"Shooting" British Birds

[Lafone]

I'd seen a wild Tundra Bean Goose noted in 'latest sightings as hanging about with the Greylags at Slimbridge and it was on my mind when I visited on 9th August, though I didn't expect to see it.

It was an unusual bird day for me with sightings of my least seen Sandpipers, with Wood



and Green



both feeding near the hide on Tack Piece. A good way to start the way with a flock of Sandpipers. There were also some nice juvenile Ring Necked Plovers (though too far away for shareable shots).

The juvenile Shelducks were coming on well on the Rushy



and one of the Tufted broods was going along well with three growing ducklings. The family were making the most of the shelter and safety of the new water feature in the 'Estuary Shorelline' exhibit where only wild ducks, geese and swans provide the waterfowl views for visitors



I headed up to the Discovery hide to find the Tundra Bean Goose was present but a way off, swimming about with the Greylags on the far side of the deep part of the scrape. After about an hour the group swam up the channel and then crossed over to the other side of the water, wandering straight past the hide



I was super pleased to get a great view of this goose. My other sightings of Tundra Bean Geese have either been captive birds or wild ones that are very far away through binoculars. Quite a treat. The bird has no rings so is either an escapee from a collection somewhere, or an off course bird who has joined up with the Greylags as fellow geese (like the Red Breasted Goose I managed to see at Frampton last year). Either way, moment of the day in a good day out.

 

[merlin]

I've been enjoying this thread a lot. Always nice to look through!

 

[Lafone]

I've been enjoying this thread a lot. Always nice to look through!

Same here it’s fun to chronicle the bird photography year and it goes nicely with the big year 2025 too. Makes you realise how lucky we see to be able to go out and see birds like this.

 

[Lafone]

Some good small birds at Lakenheath Fen on 16th August. The mid point of the year can often be quiet but there is usually something to see. The water levels were very low on the scrapes and ponds, but there were a few Egrets around



There were also young herons, but the path along the pond where they were was closed off as badgers had dug up a wasp nest and the wasps were apparently infuriated. I avoided the area, though saw a couple of people with cameras moving the barrier rope to walk down...braver folk than me.

There were some nice finches on the feeders



along with some Great and Blue tits



and I was pleased to get a Willow Tit in the lens, with some excellent views



The feeders were full of peanuts, with the seed ones empty to deter the rats, but the odd one was climbing the trees anyway. They soon disappeared as there was nothing to eat.



Alongside the paths to the far end of the reserve there were lots of dragonflies and damselflies to enjoy with some good looking darters.



Having looped around the reserve there was little else out so, as it was a nice day (though windy), I headed off around the back roads to the RSPB HQ at The Lodge for a wander around the woods and heathland. Lots of song but not many birds showy in the wind, though the robins bucked that trend



and there were quite a few Muntjac wandering around the paths on the way back to the car as the light started to fade.

 

[Lafone]

I also had a note recently about the young ringed Med Gull I had reported at Slimbridge on my trip on 8th June, showing the interesting journey of these handsome gulls. A few reports at Slimbridge where it was hanging around with the Black Headed gulls. The second sighting I had this year, also at Slimbridge in July, was a Med Gull in breeding plumage but unringed.

Ringed (as a Pullus)

2XX9 21/06/2024 Inish Island, Lady's Island, Lake, Wexford, Ireland 52, 12N 6, 23W

Sightings

23-Nov-24 Gipuzkoa, Spain 43.3507, -1.7919
20-Dec-24 Gipuzkoa, Spain 43.3507, -1.7919
05-Mar-25 Ciboure Aquitaine, France 43.38175 -1.659836
30-May-25 WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom 51 72N 02 37W
03-Jun-25 WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom 51 72N 02 37W
08-Jun-25 WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom 51 72N 02 37W

 

[Lafone]

Another 2025 highlight as I got on a boat from Bridlington to travel around the coast to watch Gannets feeding in the sea off Bempton Cliffs. A very different perspective from the numerous visits to the clifftops this year.

