Dave Williams's 2018 Big(Photo)Year!

[Dave Williams]

310) Savi's Warbler

First one ever for me so very pleasing but like the Bearded Reedling, those reeds stems are a bit of a pain from a photographic point of view,

Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Geoff]

16 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

when I use Aperture and my laptop for PP.

 

I note it's mainly the ones with a sky BG. So do you use Aperture when you're away from home?

I thought you were an ACR (or Lightroom) & photoshop user. Don't you have them on your laptop?

[Dave Williams]

@Geoff Looking again and perhaps it's not the programme but the user that is the reason. No 572 was CS6. It's me trying to bring back the shadows a little bit too much.Thanks for the the comment though, very useful.

I tend to use CS6 thanks to your tip about converting to DNG files from Canon RAW, Aperture however seems to have been updated to accept  the 1DX2's files but not the 5D4's.

I use Aperture on my travels as it's was available to download from the Apple store, CS6 is on the home computer. I don't normally bother too much with PP on my travels and wait until I get home but I have had time to kill here in Estonia.

[michael-ibk]

Finally caught up - a belated congratulations on #300. Even though you are not always satisfied with the quality of your shops, I certainly am - really admire what kind of shots you are sharing with us. Interesting discussion about the pros/cons of the Big Year and also about the "modus operandi" of how we all get our shots. I also just like to walk around and would probably be too impatient to spend more than half an hour for a specific subject. That explains why, unlike you,  I never get a photo of a Garden Warbler. But I think there´s little doubt that trying to get birds on foot in general is not the best approach photo-wise, if one is after quality hides and shooting from cars are definitely more effective.

[Dave Williams]

311) Bean Goose

Another first for me, again from Estonia

 

Bean Goose   Anser fabalis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

312)White-fronted Goose

There were thousands of these Geese in Estonia but trying to get close to them ...or any other geese....is near on impossible. The minute you stop the car they turn their backs on you and walk away. 

Greater White-fronted Goose   Anser albifrons by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

313)Citrine Wagtail

A speciality from Estonia and yet another first. We were fortunate (???) to get incredibly good weather with temperatures rising to 30 degrees C as our 10 days progressed but this gave us many problems with heat haze and the birds simply hiding from the sun.

Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Soft images were par for the course and only a few were salvageable.

The female.

Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

314) Yellowhammer

Another bright yellow bird and one that used to be but is no longer common in the UK. I saw more in Estonia than I have seen in 10 years at home. Never got a decent photo opportunity though.

Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

315) Montague's Harrier

A case of stop the car and jump out and get a grab shot even if he was back lit by the sun.

Montagu's Harrier  Circus pygargus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

316)Black Woodpecker

EBC by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Every bird counts when it comes to the Big Photo Year. This is a bit of a masterpiece as it's a really bad shot but instantly recognisable

[Dave Williams]

317) Common Scoter

Common Scoter  Melanitta nigra by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Heat haze causing constant problems again.

[Dave Williams]

318)White Stork

Largely ignored by me, maybe because I have seen so many before.This was the only one I bothered taking a shot of.

White Stork Ciconia ciconia by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

319)Pied Flycatcher

There were many seen in the grounds of the hotel we stayed in for our first night, and also in the woods by the bear hide.

Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

320) Linnet

We see lots of these at home but as I took so few images of birds in Estonia I'll include the only one of a pair  I saw there.

Common Linnet  Linaria cannabina by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

321) Common Crane

Another very shy bird and one I struggled to get close to. For many you may well have seen and heard lots of them..they were quite common in Estonia... but for me they were a first.

I include the Flickr text

Common Crane   Grus grus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Mike and I were out early one morning when we saw  a pair of Cranes in the distance, perhaps 400m away. The moment we stopped the car they started to move away. I knew we wouldn't get a decent image but instead recorded some sound which is one of the most remarkable I have ever heard from any bird. Take a look at the accompanying video, it's awful, but you get to hear what we did.

and so, a Big Year first, an accompanying soundtrack!!! You need to click on the image to take you to Flickr to listen to it though.

Common Crane soundtrack by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited May 22, 2018 by Dave Williams

[xelas]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

Heat haze causing constant problems again.

 

Same conditions also in Hungary!! Nothing much one can do against heat haze, even CPL does not work. However it looks from your photos that you were up early each day as most of them are close to perfect!

 

[TonyQ]

A beautiful Pied Wagtail, the sounds of the cranes is amazing, but the Citrine Wagtail is stunning!

[Dave Williams]

322) Common Tern

Another found at home and shown here in Estonia

Common Tern  Sterna hirundo by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

323)Barnacle Goose

1000's of Barnacle Geese were to be found readying themselves for the move further north to their breeding grounds in Scandinavia.

Barnacle Goose  B ranta leucopsis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

[Dave Williams]

324)Black Tern

Just the one seen very briefly, only the second I have ever seen. Apparently not uncommon in Estonia .

Black Tern   Chlidonias niger by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

325)Common Cuckoo

Becoming ever more scarce in the UK but there were many heard calling in Estonia.

Common Cuckoo    Cuculus canorus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

326) Garganey

Saw quite a few but trying to get a decent photo was difficult.

Garganey (Anas querquedula by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

327)Goosander

Very common in Estonia, usually in pairs.

Goosander   Mergus merganser by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

[Dave Williams]

328)Great Reed Warbler

Heard in a couple of places but difficult to see as they seemed to stay deep in the reed bed.

Great Reed Warbler     Acrocephalus arundinaceus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

329) Little Gull

Another first for me but annoyingly I didn't realise what they were until it was too late to get some shots in better light. We were on a Beaver watching boat trip and dusk was approaching rapidly. I thought they were Black-headed Gulls and din't take any shots for several minutes and during much better views.Grrrr!.

Little Gull    Hydrocoloeus minutus by Dave Williams, on Flickr