Raider of the Fat Larder

Blackcap .....Sylvia atricapilla

Garden Haul

The female Blackcap was one of three in the garden at lunchtime. One male ,two females.
The light shooting into the trees was quiet grim and the grainy shot was taken at 1/100 F5.6 at 560 ISO.

I also managed further grainy shots of a male and female Bullfinch together, Robins..we have three of them, Dunnock, Blackbird and the Goldcrest.
Now the Goldcrest is back the Firecrest has disappeared.

Don't Blame me.

Motacilla alba

Roseland Robins.

Robin......Erithacus rubecula

A very cold day with a biting windchill but the Robins were all around.

.Roseland Peninsular

Another day out with Derek Julian took us around the Roseland Peninsular looking for seabirds and anything else that happened along. According to Angie a shade over seventy different species were logged today which was very near her record.
Overall the day was a shade better than yesterday with eight Year Ticks and three Life Ticks.

Life Ticks
Cirl Bunting
Black-necked Grebe
Lesser Scaup.

Year Ticks.
Sylark, Greenshank, Gannet, Cirl Bunting, Common Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Black-necked Grebe and Lesser Scaup.

Also seen.
Peregrine Falcon, Goldeneye, Razorbill, B.T.Diver, G.N.Diver, 228 Linnets on wire, Slavonian Grebe, Shag, Cormorant,Med Gull, Stonechat, Curlew, Oystercatcher,Little Grebe, Raven, Buzzard and many of the small and popular birds and gulls.

Thanks again to Derek Julian for taking the trouble and patience to give out expert advice and sightings.

After leaving Derek ..Angie and myself proceeded to Dozmary Pool to see if we could find the Lesser Scaup...as luck has it we were rewarded with a good view in a matter of a few minutes.
Another good day birding.

Stepping Up

Grey Wagtail .........Motacilla cinerea

Photographed today at the Manoa Valley.

Creeping Up.

Another good day birding with Derek Julian. We moved down the coast in stages starting at Pentewan and ending up at Caerhays. My total Year List increase was eight and Life List two.

Life Ticks Red -necked Grebe and Eider (female).

Year Ticks.
Red-necked Grebe.
Eider.
Slavonian Grebe.
Razorbill.
Mediterranean Gull
Kittiwake.
Guillemot.
Green Sandpiper.

Goldcrest Again.

Yes the good news is the Goldcrest was seen at lunchtime today. He..( I am sure it is a male) stayed around long enough for me to fetch the bins and follow him about the garden. Early on in the morning I saw two birds feeding on one of our feeders..they looked to me like a Greenfinch and a Siskin. The larger bird flew off before I could get much of a look but the smaller bird seemed Thrush like with a pale streaked belly. We generally have Siskin visit us around this time in the year so I am going to add it to the garden list along with the Greenfinch which was the first one seen this year .

Origin China.

Mandarin Duck ......Aix galericulata

Lovely colourful Duck.

Tufted Duck.

Tufted Duck.....Aythya fuligula

Sea Duck

Eider ......Somarteria mollissima

Highland Cattle.

Photographed at Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve Somerset.

Somerset Levels

It was 5-30am and we were on our way to the Chew Valley Lakes and the Somerset Levels. Four species had been targeted...Great Egret, Smew, Glossy Ibis and Ruddy Duck before they exterminate them.
The first stop (well second...the first was the customary Mc Donalds :-( ) was Herriots Pool on the Chew Valley Lakes complex. Derek Julian soon had us onto a Smew on the water opposite and almost immediately Ruddy Ducks along with Goldeneye and Tufted Ducks. Next stop was Cheddar reservoir where we were surprised with Red-crested Grebes on the far side which were again soon picked up by Derek's scope. Good going.it was just 1045 hrs and with three life ticks in the bag things looked rosy.
Bladon Waters, Burnham on Sea and Catcott Nature Reserve did not add to the tally but we added greatly to the day list.
Next came Shapwick Heath RSPB and again nothing was added to my list but Derek and Angie heard a Cetti's Warbler in the reed beds but there was no chance of that with me.
Derek decided to return to Catcott NR as the Glossy Ibis had been seen daily for some time now and as providence would have it , three of them flew overhead giving all in the hide a good view.
We dipped on the Great Egret but added the Red-crested Pochard , Glossy Ibis , Smew and Ruddy Duck to our Life List thanks to the expert spotting skills of Derek.
Yep....a good days work.

On the Rocks..Waiting for the Tide to Turn.

Turnstones .......Arenaria interpres

One of the Mob

Starling .........Sturnus vulgaris

At the Feeder.

Coal Tit ..........Parus ater

The Coal Tits have always been with us since we put the feeders out. I have never seen more than two in the garden at any one time . Generally it is a lone Coal Tit that visits.

The Goldcrest has not been seen again since the 11th of January unlike the Firecrest that visits daily.

Today I saw three Goldfinches on the Niger seed feeder which is good news as it has been just a solitary bird visiting for some while now and not as often as I would like.

Three Robins and three Blue Tits were also seen together in the garden today.

Greenfinches have so far failed to show this year which in itself is rather strange.

Bigfoot

Coot...Fulica atra

Dipper.

Dipper.....Cinclus cinclus

The record shot of the Dipper is the best I have come up with so far...but I am working on it and hope to get a better shot rather soon.

Menabilly Barton Pheasant

Pheasant ......Phasianus colchicus

Penzance Waders

Turnstone .........................Arenaria interpes

Purple Sandpiper ..............Calidris maritima