Fantastic to see gannets chasing after the boat



and in the water in large numbers



One of my aims this season has been to try and grab Gannets of different ages and I was lucky to get some immature birds in the lens (c 2 years)



as they competed with the adults for food



I was interested to see the comparatively short take off runs the gannets make. The ratio of large feet and wings to body size and shape (and a bit of help from the waves) means they come off the water much faster than geese etc.

It was also interesting to see how they operate in close proximity to each other in the water, grabbing and flapping and screaming


The noise was amazing overall, even more impressive than being above them on the cliffs and drowning out the drone of the boat engine.

The melee had attracted a lot of juvenile gulls too, who added to the din.



Once we had sailed back to the harbour, getting good views of young Razorbills in the water on the way, there was time to go back up on the cliffs to watch the Gugas being stuffed with food

Some birds had second eggs (usually after a failure on the first chick) and the variety of plumage on the young was interesting to see with a lot of fluff still around



and others with their flight feathers further advanced



There were a few fights going on among the adults too, the bird here on the right was flung off the cliff shortly after this was taken, but reappeared for another go. Interesting to spend time watching all the different encounters in the colony.



The boat was definitely the highlight of the day all round though and being able to catch gannets taking off in the swell was one of the best moments of my photo year

 

[Lafone]

Back over to Slimbridge on 23rd August and a lucky day for close views. The weather was mixed with some heavy rain and overcast skites. A quiet reserve yielded some nice bird views however. I came across a couple of Snipe near the hide on the Rushy

and of a group of six or seven two showed well for photos



and fed for a while, showing their camouflage to good effect, before they flew off.



I was happy to wander around and watch the Gadwalls in between the showers



and see the juvenile Shovelers getting their adult plumage



A juvenile Avocet also came close to the Discovery hide which was lovely to see.



Looking across the lake I could see the pair of cranes Ruby (captive born) and Wilde (unringed, who partnered with her after her first captive born mate died) strolling around in the shallow water



I'd had excellent views of the pair with their two chicks in 2024 but this was the first time I had them properly in the lens this year. After grabbing a few distant shots, I headed off on the walk to the Hogarth hide to see if I could see them better from there (with the risk they would simply fly off before I got there as you cannot see the scrapes from the path which goes through the whole centre). I arrived to find the hide empty and all the chairs to choose from and the cranes nearby, offering excellent views as they bathed

and flew back and forth to feed on the banks



before strolling back into view. Wonderful to be able to see them and watch them for a while.



Heading back to the other hides I noticed a group of Greylags with a leucistic juvenile. I've had some sightings of leucistic geese before but never at close range so it was interesting to see them with the rest of their batch, hassling the visitors for grain



Some nice juvenile chiffchaffs were also about on an active bird day, which more than highlighted the benefit of getting out there in all weathers.

 

[Lafone]

Last day of August and a real 'transition' day with not many birds around. Warm and bright it felt like the final days of summer with the migrants gone and others not yet arrived. Headed out to Welney and then Wicken Fen and both offered pleasant walks. There were some nice small birds at Welney



and a busy scrape in front of the main hide with Greylags and Canadas and a few small waders



There were excellent views of both pairs of the downed Whoopers, still a summer exception before all their fellow swans come in for the winter



and it was fun to watch them bathing in the sunshine.



Wicken Fen was very quiet but there were some nice swallows on the roof of the visitor centre. It's not a place I visit that often. One area of the reserve was hosting a display with music playing from mock bat boxes in the trees and sound scape speakers in the reed beds, a little too focused on people 'experiencing' nature when it is already there for me but it seemed popular. The other hides had good view points and the walk around the reserve was a good way to spend the rest of the afternoon.

