Sunday 20 October 2013

Starlings - 20/10/2013

A weekend trip to Surrey went by without much in the way of a wildlife visit, although we did pop into NWP for a quick stroll on the way down. At the services in Reading on the way back there were lots of starlings in the trees calling noisily, and I couldn't resist a few shots, especially because the sun was bringing out a spectrum of colours on their feathers.



Sunday 13 October 2013

Yankee Doodle - Rhaslas Pond - 13/10/2013

News of a Long Billed Dowitcher up at Rhaslas while I was away down Pembroke last week, (wondering whether I could risk my meeting times to fit a trip to see an Isabelline wheaear in - sadly not to be) and some amazing shots online made me consider an early morning trip up to Rhaslas to see the bird in question, especially so when I read news of it being very approachable and still around yesterday. I hadn't been up there before, and after a rubbish night of weather I half expected it to have cleared off, but it was there, and I located it quite quickly (follow the trail of birders) The early morning light and general gloom meant that it was hard to get amazing shots, but I reasonably happy with some of them. There were photographers camoed up on the shore waiting for it to make it's way down to them, and that would have to be the next move for better results in future.

There was also some quite a lot of wildfowl up there in good numbers, so it will bear another trip over the winter, especially if I can cobble together money for a scope. It isn't the most glamorous of places but it certainly attracts good species in amongst the fly-tipping!