"Shooting" British Birds

[Lafone]

Having a morning meeting a short drive from Frampton presented too much temptation to just go and check out some birds so I took a half day holiday on 24th Jan and headed off into the reserve. Although Storm Eowyn was wreaking havoc across the Northern parts of the UK and NI, Frampton was bright and clear, though the wind was very strong (the gusts nearly blowing me off my feet as I wandered up to the sea defence wall). Only a few few people were out and I had all the hides to myself.

I wasn't expecting that many birds, but the strong winds meant quite a few were to be found feeding in the comparative shelter of the main scrapes.

The Brent geese came off the saltmarsh in huge numbers. An impressive sight with them all up and the noise was amazing.



They settled into the field at the far side of the reserve to graze, offering the opportunity to get closer to the flock than usual.



They headed back and forth to the nearby open water



alarming the Godwits who soared up and around



before settling down again alongside my first Shovelers of 2025



A flash of white among the grazing Greylags drew my attention as I settled into the 360 hide, where I welcomed a bit of time out of the wind.

I've noticed a mostly white goose flying around with the Greylags on a couple of visits and I assumed it was a stray domestic. Getting a better view this time though this didn't seem to be an escapee on this occasion but a hybrid or perhaps a leucistic Greylag?



Both shots are from quite a distance unfortunately (I have a few but the group came no nearer), though you can see the Greylag like markings and then the colour contrast with the other Greylags. It did appear, through binos, to have a white ring in a lighter blue eye.



Also sheltering from the wind, at the end of the reserve, a flock of Goldfinches was feeding on the Teasels

obliging me with some great poses and a cheerful soundtrack



and there were some nice Wigeon feeding on the grass next to the path to finish off the afternoon.

 

[Lafone]

Good day at Slimbridge on 31st Jan. Weather forecast was clouds and rain but it was bright and sunny for much of the day and lots of birds were out despite the cold. There was little wind so conditions were ideal for a day out admiring the birdlife.

Treat of the day came on arrival, with a Glossy Ibis mingling with the other birds in the fields before the entrance. Have never managed to get reasonably close to one before so the day was made even as it began!



There were also some nice Redwings along the hedgerow and the field was busy with Greylags landing and taking off, making for some nice 'touchdown' shots.

After far too long watching the Ibis walk up and down, I headed into the reserve to find a good number of Bewicks with some fly pasts

and groups gathered on Tack Piece noisily seeing each other off and making their distinctive sound.



White fronted geese flew back and forth overhead on their way to the Estuary and back inland to feed



They are not as inclined to come inland as the other geese so great to see them swooping around. There were hundreds of Lapwing and Plovers as well as Dunlin, Ruff and Redshank so it was a crowded landing site, though the Canadas were not concerned as they came in for a noisy splashdown.



A lone Spoonbill was also on Tack Piece, soaring along above the swans before landing among the Lapwing to feed.



Flocks of Shovelers were also busy flying about, their colours looking particularly lovely in the sunshine. Who can resist these big billed ducks.

On the feeders at both ends of the reserve there were groups of Long Tailed tits showing off their colours

and posing nicely on the branches between visits to the peanut feeders



There was feeder competition with Coal tits



Chaffinches



as well as busy Blue and Great tits all flying about in numbers. A wonderful small bird day. I can never understand the people who pass by... 'I can see those in the garden' or declaring how boring the small birds are. I always enjoy them! I get some photographers want the 'unusual' shot, I am more easily pleased.



It's not as common for me to see Siskin and it was great to see them on the feeders



They are such pretty small birds and I felt fortunate to see them so close up when they are often high up in the Alder and easier to hear than see

An all round excellent day out.

 

[Prochilodus246]

Really lovely to see our first ibis on the thread, and a great photo too. Superb picture of the Greater White-fronted Geese in flight too!

 

[Prochilodus246]

An early start on the morning of Wednesday as me and one of my two birding friends set off in search of Hawfinch. We had seen reports over the course of the winter that a number of birds were frequenting Rufford Abbey as they do year on year but this week was the only chance we had gotten thus far since starting university. Thankfully, to our relief we located the Hawfinch after about twenty minutes and some help from birders who had seen the species but the bird being too distant for the camera meant only a blurry photo through the scope was the best I could get. Our other friend, who has seen the species previously, couldn't make it as he was out bird ringing (banding) and although he was jealous he wasn't too miffed.



