France lifer - a bluetiful site!!

On holidays with my lovely wife near Arcachon, nr Bourdeaux....
First day away has reaped amazing shots!
First off I stumbled across a pair of FIRECREST when I was attempting a shot of a COAL TIT during a morning walk to the local oyster port...

Then off to the nature reserve at Tiech next stop along the train - a truly magical bird and crippling views of a stunning BLUETHROAT

What a beauty

Bluethroat with a morsal

Gorgebleue a miroir blanc

A rare sight - Foster reading a book (about birds obviously!) 

Garden flowers May 2015

A collection of some of the flora from the garden so far this spring:

Alium 

A loony lifer!

A packed morning this morning for sure.....
Woke up at 4:45(!) this morning so I thought I would go for a twitch in Oxford.
5:15 in the car and off I head to Farmoor.
Arrived to find that the main gate was still locked - so worked out how to get round it...

Said bird had been seen on F2 by the Shrike Hide, so its a good 10 / 15 min walk from the car park.
I scan the massive reserviour , but nothing to be seen.
Then.... right on the edge of the basin, a pristeen male summer plumaged BLACK THROATED DIVER was having a sun bathe (pre any distrubances im sure)
Fantastic views in the early morning sun of a great looking bird.

Black Throated Diver in morning sunshine 

It was having a sun bathe when I go there!

Nice underwing shot!

Traffic on the return a lot busier - but managed to get to work for 9 - even with an 8 minute power nap at the Ashridge Monument!

Life list up to #294 - three newbies for 2015

Chive close up (Allium Schoenprasum)

A new macro lens - so new close up shots of the garden!

This is a CHIVE (ALLIUM SCHOENOPRASUM) - the smallest species of the onion genus. It is also edible

Allium Schoenoprasum

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Cuckoo at Granville!

During a lovely cup of tea chatting with Anna and my parents, a amazing sight and sound of a CUCKOO flying over and along the garden to the back hedge, and cuckoo'ing at the same time.
Fantastic occurence - best Granville bird to date.

Goldfinch feeding well

A charm of around 10 Goldfinch are a regular visitor over the garden - calling away.
They are regular feeders on the niger seed

Granville garden goldfinch

Lady A - TICK! - Lifer #293

On the 4th attempt, I have seen the elusive LADY AMHERT'S PHEASANT
Thanks to a fellow dedicated twitcher, who was scanning the top horizon part of the open patch where the feeder lives - as I was busy looking into the woods as it kept calling.
Too quick for a picture - as it just walked from one side to the other.
However, I have created a recreation of this moment.
As you see, only the head was visible - but thats about as good as it ever gets by the looks of it!
Life list now at #293

Find the birdie - a distant viewing of the Lady A (through my binos)
A reconstruction of the long awaited event!

Ashridge birding

 A lunchtine stroll with my birdwatching colleagues (!) produced a few nice shots in the good light and with the new 150 - 600mm lens (nice...) 

 A cracking little firecrest 

Buzzard being vocal 

Buzzard 

Carrion Crow