TonyQ Big Year 2018 (The Third)

[Galana]

Keep gong @TonyQ  Every one counts.

[TonyQ]

Thank you @Galana

[TonyQ]

313.UK.148. Red Kite  Milvus milvus 

Stonechurch, Buckinghamshire          15.07.2018

We have travelled down the M40 a few times and seen Red Kites flying overhead. We did a bit of research and found that Stokenchurch (about a mile from Junction 5) was a good place to see them. It was! All of these are taken wandering about the village.

Stonechurch, Buckinghamshire          15.07.2018

Calling, Stonechurch, Buckinghamshire          15.07.2018

Stonechurch, Buckinghamshire          15.07.2018

They are not fed, it is just a good place to see them if you are in the area.

I was thinking of saving them for UK150 - but that might be a long time!

Edited August 22, 2018 by TonyQ

[Peter Connan]

Magnificent shots @TonyQ!

[Galana]

Terrific.

[xelas]

Great find and excellet photos, Tony!

[Kitsafari]

WOW on the red kite 

[Zim Girl]

Fabulous Red Kite pictures

[Tdgraves]

We used to live near the Chilterns and kites flew over every day. I still miss hearing them whistling to each other. A couple of weeks ago we went back for a 40th birthday party. I took the camera with a plan of photography the following day. Unfortunately the hangover supervened and the camera was not touched ...

[Dave Williams]

20 hours ago, Tdgraves said:

We used to live near the Chilterns and kites flew over every day. I still miss hearing them whistling to each other. A couple of weeks ago we went back for a 40th birthday party. I took the camera with a plan of photography the following day. Unfortunately the hangover supervened and the camera was not touched ...

I'll drink to that!

 

[Tdgraves]

46 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

I'll drink to that!

 

 

No! I wasn't even drunk  I haven't felt so awful for years - the OH had to stop the car 6 times in a 1.45 hr journey for me to vomit

NEVER again (until the next time...)

[PeterHG]

Excellent Red Kite photos, @TonyQ!

[TonyQ]

@Peter Connan @PeterHG @Zim Girl @xelas @Kitsafari @Galana

Thank you

@Tdgraves - shame about the hangover

[TonyQ]

314.UK.149. Marbled Duck  Marmaronetta angustirostris     

Grimley, Worcestershire         27.08.2018

It is that little grey blob on the left! A monstrous crop.

Usually when we go to Grimley it is very quiet. This time there were about 20 birders lined up with Scopes and tripods looking to the far side of the lake trying to catch a glimpse of this bird.

[TonyQ]

315.UK.150. Spotted Redshank  Tringa erythropus  

First time we have seen one in the UK

Earlswood, nr Birmingham      05.09.2018

Earlswood, nr Birmingham      05.09.2018

Earlswood, nr Birmingham      05.09.2018

We go to Earlswood quite often. Water levels are low at the moment. We had heard there some Ringed Plovers around, so we went to have a look. No Ringed Plovers but we were amazed to see these. We found out later (from a regular poster on Twitter that “Today's Spotted Redshanks are the 3rd record for Earlswood, following a fly-over flock of 3 in 1955 and a single in 1901.”  So a real treat to take the UK total to 150 (so far)

[xelas]

Looks like birding is really slow in summer months, at least in Europe, so any new addition is warmly welcomed!

[Galana]

How strange about the Spotted Redshanks @TonyQ  Same day as I was looking at one too. Only we were around 200 miles apart. You in Brum and I in Holdreness. Do you have a time?

[TonyQ]

@Galana that is a coincidence! We saw ours at 11.20 

[TonyQ]

A slow time for birding! However I do have a couple of very bad photos to keep ticking over.

 

316.UK.151. Little Owl Athene noctua

New bird          

Upton Warren, Worcestershire           07.10.2018

 

It was very far away and, well, little. We saw that it was a bird through binoculars but a kind man let us look through his scope to confirm that it was a Little Owl. The photo is about a 200% crop!.

The scientific name is interesting Athene noctua (to me anyway) as the Little Owl was the symbol of Goddess Athene.

This Owl was introduced to the UK in the 19th Century.

[TonyQ]

317.UK.152. Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus       

Upton Warren, Worcestershire           07.10.2018

Also very distant and very heavy crop- but times are hard!

[michael-ibk]

IIRC the slow and hard days will be over very soon now and you Big Year will explode, right?

[Galana]

Great shot of the Little Owl. I can sense a challenge for the EBC Trophy with that one.

[Dave Williams]

I think we should each nominate one of our own EBC's to be judged to find the 2018 winner!

[TonyQ]

It has been a long time since I posted anything. We have been to South Africa (a first for us) for a couple of weeks, in the Cape Area. I got a new camera (Canon 7Dii) as my old one (70D) was refusing to focus on birds in flight. Well we had a very enjoyable trip.

A dedicated Big Year person wouldn't visit South Africa and Gambia in the same year as there is some overlap of birds - but both were good holidays.

I will post the birds in roughly alphabetical order.

 

318.SA1. African Black Oystercatcher  Haematopus moquini                       

Poortjies, nr Plettenberg         13.11.18

With mussel instead of oyster, Poortjies, nr Plettenberg         13.11.18

Edited December 11, 2018 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

319.SA2. African Black Swift  Apus barbatus 

Rondevlei Nature Reserve, Cape Town         04.11.18

Rondevlei Nature Reserve, Cape Town         04.11.18

 

We hired a Bird Guide for one day when we were in Cape Town- he was very good. Rondevlei was a really nice reserve.