To warm ourselves up after seeing the Hawfinch we took a stroll around the small lake and didn't see too much out of the ordinary but as @Lafone has pointed out there is nothing wrong with snapping the common as muck species that we take for granted as they have beauty in their own right. Here's just a couple other photos from the morning:


Common Pochard, drake

The ubiquitous Feral Pigeon, but I must say I really do like the individuals with brown plumage

Greylag Geese galore

Gadwall, drake

The usual ranks of Black-headed Gulls

 

[Lafone]

Lovely to see Hawfinch! That’s a nice treat.

I do also really like the row of gulls - as you say all these more common birds are fun to watch and indeed snap!

 

[Lafone]

Good day out at Slimbridge on 16th Feb with the weather cold but dry.

A good number of swans and geese were about and six cranes were feeding around Tack Piece. Also managed to get my first decent view of a Common Pochard this year.

I was hoping for Tree creepers on the South Finger path and gazing at the trees, when I noticed a Brown Hare in a form on the top of the bank at eye level. With a longer lens I was able to get some close shots without getting near it.

Quite a few people were around when I went past later the hare had moved on, but it was still great to see one



Making the most of the small bird feeders near the Kingfisher hide paid off with some more good opportunities to see Chaffinches

Coal tits



as well as Long Tailed tits in good numbers



It was fun to watch the Long Tails hanging onto the branches and eating the seeds they retrieved, quite a contrast to the style of the larger tits



A group of Goldfinches also came through



These feeders will be gone soon as they are removed for the Kingfisher breeding season (when all the hide windows will also be plastic tied shut), so great to make the most of them now before they are gone until next winter.

A group of Teal were in the small pond that floods under the other small bird feeders which stay all year round, offering some nice close up views

and a Song thrush was wandering around in the grass



There was no sign of the Water Rails that often hang about, but there were plenty of Moorhens



There was a short visit from a Great Spotted Woodpecker and I was hoping for some good shots



but unfortunately a noisy group of photographers were chatting about lenses at the top of their voices and it disappeared and didn't come back, closely followed by all the Teal. Hide etiquette for the win. A few of the small birds stayed around



but it was a good time to move on.

It was another fine day for large flocks of birds, with a lot of flight activity on the Rushy and elsewhere as a Marsh Harrier soared overhead (not near enough for any pictures), it's always fun to see the big flocks of birds at this time of year

 

[Lafone]

Last couple of zoo visits in Feb have also yielded some good opportunities for birds, with Red Kites at Hamerton



waiting for a chance to feast on the chicks in the White Stork enclosure



and small birds including Dunnock, Chaffinch and various tits on the feeders near the Flamingoes at CWP



and a chance to mess about with flight shots blurring wings with Mallards on the lake in the rain



Whipsnade also offered a few different birds as usual, with the Meerkat house making for a nice smooth background in the right colour for a good shot of a Robin perching on the edge of the enclosure



and recent works on signage near the lions leaving small piles of earth containing lots of worms



which also attracted some nice Thrushes

 

[Dr. Loxodonta]

An early start on the morning of Wednesday as me and one of my two birding friends set off in search of Hawfinch. We had seen reports over the course of the winter that a number of birds were frequenting Rufford Abbey as they do year on year but this week was the only chance we had gotten thus far since starting university. Thankfully, to our relief we located the Hawfinch after about twenty minutes and some help from birders who had seen the species but the bird being too distant for the camera meant only a blurry photo through the scope was the best I could get. Our other friend, who has seen the species previously, couldn't make it as he was out bird ringing (banding) and although he was jealous he wasn't too miffed.

View attachment 772548

To warm ourselves up after seeing the Hawfinch we took a stroll around the small lake and didn't see too much out of the ordinary but as @Lafone has pointed out there is nothing wrong with snapping the common as muck species that we take for granted as they have beauty in their own right. Here's just a couple other photos from the morning:

View attachment 772551
Common Pochard, drake
View attachment 772552
The ubiquitous Feral Pigeon, but I must say I really do like the individuals with brown plumage
View attachment 772553
Greylag Geese galore
View attachment 772554
Gadwall, drake
View attachment 772557
The usual ranks of Black-headed Gulls

Nice picture of the Hawfinch, I saw a nice individual recently that I’ll talk about more on ZooChat Big Year. I saw my bird in Grittleton, near Chippenham (where a good few have been seen recently).

 

[Prochilodus246]

Nice picture of the Hawfinch, I saw a nice individual recently that I’ll talk about more on ZooChat Big Year. I saw my bird in Grittleton, near Chippenham (where a good few have been seen recently).

Very nice indeed, a cracker of a species!

