Sunday 24 January 2016

Photogenic East Park

Last week it was again East Park which came up with the best photo opportunities.  Some Siskins were also seen at Waters' Edge, but most other places were just too overcast for photographs...
Female Goosander
 Female Goosander (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Drake Goosander
 Drake Goosander (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Ditto (c) Aileen Urquhart
 Drake Pochard (c) 2016 Jane Robinson
 Drake Tufted Duck
 Ditto
 Ditto (c) 2016 Aileen Urquhart
 Redwing
 Ditto
 Treecreeper
 Siskin
 Ditto
 Siskin at Waters' Edge (c) Mike Woods
 Ditto
 Ditto
 Redpoll
 Black-headed Gull
 Ditto (c) 2016 Aileen Urquhart
 Female Sparrowhawk
 Blue Tit (c) 2016 Aileen Urquhart
 Record Shot of Male Great Spotted Woodpecker (c) 2016 Aileen Urquhart
 Immature Herring Gull (c) 2016 Aileen Urquhart
 Greylag Geese (c) 2016 Aileen Urquhart
 Reflection of Mallard type
 Reflection of Female Tufted Duck's eye!

Thursday 14 January 2016

A Good Start to 2016

Although we have had some very good birds since the classes started on 8th January, many days have been so dark there have been relatively few photos taken so far.  The Wednesday afternoon class had brilliant views of a Cetti's warbler right outside a tall green hide, and Thursday morning and afternoons both saw a Bittern, but these birds were seen in rather poor light conditions. One exception to this is East Park.  So far, we have been able to get very close to the birds here, plus the light has been good, especially on last Friday afternoon, when the birds were particularly close.
2 Females (left) & a Drake Goosander (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Drake Goosander - note bill serrations (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 A Pair (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 An Estranged Pair (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Keeping their Distance (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Female Goosander (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Bad 'Hair' Day (right) (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Another Bad 'Hair' Day (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Drake - cream (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Drake - white (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Another cream drake (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Pochard (c) 2016 Maggie Bruce
 Pochard (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Drake Tufted Duck (c) 2016 Maggie Bruce
 Drake Tufted Duck (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Ditto
I am very pleased to announce after an absence of 5 years because of the bad winter of 2010 it is again possible to see a Kingfisher and an immature Heron in the park.  Let's hope this improvement isn't ruined by a cold winter this time!
Female Kingfisher Upperparts (c) 2016 Maggie Bruce
Female Kingfisher (c) 2016 Maggie Bruce
 Immature Heron (c) 2016 Maggie Bruce
Pink-footed Goose (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Ditto
 Siskin (c) 2016 Maggie Bruce
 Ear Fungus on Weeping Beech (c) 2015 Mike Woods
 Fight (c) 2016 Mike Woods
 Ditto