Dave Williams's 2018 Big(Photo)Year!

[Tdgraves]

Well done on 350

[Galana]

Congratulations on both a good Tern sequence and hitting 350.

[xelas]

Congratulations also from my side, @Dave Williams! And for more fantastic bird photos!

[Peter Connan]

Fantastic photos and well done on exceeding 350!

[Dave Williams]

354)European Shag

They have been monitoring Shags on the Isle of May for a number of years now so virtually every single one is ringed so you need to make sure they have their backs to you to avoid them in the shot!

European Shag  Phalacrocorax aristotelis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Unless you go arty of course!

European Shag  Phalacrocorax aristotelis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

One of the obvious differences between a Shag and a Cormorant is the crest seen on this one sat on a nest.

European Shag  Phalacrocorax aristotelis by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Few chicks to be seen while we were there but no surprise as the first eggs were laid 48 days later than last year!

[Dave Williams]

355) Common Eider

One of the advantages of the season being late was that for the first time there were still a couple of the handsome male Eiders still on the island.

Common Eider Somateria mollissima by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The males leave once the matings are completed and leave the females to rear the ducklings. 

Common Eider Somateria mollissima by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Once they are hatched the female gets them to the safety of water as soon as they are big enough.

Common Eider Somateria mollissima by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

356) Common Guillemot (Murre)

The Guillemots tend to choose ledges further down the cliffs than Razorbills which makes them more difficult to photograph unless there is a wind to push them upwards. We had the wind in the form of a storm which resulted in nearly 300 nests being washed off the cliffs by high waves. The third time it's happened in four years so it seems the birds are not learning too quickly.

They are more aero dynamic too as this shot illustrates.

Common Guillemot Uria aalge by Dave Williams, on Flickr

It became something of an obsession trying to get a decent shot.

Common Guillemot Uria aalge by Dave Williams, on Flickr

The contrasting white and brown make life difficult, especially in sunny conditions.

Common Guillemot Uria aalge by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Again, too early for many opportunities for feeding shots but I captured one which is better than none!.

Common Guillemot Uria aalge by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

21 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

I captured one which is better than none!.

True enough. Maybe the weight on the right leg helped swing it your way?

Great shots. Envious.

[Dave Williams]

357) Razorbill

Like the Guillemot they present a photographic nightmare, possibly more so as they are more black than brown so over exposure on the whites was a regular mistake. The good news is they tend "nest" near the top of the cliffs.

Razorbill  Alca torda by Dave Williams, on Flickr

No nesting materials, they just lay a single egg which is designed not to roll off it's precarious perch.

Razorbill  Alca torda by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Like the Guillemots they are social birds and stay in groups, and unlike the Guillemots I have never seen them squabble.

They also appear to fly for the sheer joy of it so if you want a flight shot it's fairly easy to track your subject.

Razorbill  Alca torda by Dave Williams, on Flickr

One or two will plunge off the cliff top and fly in a big arc around the bay.

Razorbill  Alca torda by Dave Williams, on Flickr

You just have to keep an eye on them.

Razorbill  Alca torda copy by Dave Williams, on Flickr

and it's click, click,click as they return to their ledge!

Edited June 22, 2018 by Dave Williams

[Galana]

Star like quality to those Razorbill approaches. Magic.

[michael-ibk]

Agree, very cool stuff! 

[TonyQ]

Great photos of Guillemots and Razorbills.

[Dave Williams]

358) Wood Pigeon

Just realised I haven't included one and yet they are in the garden everyday. In fact they are a bit of a pest as they make a mess in my water feature, drinking bowls and everywhere else they hang around in!

Wood Pigeon    Columba palumbus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Peter Connan]

How can you complain while showing us such incredible photos? Wow!

[Dave Williams]

9 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

How can you complain while showing us such incredible photos? Wow!

@Peter ConnanThe grass always appears greener on the other side. However, as far as the Isle of May goes I have been on the other side and this year it wasn't  quite as good as previous years...still pretty damned good though..a magical place!

 

[Galana]

Sadly it is time to leave our bird hide home on North Uist and head for Manchester where our tour takes us to Ladakh.

However we don't miss out on adding a few ticks as we head south and I know of a reliable site to complete my Diver collection:-

 

A bit of an EBC but I did not want to unduly disturb the birds....

266. Black-throated Diver. Gavia arctica. They were at home and are rearing a chick. Nice one.

 

Then a short diversion for another nesting rarity.....

Bloomin diving ducks.

 

267. Common Scoter. Melanitta nigra. Not a rare bird but rare breeder. I think this is the only pair in Scotland.

And on south where as we are not due into Manchester til late we may as well call at Leighton Moss to pick up a few missing items...

 

268. Marsh Harrier.  Circus aeruginosus   Leighton Moss. Lancs.

Stand by for another EBC poser..

 

It's a Coot honest!!

 

269. Eurasian Coot. Fulica atra. It came up for air.

 

270. Great Crested Grebe.  Podiceps cristatus.

 

271. Avocet. Recurvirostra avosetta. Sitting on four eggs.

 

And finally for the British Isles for a while....

272. Nuthatch. Sitta Europaea. More a poser than a sitta but nice to see.

 

Manchester airport is a two hour drive away. I have a plane to catch and some birds to seek out....

 

[Dave Williams]

@GalanaSome nice additions, can I claim them on my list!!!!

[Galana]

What's the word we are all looking for??? Mea culpa. Too late to edit out but I have moved them to where they belong.

Perhaps Gamewarden will remove them from here? It's not as though you need the points but I can't have you claiming credit for my EBCs.

[Dave Williams]

Wanna bet! I'm having them until they are removed That's an interesting bit of tour planning you are undertaking @Galana India via the Hebrides wouldn't feature in many travel brochures!

 

[Galana]

2 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

I'm having them until they are removed

I have no problem with that provided you keep the same numbers as posted!!!!

On the other hand it may slow down our friend from Lubijana as he gears up for CR.

[PeterHG]

Superb flight shots of the Guillemots and Razorbills, Dave! You definitely managed to keep the browns blacks and whites under control!

[elefromoz]

@Dave Williams, beautiful, that balancing egg looks very vulnerable to all sorts of accidents and incidents

[Dave Williams]

359) Willow Tit

My return to Estonia for four nights allowed limited birding but I managed some new additions for my BY.

As it was on a bird feeder hung outside the bear hide I didn't bother trying too hard and shot through the plastic "glass".

[Dave Williams]

360) House Martin

We spent a lot of time at a local hotel's grounds as there was a large pool/lake that had Swallows,Swifts and both Sand and House Martins flying over.

[Dave Williams]

361) Corncrake

My entry for the EBC '18 contest.

We drove past a small holding where the owner was cutting the grass with a tractor and we could hear the Corncrake so we stopped the car. Standing on the roadside we realised that the sound was coming from a very small patch of long grass maybe a metre square that had been left uncut as there was a telegraph pole in the middle of it.Pal Mike went to take a closer look knowing we'd flush it and I have no excuse for what happened next. A totally cock up!

Still we saw the bird, now a confirmed "lifer" and I have my entry !