 

[Lafone]

A sunny February day at RSPB Frampton Marsh on 22nd Feb offered some good opportunities to see active birds, with female Stonechats



busy hunting for caterpillars in the grass



and there were both Reed Buntings and Corn Buntings in the trees at the end of the reserve. First sighting this year.

There were lots of Greylags flying about to feed



noisily disputing with each other



and pairing off



A good looking Little Egret managed to navigate it's way among the crowd



The injured Whooper swan I've seen on a few visits is still on the reserve, now grouped up with a lone Greylag and a one eyed Canada Goose. As it is inside the fox-proof fence it could continue to make good progress, as the injured and now flightless Whoopers at Welney have (a few now in breeding pairs live there all year round though their goslings migrate off when they are old enough). All the mini flock had been feeding in the mud, you can see the left broken wing.



There were large flocks of Starlings on the reserve and they flew down to the cattle crush to sit in the sun and offer a chance to try a bit of background blurring.

The ever present Magpies are also pairing up, settling on fence posts.



and near the close of the day Dunnock were singing in the bushes near the pond dipping area.

 

[Lafone]

It was cold and sunny with a strong wind on 8th March as I headed out to Welney to try and catch the last of the migrating swans before they start their long journey home. There were some small birds around the feeders with Reed Buntings



and a lively group of tree sparrows which was lovely to see (though not in terms of getting close enough for a good shot).



But the early promise wasn't to yield much on the reserve where there seemed to be more people than birds. After a couple of hours and a few hide visits, I decided to head off and try my luck elsewhere.

I was going to go to Ouse washes but as I had seen at least a few Tree Sparrows, I thought I would head to Lakenheath Fen instead, so drove out of Welney and along the quiet dyke bank road. As I drove along, about a mile from the centre, I noticed a lot of white 'blobs' in one of the fields. Perhaps some sheep grazing off, or maybe captive geese. But as I got closer I realised two harvested out beet fields were full of hundreds of Whopper Swans, most quite near the road. While I have seen big groups before I have never had the chance to get close, so I was able to park and wander around the quiet back road to get great views.

The sheer number of swans (a few people passing agreed with an estimate of about 500 or more) was amazing and the noise was something else. This is just a section.



The swans were busy flying back and forth across the fields



giving great views of adults



and juveniles alike



and there was much noisy grazing, displaying and calling.



It really was great to get the chance to see so many Whoopers close up in flight



I spent a good few hours around the fields. Mute swans flew overhead but the Whoopers had the day. A few birders stopped with scopes but it was generally quiet. A few cyclists came past though and stopped to ask what the birds were, so it was nice to enthuse about Whooper swans for a couple of minutes! Nice to see people appreciating the birds.

I was just picking out a Muntjac wandering around in the distance when I heard a call and a Buzzard flew in and landed among the swans, who appeared to completely ignore it. Not sure if the swans had disturbed a small rodent or something else, but getting a Buzzard in the middle of a load of swans was certainly a bonus.



Overall it was a fantastic experience and with so many Whoopers offering great views it was one of those moments you don't get very often even in swan season.

 

[Lafone]

Fun day at Slimbridge on 9th March with a lot activity around the site. Some nice views of the Avocets who have started arriving in numbers showing off their handsome plumage in flight



the Shelduck males were busy competing over the females



and the Mallards were mating



Was interesting to see the Black headed gulls starting their breeding plumage



and the Greylags were seeing each other off before taking some active baths



It was fun to see Teals bathing at close range too



On the feeders I had the first good shots of Greenfinches this year

and they were gathered in numbers



along with the always pretty Goldfinches



and the usual Tits,



The time where you can lurk at more than one feeder station at Slimbridge is over and the Kingfisher hide windows have been taped up and some of the small bird feeders removed. Given the cold weather the remaining feeders were covered in birds. The Kingfisher hide was packed with people, as it does get at this time of year, with no one ready to give up a view but the Kingfishers could be seen flying back and forth from the windows not overlooking the bank.

Of course there was always time for a nice Robin;



Elsewhere there were good numbers of Cranes onsite on Tack Piece and a second Spoonbill had joined the one who has been on site for a little while.

 

[Prochilodus246]

Really great selection of Whooper photos from Sunday, they really are such smart looking birds. I haven't seen them yet this year and as they are now headed back to breed I doubt I'll see them unless I pop to my closest Whooper location at the end of December.

Really lovely greenfinch photos, one of my favourite native finches I must say and as I write this post I can hear one outside my window.

