Zim Girl's (very tiny) Big Year 2018

[Zim Girl]

Walking along the Fylde Coast on Monday morning we found this pair.

 

54.  Shelduck

 

Sifting for food in the mudflats

 

Knott End, Wyre Estuary  -  07/05/18

[Tdgraves]

Well done on 50

[Zim Girl]

Thanks @Tdgraves

 

[Zim Girl]

We have a crow that regularly frequents the back garden (I like to think it's the same one all the time).  He hops around pinching the fallen bird seed from the feeders.  In the summer he often sits on the upstairs window sills and knocks on the windows, usually very early in the morning.  Here he is sitting on the garage roof.

 

55.  Carrion Crow

Back garden  -  08/05/18

[lmSA84]

Beautiful shots of the wagtail and pipits. I struggle to get close enough to the pipits for the quality of those shots.

[Zim Girl]

Thank you very much @lmSA84, all the birds were being very accommodating on our drive through the Trough.

[Zim Girl]

I am afraid the quality goes downhill somewhat for the next couple.

I had a solo trip to Leighton Moss yesterday.  So the Garganey is now old news and the new Duck of the Day is a lone male Scaup.  Luckily I found him and these are my best efforts.

 

56.  Scaup

 

 

Leighton Moss  -  10/05/18

[xelas]

@Zim Girl you should not worry about the IQ (image quality) as long as the eye of the animal (bird in your case) is clearly visible!

[Zim Girl]

This pair on their nest were constantly getting harassed by crows and a swan.

 

57.  Great Black-backed Gull

 

 

Leighton Moss  -  10/05/18

[Zim Girl]

I also saw a Spoonbill on the estuary but it was far, far away, so photo is a white speck in the distance.  Will see how long he stays there, may get a better chance later.  Heard lots of warbler activity across the reserve but none of them wanted their picture taken.  Saw a gull take a goose chick from it's nest and fly across the lake in front of the hide (would have made a great picture if I had been quick enough).  Also watched a Great Crested Grebe pair with chicks on their backs catching fish to feed them.  Star of the show this time was an otter playing, first time I have ever seen one in this country in the wild.

[Zim Girl]

10 minutes ago, xelas said:

@Zim Girl you should not worry about the IQ (image quality) as long as the eye of the animal (bird in your case) is clearly visible!

 

Thanks Alex, I am trying to get the 'eye shine' when taking the pictures.

[xelas]

10 minutes ago, Zim Girl said:

 

Thanks Alex, I am trying to get the 'eye shine' when taking the pictures.

 

Me too; does not happens many times  ...

[Soukous]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

@Zim Girl you should not worry about the IQ (image quality) as long as the eye of the animal (bird in your case) is clearly visible!

 

I agree with Alex. Your image quality is pretty good and it will keep getting better. 
Not every photo will be a keeper but that's the beauty of BY, it doesn't matter. What BY does do is give you an incentive to go out and look for things (birds) to photograph. The more you take, the more opportunity you have to study your photos and work out what you're doing right and what you're doing wrong. 

[Galana]

Everything they say. @Soukous is right. BY is not about keepers but about the fun of getting out and finding birds. And the more you see the more you progress with storing the ID marks in the finest filing system ever made.

[Geoff]

Just now catching up. Interesting discussion re birders and manners.

 

Little bridge camera or not. 2nd Chaffinch image in post #97 is lovely as well as the robin and the lapwing. 

[michael-ibk]

Lovely additions! Special mention to the Grey wagtail, never managed to get close to that one. 

[Zim Girl]

On 5/12/2018 at 5:07 AM, Geoff said:

Just now catching up. Interesting discussion re birders and manners.

 

Little bridge camera or not. 2nd Chaffinch image in post #97 is lovely as well as the robin and the lapwing. 

 

Thank you very much @Geoff, I am trying hard to get the best out of it.

[Zim Girl]

16 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Lovely additions! Special mention to the Grey wagtail, never managed to get close to that one. 

 

Thanks Michael.  I was really pleased with the Grey wagtail, it just flew in front of me and down to the water and I was able to sneak up on it, but very lucky.

[Zim Girl]

My next bird is one I had previously dismissed (before BY) as being a 'mutant sparrow'. I now know better. I have also learned something else  -  it is really hard to photograph birds on reeds!!  But I was determined to get this bird on it's 'home ground'. So here we go.

 

58.  Reed Bunting

 

"I have finally caught up with you and you are not looking at me"

"Are you talking to me?"

"Yes, but I need to see your eyes!"

"Ok, hang on, let me find another perch first, is that better?"

"A bit, it will have to do"

"How about I sing for you as well"

Marton Mere  -  14/05/18

[Zim Girl]

This bird required a joint effort and has taken us all year to finally get.  She (I think it is a female) regularly sits on an old telegraph pole a couple of minutes drive outside our village.  We had passed her so many times going in and out but even though I often had the camera with me either the light was the wrong side (I needed it to be good as she is at the limit of my camera reach), it was cloudy or raining, cars behind us so we couldn't stop (small country lanes), or she flew off just as we pulled up etc, etc and before you ask why not just walk and wait, the lanes are very windy and have no pavements so a bit too dangerous to walk  -  so many times we have tried and failed.

At last on Sunday morning everything fell into place.  It was a bright blue sky, the road was quiet and she stayed and posed for me.

 

59.  Kestrel

 

 

 

Near home  -  13/05/18

 

 

[TonyQ]

The Kestrel was worth the wait!

[Zim Girl]

18 hours ago, TonyQ said:

The Kestrel was worth the wait!

 

I know.  I can stop taking my camera on the supermarket run now 

[Tdgraves]

8 minutes ago, Zim Girl said:

 

I know.  I can stop taking my camera on the supermarket run now 

 

@Zim Girl now that is dedication!! you are officially a birder now 

[Zim Girl]

4 minutes ago, Tdgraves said:

 

@Zim Girl now that is dedication!! you are officially a birder now 

 

It does seem to take over your life somewhat.  Even Adrian has been taking my old camera out when he is on an early work shift to see if he can catch the barn owl that is sometimes seen in the area.  Don't hold your breath on that one though.

[Zim Girl]

Thanks to @offshorebirder for confirming the ID of the next one.

 

60.  Sedge Warbler

 

Marton Mere  -  14/05/18