a decent size. I wonder how many will end up fledging?

 

[Prochilodus246]

Tomorrow I'll finally get round to updating this thread with some of my birding as I'll be visiting somewhere I have had on my bucket list since I was very young. Watch this space!

 

[Lafone]

I had a more surprising result on the second day of the BH weekend, heading back to RSPB Lakenheath Fen.

It was a very warm, still day and not too much activity, people or birds. The sun bounced off the made paths between the woods and a heat haze rippled across the marsh.

A nice hairy dragonfly sat still long enough for a shot in the sunshine.

On the walk through the woods I could hear a Cuckoo calling but despite peering around couldn't see anything.

At the top of the reserve though my luck changed. I sat for some time, hoping to catch a glimpse of a passing crane (the far end of the reserve was still shut off for their nesting), watching an egret and some mallards paddling in the marsh and then heard another Cuckoo calling, like an echo of the first. A birder with a scope then spotted it in the trees and suddenly it flew close enough to see through my lens.



I've never had a good shot before, so was pleased to see one at all, when it flew across in front of us and settled in a tree.



It sat, calling, delighting the people sitting there and then flew away over the reeds



Quite the treat!

Elsewhere there were good sightings of small birds, great and blue tits and greenfinches as well as grebes, tufted ducks, mallards and a Pochard but nothing to catch well on camera. Young moorhens and goslings completed the day.

 

[Lafone]

@Lafone It appears I have been missing your posts as with many of my watched threads as alerts don't appear to be coming through.

Your trip to Slimbridge looked lovely. The shot of the oystercatcher is gorgeous as it's amongst the ribwort plantain. Initially I did wonder how you had managed such a fabulous eye level shot but given it was on the living roof that adds up. Some sweet gosling shots and that avocet one is a beauty.

Nice work at Frampton with the spoonbills in flight. I also enjoyed the sedgie shots. I still lack a photo of a sedge warbler.

Superb work on the jay in the private woodland. Such a beautiful yet fairly destructive species but they do a good job with planting all those oak trees. Some of which is done deliberately.

Really good shots of the bittern, a species that still eludes my camera!

Those greylags seem to be doing well with 13 goslings of a decent size. I wonder how many will end up fledging?

Yes it's been a good couple of months! I was super pleased with a few of these shots as first really good ones (warbler, spoonbills, cuckoo and of course the Bittern which I don't expect to see again!) The jay was a favourite too, so hard to see them without somewhere to hide. The Oystercatcher shot was a bird created cheat..such an obliging place to perch! Getting onto the floor to get the front blur on plants etc with birds can be a pain so having the living roof was great and same for the black headed gull too.

The 13 greylag goslings were all such different sizes I didn't know if perhaps it was a group effort vs just one pair or if some were just not doing so well. With the benefit of the fox proof fence they probably get more through to fledge than average but it was the largest group I've seen so far this year - quite the contrast to the large singleton and it's proud parents at Slimbridge!

 

[Prochilodus246]

Today was the day... A day I have been waiting for since I was maybe six years old and one from my bucket list...A day at Bass Rock!!!

For those who may not be as familiar with Bass Rock as British and European birders, Bass Rock is home to the world's largest colony of Northern gannets Morus bassanus with around 75,000 pairs! The rock is also home to Atlantic puffin, Great cormorant, Common guillemot, Razorbill, Black-legged kittiwake, European shag, Northern fulmar as well as various other Larus gulls.

We initially started the boat trip from the North Berwick harbour and whilst travelling to the rock we witnessed many of the auks, puffins and a couple of gannets out fishing as well as a couple of pairs of Common eiders.




After around half an hour, we reached the rock with the stench hitting us before we saw the sheer numbers of gannets. It was awe-inspiring to just see such a sheer quantity of such enormous birds flying above us and beside the boat. A truly wondrous experience!!! If you have not been, do make the trip, it is beyond worth it!

 

[Lafone]

Today was the day... A day I have been waiting for since I was maybe six years old and one from my bucket list...A day at Bass Rock!!!

For those who may not be as familiar with Bass Rock as British and European birders, Bass Rock is home to the world's largest colony of Northern gannets Morus bassanus with around 75,000 pairs! The rock is also home to Atlantic puffin, Great cormorant, Common guillemot, Razorbill, Black-legged kittiwake, European shag, Northern fulmar as well as various other Larus gulls.