 

[Lafone]

Enjoyable day at Frampton on 16th March, seeking what will probably be the last sighting I have of Brent Geese in numbers this year. It was bright but a bit cloudy which isn't a bad thing at Frampton as it means good views on both sides of the path.

The Geese were active on the scrapes and ponds near the path and flying back and forth across the sea bank in such numbers they blocked the sky



There were great opportunities to catch them flying around in groups



and taking off and landing. The noise was fantastic. Two weekends on the trot with big groups of birds close enough to watch without binoculars felt like a lucky streak indeed.



As I was wandering between the gaps in the reeds to get a better angle on the Geese, a Water Rail burst out of the cover and flapped off to the next reed bed. A lucky sighting and I managed to grab it as it ran and get the eye in focus

There were also some nice Ruff wandering around



offering good views



Lots of Greylags were gathered at the more sheltered end of the reserve



and it's always fun to get to eye level with them as they lurk on the banks



A younger Mute Swan was also floating around, feeding and bathing,

and there were plenty of Starlings feeding among the Geese

Having had good luck with the Water Rail earlier in the day I then found a Little Grebe fishing on the sheltered ponds which was excellent to see



and it swam around diving and bobbing in that neat style they have before eventually disappearing back into the reeds. An excellent way to end the day.

 

[Lafone]

Had a good day on 5th April with visits to Slimbridge and then RSPB Otmoor on the way home. The good weather and nice evenings certainly are a bonus at this time of year.

Lots of activity at Slimbridge on a sunny but windy day with courting black headed gulls on the Rushy



and White fronted Geese on Tack Piece...fortunate to see the latter on the ground within photography distance. A large flock of Barnacle geese was also feeding there, driven inland by the wind.



A closer view was to be had of a Barnacle with one of the geese that makes regular trips to Slimbridge (blue ring B00) hanging about with the Greylags and settling down in one of the small pond gardens



I always enjoy these small handsome geese,



and hope to see the other regular, P07 appear with their partner and perhaps some youngsters again this year.

All the seasonal swans have migrated home now but the Mutes were still content to put on a flight show



and there was a lot of Shoveler activity



as competition hots up for the females



Stopping off at Otmoor in the late afternoon, the tiny car park was nearly full but I only saw a couple of people out on the reserve and by the time I returned just before dark there was only one other person left. I was hoping for some female pheasants and luck was in as I found a large male seeing off the others around the bird feeders, ending up with three females in tow. I wasn't fortunate enough to catch the males fighting but there was a good amount of crowing



shaking of tail feathers



and general prancing about



I was then quite surprised to get shots of the pheasants mating, which I haven't captured before

and had some good views of the three females

There were some good small birds on the feeders (blue and great tit and chaffinches) though a visiting rat put them off. I am not the largest fan of rats but they do a good balancing act in the pleasant evening light and it's always better when you can see them. The reserve has no centre but the feeders are attended and will be removed now and then to keep the rats down to a manageable number. The pheasants chased the rat off when it was on the ground - guess they are the size to do that.

Elswhere on the reserve there were busy butterflies including some nice Orange Tips

 

[Dr. Loxodonta]

Had a good day on 5th April with visits to Slimbridge and then RSPB Otmoor on the way home. The good weather and nice evenings certainly are a bonus at this time of year.

Lots of activity at Slimbridge on a sunny but windy day with courting black headed gulls on the Rushy

View attachment 784839

and White fronted Geese on Tack Piece...fortunate to see the latter on the ground within photography distance. A large flock of Barnacle geese was also feeding there, driven inland by the wind.

View attachment 784842

A closer view was to be had of a Barnacle with one of the geese that makes regular trips to Slimbridge (blue ring B00) hanging about with the Greylags and settling down in one of the small pond gardens

View attachment 784843

I always enjoy these small handsome geese,

View attachment 784844

and hope to see the other regular, P07 appear with their partner and perhaps some youngsters again this year.

All the seasonal swans have migrated home now but the Mutes were still content to put on a flight show

View attachment 784852

and there was a lot of Shoveler activity

View attachment 784853

as competition hots up for the females

View attachment 784854

Stopping off at Otmoor in the late afternoon, the tiny car park was nearly full but I only saw a couple of people out on the reserve and by the time I returned just before dark there was only one other person left. I was hoping for some female pheasants and luck was in as I found a large male seeing off the others around the bird feeders, ending up with three females in tow. I wasn't fortunate enough to catch the males fighting but there was a good amount of crowing

View attachment 784858

shaking of tail feathers

View attachment 784856

and general prancing about

View attachment 784859

I was then quite surprised to get shots of the pheasants mating, which I haven't captured before

and had some good views of the three females

There were some good small birds on the feeders (blue and great tit and chaffinches) though a visiting rat put them off. I am not the largest fan of rats but they do a good balancing act in the pleasant evening light and it's always better when you can see them. The reserve has no centre but the feeders are attended and will be removed now and then to keep the rats down to a manageable number. The pheasants chased the rat off when it was on the ground - guess they are the size to do that.