 

[Lafone]

The end of the clifftop season at Bempton for me as the darker nights come in and the main seasonal birds move out to sea. A wonderful final visit on 6th September found fledglings taking flight from the gannetry (some birds from the second batch of eggs will leave as late as November) and it was a good day to see the youngsters trying out their wings

and showing off their weight gain and size in relation to their parents



There was the chance to see a couple of gannets leap off for that first flight, which was a treat. Others still pestered their parents for food



The adult pairs were still greeting each other

and busy fetching materials from the cliffside to show off to their mate



but most of the adult's attention was still on the youngsters that were left on the cliff



It was just the right weather for some fun flight shots of the younger gannets



and to catch the sun on the feathers on the mature birds



It also turned out to be my best day of this year for Fulmar with lots of them busy soaring above the clifftop

and coming past just at eye level



offering a nice contrast to the colours in the cliff



I hope to see Tree Sparrows again this year closer to home at Welney, but it was nice to get some good shots on a sunny day

and it was good to find some Dunnock around too.



All in all a great way to end my clifftop year and look forward to next season.

 

[Lafone]

I don't change or buy equipment very often but I recently acquired a new zoom lens that goes up to 800mm so I took it out to Slimbridge and Farmoor reservoir to see what I could find on 21st September. It's a little heavy and suits a monopod (or tripod) best. It got a bit of a workout, as things turned out.

Slimbridge offered some nice views of Chiffchaffs



and lots of Cormorants, but more of those later at the reservoir. In the meantime there were lots of Canadas, flying about.



I arrived at Farmoor in the late afternoon and the light was excellent. It's the largest body of water in Oxfordshire and offers some interesting birds, with Little Egrets busy fishing in the shallows.

The walk around the reservoir is around 4 miles and it has some wetland space with bird hides, but I stuck to the two main 'basins' as there were so many good birds to see. There is a busy sailing club but most people were packing up for the day and the area was pretty quiet overall.

Lots of Cormorants had gathered on the floating dock, the sunlight catching their lovely feathers

and they were busy hopping on and off the floats to fish



and squabbling with each other, a behaviour I don't see close up very often



While I was photographing them the impressive Great Black Backed gulls photobombed a few shots - such impressive birds.



I was lucky enough to get some of my best shots of Ringed Plovers, with some nice juveniles near the water on the banks of the reservoir (which you can get down onto as the fishermen do if you want to)

and there were quite a few napping in the evening sun



I thought that would be my highlight of the day, but the noise of geese drew my attention to a large flock flying over the far side of the left hand basin.



They were the Oxfordshire snow geese, coming in to rest for the evening. I've seen them a few times before but I really wanted some shots in the 'golden hour' light so I set off around the reservoir, hoping they would not fly off before I got there. It took 20 minutes to walk around to the spot (it's only when you want something on the other side that you appreciate how large the place is!) and I had my fingers crossed the whole time. But they stayed put, resting on the banking. More than 50 birds were present, with juveniles and both colour morphs, a stroke of luck.



The Snow Geese are an established breeding group of ferals that frequent various sites in Oxon, such as Farmoor or the grounds of Blenheim Palace. They've been around for more than 30 years and maintain a healthy breeding record (as well as crossing with some Greylags and Canadas, both mixes can be seen at the reservoir).

There were few people around so I managed to get right up to the geese (well, within lens range) and capture the adults and juveniles

in some excellent light

which was a lot of fun



After half an hour of sitting on the wall and admiring them, a couple of joggers came past and thought it was a fun idea to shout at the geese and flap their arms at them and off the whole group went.



sailing out of sight. A great way to spend the evening and try out the new lens.

 

[Lafone]

Late September is always a transition period, but there are still some good birds to find and I had a multi location day on 20th September visiting Frampton Marsh, the tiny viewing platform that is Willow Tree Fen and Deeping Lakes.

The Whooper swan that was downed and injured in the winter migration earlier this year continues to do well living permanently on the marsh, with it's companions a half blind Canada and a stray Greylag. The damage to its wing has obviously rendered it flightless. It will be interesting to see if it establishes a pair, as the two downed Whooper swans at Welney have. The Whoopers will start to come in in late October, though the Marsh has been so dry it will be interesting to see where they choose to spend their time in the area in 2025.



