Dave Williams's 2018 Big(Photo)Year!

[Towlersonsafari]

what a treat, to see a Black Grouse lek @Dave Williams and i love the photo's of them!

[Dave Williams]

272)Common Buzzard

From the Black grouse lek I travelled towards another spot using a network of back country lanes. I got lost and after an hour was annoyed to find I had hardly made any progress ending up miles from where I wanted to be. By the time I got to my destination of choice I was in a sleet blizzard so my target birds were a lost cause. I decided to head to lower ground and back home but on the way spotted a Buzzard. They are pretty common around North Wales, usually perched on fence or lamp posts but they fly the minute you stop the car. This one didn't fly too far so I sneaked back to try and get a shot but it's through a wire mesh fence so not as sharp as it should be. I like the fact it shows how miserable the day had become though!

common buzzard Buteo buteo by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

3 minutes ago, Towlersonsafari said:

what a treat, to see a Black Grouse lek @Dave Williams and i love the photo's of them!

 

@TowlersonsafariYes, I'm lucky to have this FREE wildlife spectacle fairly close by. Many leks have paid hides available but this is viewable from the car and provided everyone plays by the game there is no disturbance to the birds.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Dave Williams

[michael-ibk]

Very cool Black Grouse sighting and photos - I know of one lek place but couldn´t find time to go there last year, I hope I will this time. Agree about the Buzzards - I see them almost every day but getting a photo is a different story.

[TonyQ]

The Black Grouse are a wonderful sight.

[Zim Girl]

Very impressed you have a local Black Grouse lek. I have only ever seen these on Springwatch.

Lovely pictures.

[PeterHG]

I agree with the others about the Black Grouse. What a privilege to have a leak in the vicinity. Your insomnia really paid off!

[Dave Williams]

273) Meadow Pipit

I braved the cold and went looking for a Ring Ouzel that had been reported on passage at a local headland but drew a blank, however, a few local birds to add to the BY were found.

Meadow Pipit by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

274)Jackdaw

Western Jackdaw Coloeus Monedula by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

275)Carrion Crow

Carrion Crow Corvus corone by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

276)Chough

Also know as the Red-billed Chough as opposed to the Alpine Chough which has a yellow bill, these are only found on the west coast of the UK and are a bit special as they are not that common. They tend to be quite shy but I managed to sneak up on this one using a wall to hide behind.

 

Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The bill is designed for probing the ground, this is what they are looking for

Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited April 1, 2018 by Dave Williams

[elefromoz]

@Dave Williams, fancy that, just a couple of weeks back I was riding my bike alone around Rottnest Island and heard a loud rustling in the scrub, got very excited til a Common Pheasant surfaced. Had no idea what it was, but clearly feral and not a local, now I know. 

[PeterHG]

 Beautiful shots of the Choughs, @Dave Williams ! I saw them some years ago near Sagres, Portugal but, as you say, they are quite shy, so I only got some half- decent photos.

[Dave Williams]

277) Great Crested Grebe

A miserable cold day down at the local reserve but the Sand Martins and Swallows are back and the Great Crested Grebe are in breeding plumage!

Great Crested Grebe  Podiceps cristatus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

More great progress and those Black Grouse would get me out of the warmest bed for a sight/site like that. 7 Like this

[Dave Williams]

278)Curlew 

Back on the moors yesterday as the sunshine was stunning and views over to the Snowdonia range of mountains quite glorious. We see lots of Curlew locally during the winter but better to see them on their nesting grounds!(even if they are backlit!

Eurasian Curlew  Numenius arquata by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

279) Lesser Redpoll

I went to a spot I was pretty much guaranteed to see them but as it's a car park at the beginning of a walking/bike trail the place was very busy so I grabbed a couple of shots and left. No Crossbills or Brambling as hoped for.

Lesser Redpoll  Acanthis cabaret by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The Lesser Redpoll and Mealy (or Common) Redpoll and now classed as one species but the latter is not that often seen in the UK.

Lesser Redpoll  Acanthis cabaret by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

1) Adder or Common European Viper  ... my new BY!

So while I was disappointed to find the moorland visitor centre car park heaving with cars and people ( it is half term after all and a glorious day) I had a huge compensation. My first ever adder photos!

Common European Adder  Vipera berus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

They are extremely hard to spot if you haven't got your "eye in" I was very grateful to someone who found two for me!

They are not easy to photograph without disturbing them either. Very sensitive to shadow, vibration from movement etc and they tend to hide in partial cover. 

Common European Adder  Vipera berus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

then there's the trade off between depth of field and shutter speed.

Common European Adder  Vipera berus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

it is half term after all

Eh? I thought it was Easter.

Great Adders.

[Zim Girl]

Brilliant adder pictures.  

I would love to find one, the river where we see the Dippers has a sign up saying beware of adders but no sign of them yet.

[Dave Williams]

1 hour ago, Galana said:

Eh? I thought it was Easter.

Great Adders.

@GalanaYou can tell I don't get involved in School holidays anymore. To be honest the crowds took me by surprise I was shell shocked, I turned white, it was no yoke. 

Edited April 6, 2018 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

13 minutes ago, Zim Girl said:

Brilliant adder pictures.  

I would love to find one, the river where we see the Dippers has a sign up saying beware of adders but no sign of them yet.

 

@Zim Girl Apparently they usually emerge from hibernation in March and disperse to their own territories fairly soon but they do lie in the sun to warm up first. This year they appear to be later as we have had snow until recently on higher ground. I was surprised just how difficult they are to spot as they are actually quite small, well the female is anyway. I saw a male too but that was hiding in a really impossible spot to photograph.

[elefromoz]

@Dave Williams, Whoa, terrific photos of the Adder, but I never knew...

[Peter Connan]

Terrific stuff. Another voice of admiration for the lek and the Adders!

[xelas]

That adder, maybe time to change your avatar, @Dave Williams?!