We initially started the boat trip from the North Berwick harbour and whilst travelling to the rock we witnessed many of the auks, puffins and a couple of gannets out fishing as well as a couple of pairs of Common eiders.
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After around half an hour, we reached the rock with the stench hitting us before we saw the sheer numbers of gannets. It was awe-inspiring to just see such a sheer quantity of such enormous birds flying above us and beside the boat. A truly wondrous experience!!! If you have not been, do make the trip, it is beyond worth it!

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Sounds like a fantastic day! Love the puffins and gannets in numbers, great stuff.

 

[Prochilodus246]

I had forgotten to add the general scenery photos from the boat trip so here are those

 

[Lafone]

I had forgotten to add the general scenery photos from the boat trip so here are those View attachment 705553 View attachment 705554

What a great looking spot, no wonder it is said to look like a black iceberg!

 

[Lafone]

Much less drama than grebes and puffins next!

Back to a reminder that you can get some nice birds shots whilst at the zoo. A curious young Blackbird hopping around near the red panda enclosure on a recent Banham visit.



And at YWP in the sunshine there were some good looking goslings next to the lake near the Geladas



and (because you can never have enough robins) some pretty robins singing away in the shade of the tall trees in the expansive lemur enclosure

 

[Lafone]

Back at Welney on a slightly gloomy day near the end of May, there were lots of birds to enjoy but not many pictures to be had. Great and Little Egrets, large groups of mallards, reed buntings and a tiny reed warbler all showed themselves and a marsh harrier swept around collecting nesting materials. A good day to have binoculars in the bag.

A few native species were easier to find, with busy house sparrows across the site



and later in the morning a little wren was singing in the brances on the way to one of the hides



In the main hide, barn swallows were nesting in platforms fixed in the eaves of the areas above the viewing windows and in the basement with adults and fledglings mobbing about. Watching them catching insects outside and flying back into the hide was a real treat. While it was a little dark to do more than watch them, a youngster did sit for a photo for a moment



Overall a good day of seeing birds, not to many picture opportunities, but that's a wildlife day out for you!

 

[Lafone]

Slimbridge bound at the start of June it was another opportunity to see young birds on the nest and moving around with their parents. Looking to make a return visit shortly as the cranes have hatched chicks but on this visit they were still sitting on the nest.

First though on the ponds near the Peng Observatory, black headed gulls and Avocets were in dispute over the nesting sites scattered across the small islands



swooping and chasing there were a few noisy clashes



before everyone settled back into the nest spaces they had all been on in the first place.

There was a lot of movement between the two ponds. No chicks at this stage for the Avocets (early nests had been predated), but fledging youngsters for the gulls with busy parents fetching food for them



The Avocets went back to moving between the groups on the left and right of the hide, ducks and ducklings looking on



Coots and Moorhens were also busy raising their broods. From nests on the bird lake



young coots came up onto the paths with their parents, navigating around the geese and ducks to grab some food from visitors and complete the early introduction to a life around people with bags of corn.



Moorhens near the Estuary tower were also busy feeding their youngsters in the shallow pools coming off the river



It was great to be able to go along the summer walkway which recently reopened and try and spot the White Spotted Blue Throat known to be in residence at the far end of the path. No sightings for me sadly, but the views across the estuary were excellent all the same.

Gosling highlight of the day were two youngsters for wild Barnacle geese - a ringed bird, P07 (who was four when first reported visiting Slimbridge in 2022) and their unringed partner.

Such lovely looking geese and great to see the goslings

Of course there were also Greylags with goslings in tow. All in all it's been a lovely start to the Spring and early Summer young bird wise.



After hearing them all day but not getting a shot, a pretty Sedge Warbler finally showed itself in the plants on the path back to the visitor centre just before closing, finishing off a good bird day.

 

[Lafone]

Sounds a great idea!

On the travel front, but still domestic, had a first visit to RSPB Rainham Marshes in mid June. I was on my way to a photography hide for the evening, so thought a wander around the marsh would be good fun.

