Wilstone variety

A visit to Wilstone presented some varied species - the not common grebe showing nicely along the bank being the highlight

The best views of pintail I have had at the ressies too

Rock pipit

Black tailed Godwit

Field fare

Slavonian Grebe

Thailand - Part 1

A fantastic 2weeks chilling in Thailand with AD also brought home quite a wide range of bird species -about 80 - haven't got round to a proper catalogue yet!
Some pics here, others to follow

Black winged stilt - loads in fact at Sam Roi Yot

Great show of a Wryneck just off the beach at SRY

Pied Kingfisher in action on the river at Pran Buri

Wilstone pics

After a fantastic 2 weeks in Thailand, a trot around the local ressies brought a few little nice sights- some distant, some close.

College Lake -Kingfisher
Wilstone - 10 Snipe, 1 Water Rail, 111 Golden Plover, 1 Kingfisher, and 2 Whooper Swan. Not sure if the juv are Whooper or not

Thailand pics being processed into This link

A shed load of Goldies at Wilstone on Saturday

Whooper Swan at Wilstone

Wilstone Goldies

Golden Plovet, Chiff Chaff and a Grey Wag at Wilstone this morning 

A lovely morning - and about 9 golden plovers to boot

Scilly Trip - Life ticks ahoy (6 in all)

A long weekend with my best mate Rob on the Isles of Scilly brought great weather and a cup full of ticks - on the Thursday mostly...

The weather was actually too good the rest of the weekend as the birds continued on their journey south.

A great mixture of sleeping semi rough (car and tent) lots of walking , a few beers and brill company.

A check of the RSPB reserve at Marazion for potential spotted crakes (missed by 10 mins we found out) - brought a few WHITE WAGTAILS - also seen at photographed on the beach.

The boat over reaped two ticks - a couple of STORM PETREL dashing across the ocean and a POMERINE SKUA sailing close to the boat across to the islands.

After setting up the tent we went off for a twitch and x marked the spot on the east coast of St Mary's - well x being a bloke with a huge camera lens. Under the microscope was a BUFF BELLIED PIPIT - a mega no less. It would have been a near on impossible task to find it amongst the meadow pipits on the grass.

Back into Hugh Town for a very tame (and slightly damaged eye) ORTOLAN BUNTING for life tick #253

A non productive couple of days with a visit to St Agnes produced some nice birds - such as a pied flycatcher .

Sunday on the way back up the coast we stopped at Davidstown airport (disused) for a BUFF BREASTED SANDPIPER tick - and #254 lifer.

We don't talk about the attempt at the lesser yellowlegs , do we Rob..... 

great first time trip to the Isles of Scilly. I shall return !!!

White Wagtail at Marazion

POMERINE SKUA

Buff Bellied Pipit 

Little Stint at Dorney

A pre work quickie to Dorney - quite distant 

Also a Wheatear

Little Stint on the flooded area at Dorney Common

Third time lucky - Short Billed Dowitcher pic from Lodmoor

As it was getting dangerously close to not being able to get to Lodmoor to see a clearer view of the SBD, due to hours of light, I chanced an after work trip.
A couple were watching out for it, with no luck. After about 30 secs I caught onto,it showing well, and got some nice shots and views through the zeiss.
Also a great view of a fly by after a very low flying buzzard spooked it out of the scrub

Then had an interview over the phone and a flat car battery!

Chuffed with some nice record shots of only the third Short Billed Dowitcher on record in the UK. Helped over here by an American hurricane.

Short Billed Dowitcher at Lodmoor