Wednesday 11 February 2009

There are only really one pair of Paps in this island of ours, located in the far north ,the Paps of Duras, not the Duras sisters as portrayed in Startrek, nice though they were for Klingons!!!

So the rise of a serious contender for Paps of the land, can be seen below, and for some strange reason do not look as good when naked!!

Or could they be the lost pyramids of Shropshire??


The Partridge at Painsbrook
This one got a little brave!!

Then did a runner
I know not a lot but there was to be shots of the Lesser Woodpecker but it refused to sign the model release forms so no pictures in fact they refused to appear, damn glad I went yesterday and got on the list for the year.
Thanks for looking
Paul

Sunday 8 February 2009

The answer to the world, universe and that gull

The strange looking gull put in another appearance today after a lot of looking by several people it eventually turned up whilst the 1st winter Glaucouse gull was being checked out, but no sooner was it seen than it was of, not to return.




So what on earth was this strange but interesting bird? well as per Andy's E-Mail it was eventually tracked down to it being a Herring / Glauc cross. So jobs a goodun.




A couple of photos of the Glauc from today


Neither of them any good but a record shot for me.







The Bittern at VP as it skulks of back into the reeds.



Only to re-appear on the tops before descending for a deeper skulk, eventually showing well for the visitors in the public hide.


Thanks for looking.


Paul

PS late edit added from Wednesday:
























Saturday 7 February 2009

Speak of the Devil

Or in this case the Bittern at Venus pools, it was Friday and I had just come of off the phone discussing the ability of good views of the bird at VP, when I receive a text letting me know it was sitting out in the open, and had been for some time. And to boot hunting mice, I was out of the house like a rat up a drain pipe and at VP in the normal amount of time it would normally take!! if you drive a Porsche!! I then ran ? (liar) round to the Fenn hide to find my tipster sporting some really good shots of the bird which had just moved back into the reeds,,,, Bugger.


But then a Grey Heron on its final approach in to the reeds sent the Bittern up and into the open.




There are other shots but why bore you all to tears, and the light was right in your face.

thanks for looking

Paul

Friday 6 February 2009

Snowed in for two days, Whooohooo!!

Unfortunately it was not an at home snowed in but a visit to the ancestorals in Devon
but never mind did manage to get out for a few hours on a couple of days, so did the Taw and Torridge Estuaries for some much needed new species, like Grey Plovers, Sanderling, Spot Shanks etc.
Smart birds the Grey Plover








The start of the snow storms was just a few flakes!!.


The odd Rock Pipit proved nice.
So having got back I spent some time at Priorslee having heard that the Glaucous Gull was seen on the Wednesday, so there early, it was quite, then after about an hour in drop's this white winged gull , the initial reaction was the Glaucous, then small things did not stack up.
The overall size was to small! the beak pattern was not the two tone (pink and black) the primaries were not white they were brown edged in white, all very reminicent of a Glaucous winged gull, barring the beak having a offf colour base!!! so you make up your own mind.






More tomorrow!!!
Cheers
Paul