Elswhere on the reserve there were busy butterflies including some nice Orange Tips

Brilliant shots of the Barnacle Geese, they always look so comical with those tiny beaks.

 

[Lafone]

A bright Spring day at RSPB Strumpshaw Fen on 14th April delivered some excellent bird views, with several Marsh harriers (too far for any decent pictures but all sorts of behaviours to observe) and some good herons with Great blue herons flying past



and feeding in the reeds



and the Great Whites flying back and forth in the distance, standing out against the cream brown colours of the reeds



Having heard booming all day, another member of the family showed itself as a Bittern emerged and flew past the tower hide - an exciting moment. Not the best snaps but with a Bittern I'll take them and hope for another lucky shot this year!



The Bitternc headed off across the largest of the waterways and soon disappeared. The colours of the reeds and the water really are lovely at this time of year.



There were also dozens of Gadwall around offering some great views



and there were a few disputes going on between nesting geese with a furious Canada goose chasing a Greylag across the water after the latter got a little too close



The Greylag made a safe exit in the end missing a couple of feathers, but the Canada continued to protest before landing and eventually swimming serenely back to its partner as if nothing had gone on.



On the boardwalks around the far side of the reserve there were no people at all but a good number of early Spring butterflies, with some nice Peacocks



and fluttering Green Veined Whites completing a good day out.

 

[Lafone]

First half of a day out on 16th April was a new location to me, albeit not very far away as I headed off to Barnwell Country Park to try and get my first decent shots of wild Mandarin ducks. I'd heard they are a well established population (obviously coming from vagrant captives at some point) and I have never managed to get close up views without seeing them in captivity. I do love ducks and these are some of my favourites. I'd heard there were nice bird hides too so hoped that would be a bonus.

The playgrounds were busy and the car park was full when I left but the pond and hide areas were generally quiet.

A few bird hides have been built around the site, some with seats and others windowed only. One has some attractive perches for birdwatching / photography but sadly there was no feeding that day due to an explosion of rats. The birds were still landing in hope however offering a great start to the day with a good looking little Dunnock posing in the sun.

Moving around to another hide a Canada Goose was nesting just outside it (one of the visitors there mentioned this is a regular spot) and when she got up to tidy the nest and add a few twigs there were good views of the egg clutch



My target for the day however were the Mandarins and I thought they might be a bit hard to find as I walked around, but the park allows feeding and they are ducks of course so...once I found them they were close in and there were loads of them. Flying in and out and feeding, bathing, mating and diving under the Greylag and Canada Geese (which didn't seem to mind that much).

The ducks were showy indeed, with close up views of the beautiful males

and surprisingly contrasty females

showing off their perching behaviours by sitting on the railings for the wooden bridge across the pond



strolling around



swimming about in pairs



and showing off to each other (avoiding the odd Mallard taking exception to them)



There was bathing all round



and as it was a warm day, a lot of diving and drying off again



displaying all the colours and flapping about



and, as I sat on a couple of benches watching them for over two hours, wandering right up to peer at the camera.



A very Mandarin morning out. Thoroughly enjoyable. Such great colours in these neat ducks and as it was so quiet and peaceful I had better views than I have often had of them in captivity! Apparently the site also gets Nuthatch and Bullfinch, so will be making a return trip.

 

[Prochilodus246]

Excellent shots all round @Lafone Always great to see bitterns up and about although tricky customers to get good photos of. Male Gadwall are sorely underrated with their mottled grey plumage, a very dapper duck.

Great to see your local Mandarin location was a success. Some really beautiful photos showing all the detail in their plumage particularly in the first two photos. Keep your eyes peeled in tree holes to see if any youngsters make an appearance before they come to the ground.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

I’m really enjoying this thread. @Lafone Well done on the bittern sighting. There is a fantastic range of waterfowl to be relished in the UK and the intermittent butterfly sightings are great. Orange-tips are beautiful; that’s a species I’d love to see one day.

Keep them coming!