lmSA84 - Big Year 2018 (Part Deux)

[lmSA84]

126. UK. 15. Egyptian Goose, London, 3/18

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

UK. 16. Rose Ringed Parakeet, London

 

Again only for UK count

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

UK. 17. Mallard, London

 

UK only count

 

 

 

[lmSA84]

127. UK. 18. Eurasian Robin, London

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

UK. 19. Black-headed Gull, London

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

128. UK. 20. Greylag Goose, London

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

129. UK. 21. Eurasian Coot, London

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

UK. 22. Canada Goose, London

 

[lmSA84]

130. UK. 23. Tufted Duck, London

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

131. UK 24. Mute Swan, London

 

I just missed them dancing

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

132. UK 25. Wood Pigeon, London

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by lmSA84

[TonyQ]

A very good London selection.

[michael-ibk]

Agreed, love the Robin especially. Always interesting how confiding birds like Wood Pigeons or Moorhens seem to be in these city parks, I only know them as very shy and hard to get subjects. (I should probably just bring my camera when I go to Vienna next time.)

[Peter Connan]

Some really lovely shots today!

[Galana]

8 hours ago, lmSA84 said:

 

@Galana - what do you think. Image taken in central London.

Tough call. Like you my first reaction is Ring-billed Gull but Common gulls do have a black ring in winter. Leg length and colour fit Common so it is most likely except the eye appears too light and should be darker to give a 'kinder ' expression.

They say London is full of foreigners these days so nothing would surprise me.

[Galana]

13 hours ago, Galana said:

Common gulls do have a black ring in winter.

Having seen @Dave Williams's Common Gull with ring on bill I don't think this is the same as yours. Add that to the yellow eye and I am back with you on a stray Ring-billed Gull.

[Dave Williams]

Well spotted @Galana  The gull is a bit bulkier than a Common Gull to me, more like a Herring Gull. 

[lmSA84]

@TonyQ, @Peter Connan and @michael-ibk - thanks for the kind comments. London doesn’t have many birds but what’s there isn’t afraid of humans or lenses!

 

@Galana and @Dave Williams - thanks for the comments / other examples - I'm going to go with my original judgement and revise 124. to a Ring-billed Gull, which on one hand is exciting because it's a vagrant but on the other it's annoying because I've already been to their ancestral home this year so it's counted! 

 

My UK count stays on 25. and my overall stays at 132. for my next bird.

Edited April 19, 2018 by lmSA84

[lmSA84]

132. Baillon's Crake, Cyprus, April

 

I recently return from a week's family vacation in Paphos, Cyprus. My kind wife normally affords me 1/2 - 1 days birding on our family holidays in return for her own child free time. In this case I had a half-days birding in the Paphos area with an excellent local guide - Victor Tjernberg. 

 

We went for just over 5hrs - seeing only 46 species but 12 were lifers, including this Baillon's Crake. 

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2018 by lmSA84

[michael-ibk]

Great sighting - and photo! Happy to hear Cyprus did work out after all.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, lmSA84 said:

but on the other it's annoying

Look on the bright side. You can still count a Common Gull when you see one.

 

Lovely Baillon's Crake.

Edited April 19, 2018 by Galana
Additonal text.

[Kitsafari]

It seems I've overdone on my likes and I couldn't like the awesome pics of the Cyprus crake. 

amazing captures of the hummingbirds and the goldcrest, and the birds against the falling snow makes it so England for me. 

 

[lmSA84]

@Kitsafari - no problem, I'll assume you liked them all  - thanks for the comments.

[lmSA84]

133. Sardinian Warbler, Cyprus, April

 

These guys have been colonising the island and pushing out the endemic Cyprus Warbler

 

 

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

Shame about the Cyprus Warbler - the Sardinian is a pretty bird though.