B.Y. 2019. The Tortoise rules!

[Soukous]

the fastest tortoise I've encountered

Wonderful shots @Dave Williams

[Galana]

At least the Hare's breathing exercises will keep his heart in good condition.

 

I did not think you had any "Natural Reserve!"

 

[pedro maia]

Thanks Dave, checked google for a few images and seems to be a beautiful place.

[Dave Williams]

210)  Coal Tit

Just to show I'm not back in hibernation but this was taken from my bedroom window, it's too cold to go out!

Coal Tit   Periparus ater by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Kitsafari]

I like the views from your windows ! that's a great looking coal tit. 

[TonyQ]

Congratulations on reaching 200 @Dave Williams

Wonderful images from The Gambia as well as from your bedroom window!

[Dave Williams]

211) ????

 

I couldn't wait to post this one! My EBC of the year I think.

I'll give you a clue. It's a raptor, they are very common worldwide but are treated as something extraordinary in the UK with hours and hours spent by volunteers guarding their nesting sites whereas we have rarer species that get little in the way of protection.

I usually see them in The Gambia but perhaps most had already flown north to breed when I was there recently.

I'm sure if you live in the UK you will have already guessed what that minute dot to the left hand side of the nesting site is! 

 

of course it is!!

 

Edited April 18, 2019 by Dave Williams

[pedro maia]

I’m sure I would ID it if there was sound...

[xelas]

An Osprey?!

 

Warning: if you will add this one to your BY collection then I might rethink my SA raprots also .

Edited April 19, 2019 by xelas

[Dave Williams]

@xelasIt certainly is an Osprey as you can clearly see . It was taken from well over a mile away. Now, if I was prepared to pay, I believe they allow you to use a hide 150m..yes 150m away...for a mere £55. I'll settle for this one so bring on your worst shots Alex!!!

 

[Dave Williams]

212) Common Buzzard

Yesterday  I had a day out with a birder friend. He doesn't have a camera even so being considerate to him I have to spend as little time trying for photos as possible. I saw a few species that I have yet to capture this year but I settled for just a couple to add today.

Buzzards are common in this part of the world but they are notoriously skittish. If you drive past a perched one they stay still, stop and they are usually off. This one hing around until a Land Rover with an empty trailer bouncing around in the road hurtled past.

Common Buzzard  Buteo buteo by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

213) Ring-necked Duck

A lifer when I saw one on our local reserve last year, this one( possibly the same bird) has taken up residence with some Tufted Ducks on an upland lake.

Ring-necked Duck    Aythya collaris by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

214) Blue Tit

Probably the most common bird in our garden so on Wednesday I decided it was about time to get a shot of one! Sat in a walnut tree that will soon be too densely leafed to see much!

Eurasian Blue Tit  Cyanistes caeruleus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

215) Wren

At this time of year they should be at their easiest to photograph as they perch and sing their heads off . Hearing them is the easy bit, spot where they are perched isn't quite so. I spotted that this one likes to sit on a particular bit of fence so dashed there when I heard the call from that direction.

Yes, I could better spend my time painting the fence with preservative but it's not as much fun!

Eurasian Wren  Troglodytes troglodytes by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Kitsafari]

lovely additions! we were watching a documentary that featured birds in France, and I was pleased as punch when I could recognise the pretty little blue tit and coal tit! and all because I've been following  quite faithfully the photos of European birds over the past couple of years' BY threads. who says the threads aren't educational??? 

[Galana]

A great entry for the EBCs Dai bach! Save the £55 for something special.

Nice Ring-necked Duck too. Well TBH all your pics are nice. The fence can wait and anyway Preservative is toxic. think of the Wren.

[Dave Williams]

14 minutes ago, Galana said:

A great entry for the EBCs Dai bach! Save the £55 for something special.

Nice Ring-necked Duck too. Well TBH all your pics are nice. The fence can wait and anyway Preservative is toxic. think of the Wren.

 

I think what I use for the fence is OK in terms of being non toxic but it doesn't last a year even! I do have a tiny supply of the now banned creosote that I keep exclusively to kill off tree stumps. Love the smell of it too!

[xelas]

4 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

so bring on your worst shots Alex!!!

 

I've already did ... those posted are our worst shots. On a second thought, I will keep them in reserve, who knows what the end of the year situation will be .

[PeterHG]

Great Buzzard shot, @Dave Williams and that Ring-necked Duck is something special! That is a steep rate for the Osprey hide. At least you get very close.....;)

[Dave Williams]

The Tortoise is starting to look just that...slow! As a point of interest @xelas I have been out and about but seem to be failing in my searches.

 

216 and 217) Eurasian Cuckoo and Meadow Pipit. 

The Pipit is the Cuckoo's favourite surrogate so I'm not sure if the Pipit was seeing off the potential threat or pleased to see the return of an adopted child who's been missing all winter.

 First Cuckoo of the year. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

218) Red-billed Chough

Yesterday I was committed to going for a walk in the country with Claire and her brother but when I got a phone call at 8.30am to tell me the unusual Dottrel were on the local Great Orme headland I dashed off to get a record shot before they continued on migration passage.. Back with just that I managed a single shot of a Red-billed Chough to make the trip worth while.

Red-billed Chough   Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

219) Eurasian Dottrel

Having managed a couple of grab shots early in the day I headed off for a walk in the glorious Snowdonia NP. Stunning day , magnificent scenery including woodland full of flowering Bluebells. I have stopped taking a camera for these walks, well a birding one anyway, and typically when you haven't got one you miss the shot. The day previously I'd been out searching to no avail for two species that turned up on this walk and gave blinding views too, posing impeccably. My frustration was further enhanced by the thought that I could have done better with the Dottrel so I decided I would return as soon as I got home.

The day was saved, they were still there!

It's a beautiful bird and one of the unusual bird species where the female is more attractive than the male.

Eurasian Dotterel  Charadrius morinellus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Not that he's in any way ugly!

Eurasian Dotterel  Charadrius morinellus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Peter Connan]

The Cuckoo and Pipit is FANTASTIC Dave!

[TonyQ]

Beautiful Dotterel, and great photo of Cuckoo plus Pipit.

[Galana]

Persistence pays..

Great shots.

I reckon the Meadow Pipit was shouting "When you said you were nipping out to go to the pub you did not tell me the b***dy pub was in Angola!"