It was not the brightest day but it was still possible to get some good shots of the Redshank



And it was certainly a good day for Finches, with moulting Goldfinches busy in the hedgerows



and making the most of the last of the Sunflowers with the Greenfinches



It's a great place to see Goldfinch in big flocks of 50-100+ birds and although a little scruffy in this part of the season, they looked great in the Sunflower patch



and it was fun to follow them around watching them feed



While I had nothing photo wise worth saving from Willow Fen and the Cranes who nest there were elsewhere for the day, there were some good views of hares to be had. Similarly Deeping Lakes had good geese, some nice herons and all manner of ducks, they were too far away for any decent shots. The weather had turned by that point though with the rain hammering down, so I at least had the place to myself!

 

[Lafone]

Out to Slimbridge and Farmoor again in the same weekend as Frampton (I realised my Slimbridge and Farmoor trip note above was actually on 13th not the 21st September, this was the 21st!) and a bit of a treat with some handsome Glossy Ibis near the Martin Smith hide in some good light



I've managed to photograph these birds only once before and that was a single (also at Slimbridge), so it was fun to see more than one



There were some good small birds to be had too with Chiffchaff



and good views of a Grey Wagtail



Out on Tack Piece, Sandpipers were making Teal look like large ducks



and it turned out to be a varied morning with good views including Curlew and various Waders.

Heading off to Farmoor there was a nice non bird moment, with some rabbits out feeding and grooming



with a few youngsters in tow (until I processed this shot I had missed the youngster on the right)



and it was a good day for Cormorants again



There were some unusual hybrids (both with the Canadas but some Snow Goose there it appeared) out on the reservoir too

 

[Lafone]

I like to do a few bird hides a year and while it's fun to do birds of prey or what have you, I also like the small / more common birds. There's something very mellow about spending all day in a little hide with a camera on a tripod and flask to hand, watching birds flying about and bathing. I headed off to a woodland on the East Coast on 26th September. It wasn't the brightest day but there were still fun shots to have.

It was great to see some birds I don't get in the lens much with Blackcap males

and females



and my first good views this year of the tiny Marsh tit (useful to back up the sighting with Merlin given how similar they are to Willow tits)



Handsome little birds

There were Blue and Great tits in numbers



and some enjoyable Coal tits



and loads of Wrens. I do love a wren and they are so often heard but not seen so it was a pleasure to be able to get shots of them, including in the 'classic' pose.

it was hard to stop snapping them, so I didn't.



and they were very obliging



Although the weather was turning as Autumn came in and it rained off and on, it was still warm enough for the birds to be bathing, with Robins

and Wrens active in the pools.

 

[Lafone]

4th October found me off to Slimbridge again, expecting a fairly quiet transition bird day.

To my surprise as I drove down the access road I noticed a whole flock of Cattle Egrets in with the cows (appropriately) in the fields before the reserve proper. I parked up and rushed back down to find them soaring about



It was a windy day so they settled and went back up a few times. The strong sunlight offered the chance of a bit of high key work



and they also offered good views on the ground



as well as in flight



I've never seen so many close up before, so it was a really enjoyable half an hour



before they flew off across to the main reserve



where I failed to spot them again all day!

Outside the treat of Egrets it was a fairly quiet day though the vagrant Black Swan



caused a bit of a fuss with the pair who call the main captive lake their wild home. The pair still had their three cygnets in tow so fierce protection was in order. There was much swan lake style displaying with a bit of a bow wave going on



The Black Swan made a hasty retreat and flew off, but a group of juvenile single Mutes were not so lucky, with one of them being pinned down for a while,



before they made a swift but clumsy exit over the barrier fence. None were worse for wear, but it had been a sound lesson in not messing with mature swans when they are at home with the kids.

 

[Lafone]

October and November find the Deer rut in full swing and I headed off to Woburn deer park on 6th October hoping to see the Reds or Fallows rutting. The park is around 3,000 acres and contains various deer species including Pere David, Sika as well as the targets of the day in a managed space.