Rainham marshes rest near the Thames and are just a few miles from the M25 with the Dartford crossing visible in the distance. Within moments of the motorway and busy intersections, the marshes and woodlands have lots of peaceful trails, well structured hides and expanses of grasslands, reed beds and pools. A very smart visitor centre stands at the trail head and I looped around the whole site in about 4 hours (obviously at bird gazing pace).



The site has some interesting historical features dating from the first world war, among them one of the few remaining WW1 era pill boxes (used to watch over the Thames in case of invasion) and extensive firing ranges and shooting butts which were first constructed in 1906 and expanded in 1915. The original mantletts and target hoists remain and in the woodland an old Cordite store acts as a walkthrough into an area teeming with insect houses and birdsong. Fascinating and sobering to think of the soldiers training for the first war in this area and the contrast of the space returning to such peace now. Actually worth a visit in itself.

Mixed weather (from pouring rain to sunscreen and back again) made for some active birds, with egrets and grebes on the ponds along with a good population of geese, swans, moorhens and coots. Common terns swept around overhead and there was a lovely group of swifts at the top of the reserve and a vast number of ducks.

I spotted a heron in the reed beds, though it was soon chased off by a pair of coots.



On the path through the reed beds I finally sighted a Sedge warbler and spent a good few minutes vainly trying to focus in on it before grabbing a few shots - the grass that was in my way actually turned into a nice frame in the end. It was a super windy day and this bird was busy singing at the top of it's voice while the reeds swayed back and forth practically to the horizontal. Great grip!



A nice Goldfinch was singing in the trees and I managed to pick it out.



And of course I had to grab the obligatory house sparrow.



Not a bird to end with, but I did enjoy the dragonflies, with (I believe) a black tailed skimmer resting in the plants outside the window of the main reserve hide

I don't know much about dragonflies but am keeping an eye out for them this season!

 

[Prochilodus246]

It looks as though you had a fantastic day. The shot of the heron through the soft rush and reed canary grass looks really lovely. The shot of the sedge warbler almost looks like a painting. The dragonfly certainly looks like a Black- tailed skimmer but I'm slowly getting the hang of more uncommon UK species so I may be wrong. It might be worth adding your annual bird sightings as well as your other wild species to the big year thread.

 

[Lafone]

It looks as though you had a fantastic day. The shot of the heron through the soft rush and reed canary grass looks really lovely. The shot of the sedge warbler almost looks like a painting. The dragonfly certainly looks like a Black- tailed skimmer but I'm slowly getting the hang of more uncommon UK species so I may be wrong. It might be worth adding your annual bird sightings as well as your other wild species to the big year thread.

Thanks yes it was a lovely day! One of those where I didn’t see loads to photograph but what I did see was super. I’ve been trying a bit of blurring (in the shot at the time not in post) so was really pleased to get the Sedgie through the grass. Most of my wildlife is just what comes along.

It’s always tempting to try for the close shots but it’s great to capture the birds in their surroundings.

I’ve never photographed a dragonfly like that before and it’s good to know it’s probably the right ID.

I will have a look at posting in the big year thread - I read it as it’s fun to see what people are finding, some serious watchers there!

 

[Lafone]

Had another day in the private woodland hide at the end of June. In contrast to my earlier visit the plants had really come out. I was keen to see if I could spot and photograph some juvenile small birds and it was great to go twice at slightly different times, to contrast the area as well as the wildlife.

I was lucky with the jays, this time with a pair who came in and out all day.

showing off their amazing colours



It was a good day for small birds too. A smart female chaffinch was happy to pose



and blue tit adults came in and out too



It was interesting to see interactions between robins and great tits, with one robin flying in for some food



and then getting a telling off from the Great tit (the Robin was off again at pace)



I had hoped to see fledglings for the Great and Blue tits and I wasn't disappointed. The colours on the youngsters are lovely



and it was interesting to see them next to each other, making it easy to contrast their size and early plumage.



There was a bit of shouting at the now rather less interested adults. The Great tit youngsters were super loud - definitely the song of the day.



And such a contrast in colour to the adults



Some nice mallards and a lot of grey squirrels also visited, with a good looking male pheasant at the very end of the day. It's certainly a great way to see birds and while it might seem a little strange to some people to sit for 13 hours in a hut next to a pond, it's a great way to see wildlife if you don't mind a bit of waiting.