The House and car park has been closed now for a couple of years while restoration work continues but that means the grounds are actually a little quieter than they were and the park is still easy to access and offers some free views into the Safari Park to boot. The main car park in the village is free (unusual these days) and from there its a short walk into the park. I chose to head past the church and go through the woodland, hoping to see some Black Squirrels.

Black Squirrels are fairly common in the East of England now with estimates standing around 25k, but they were first reported in the wild in 1912 around Letchworth and it is suggested a private zoo in the area was the origin of this Grey Squirrel morph. They mingle freely and breed with their more conventional fellows and mixed litters are not uncommon. The Woburn area (and the estate) is the rumoured source of a number of invasive species including the CWD I spend a lot of time watching on an estate which neighbours one end of the park. Despite the devastating impact on our native Reds I like a squirrel (and they have no idea what we as humans have let them do) so I was pleased to find a few of them in the woods, busy gathering conkers.

You can get pretty close to them as they are used to people and not over controlled



Heading into the Park I stopped for a while to watch some of the massive Pere David herd in the pond near the now closed car entry gate and then headed off on one of the paths. There were quite a lot of ranger vehicles around (two with shooting groups, I heard one shot all day from inside the park and they were actively following two of the Stags around) but few people on foot. The estate is criss crossed with footpaths and as long as you walk between the yellow post markers and don't just wander into areas which you shouldn't, it's a help yourself.

An early sighting found a Stag crossing over the lake near the main bridge to the house



but he was not roaring and the familiar bellows were coming from the top of the park so I continued up the hill.

I was lucky to find large Stags marking by urinating on the grass and in the ferns and rubbing their heads and antlers in it. The smell of Stags in the rut is something not often highlighted on a day out but there is a musk going on that is distinctive to say the least. It seemed clear after a little parallel walking, they were getting ready for a fight. They came together with quite a crash.

It was a proper fight, going on for more than 10 minutes and impressive to watch (younger stags turned up to watch and got quite over excited and goggle eyed so I stationed myself behind one of the iron tree surrounds for safety). The Stags came together so hard all four feet of one or the other were off the ground at points



and there was much spinning about



Then as soon as it had begun it was over and the defeated stag ran off, pursued at a more leisurely pace by the victor, panting and bellowing in triumph



A harem of females who had been viewing the whole thing from the hill (followed by a hopeful younger stag they resolutely ignored) headed off after him



and the whole lot trotted off into the distance. An excellent encounter. I saw two serious fights this year, more than usual and it certainly paid off to head out early.

After that there was time to find Red Stags resting at their leisure between bouts



watch the hinds and youngsters eating



and photograph a Black squirrel mother collecting conkers in the shade of a tree.



It was also fun to follow her back to her drey and find the youngsters playing chase.



All in all a very enjoyable (not bird) day.

 

[Lafone]

Back to bird life on 8th October, I headed over to Farmoor where it turned out to be a good day for Egrets

fishing around the boat ramps.



It was a still, damp day and there were feathers everywhere in the water. The reservoir level was still quite low.

Some interesting birds were resting around the edges of the water, including some good looking Great Crested Grebes, always good to be able to see them out of the water and admire their vast feet

There were a few pairs of wild living Egyptian Goose vagrants on the ramps too, offering some nice views



and as it was a quiet day it was easy to get reasonably close

The Greylags had a few 'unusual' birds hanging around with them too



with a variety of colours on show.

It's always interesting to see these mixed flocks and Farmoor seems to have even more of them than other places. The lack of dogs being allowed in the grounds of the reservoir proper, the large water area and the abundant surrounding fields means birds really make the most of the space and a wide variety of things turn up.



It's a great spot for Pied and Grey Wagtails and there were some nice opportunities to get fairly close to some busy Greys

The edge of the reservoir means you can get close to the birds without alarming them if you are careful and it was great to be able to get near to a Cormorant again



and watch them fishing from the buoys



It was a good day for Black Headed Gulls too, with adults and juveniles busy on the floating jetty.



A varied day at the reservoir and well worth the walk around.