B.Y. 2019. The Tortoise rules!

[Dave Williams]

39 minutes ago, xelas said:

I was hald expecting that the Liver Bird will mark your #200 !! Congratulations !! Now that we have a target in front of us, lets do our best to catch the tortoise.

 

He said quietly grinning in the knowledge.......

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Game Warden said:

But just remember the affect that eagles have on liver birds...

The Eagles will be quite safe unless there are any virgins around which is when Liverbirds are said to become very active and flap their wings.

[Dave Williams]

21 minutes ago, Galana said:

The Eagles will be quite safe unless there are any virgins around which is when Liverbirds are said to become very active and flap their wings.

 

We are playing the Dragons,FC Porto and not the Eagles of Benfica so there is no need for alarm!

[Zim Girl]

The Short-eared and Barn owl pictures were absolutely fantastic @Dave Williams

I started making a note of my favourite Gambia birds and had to give up as there were so many amazing ones.

Well done on the 100 and the 200 milestones passed already.

[Peter Connan]

What an incredible run!

 

Gorgeous photos of gorgeous birds, and congrats on the double ton!

[Dave Williams]

202) Black-headed Weaver

One I just found when filing my Gambia images!

Black-headed Weaver  Ploceus melanocephalus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

203) Eurasian Treecreeper

In the garden this morning. It's a big crop and I should have used a higher shutter speed for handholding my big 600mm lens.

First one processed in Canon's DPP.

Eurasian Treecreeper   Certhia familiaris by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Then I decided it needed a tweek so over to Photoshop and a bit of cheating!

 

Eurasian Treecreeper   Certhia familiaris by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[xelas]

Aha, now I see the reason of my envy ... but beautiful shot nevertheless. 

[michael-ibk]

An outstanding collecting from the Gambia Dave - even a boring bird as a Sacred Ibis looks fantastic through your lens. Particularly love the Gonolek, that's a bird I really have to see! 

[Dave Williams]

@michael-ibk There were Gonaleks everywhere on this visit Michael, never seen as many. Why I don't know, but you usually hear them more than see them as they lurk around the undergrowth.

.

[Dave Williams]

204) Willow Warbler 

Also from The Gambia. I was waiting for a confirmation ID from a learned friend. Unfortunately not the Olivaceous I wanted because Willow Warbler is even found in our garden.

Of the 149 species I saw on my last visit only 95 were seen this time but there were some additions too, 27 I think.

No photoshopping on this one, left the offending leaf especially for @xelas 

Willow Warbler   Phylloscopus trochilus by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

47 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

No photoshopping on this one, left the offending leaf

Quite right too. Let's see em as they are.

[TonyQ]

Just catching up and have only reached 100. Congratulations - and the Roller is a beautiful bird to bring up this milestone.

We are seeing some great additions from The Gambia.

[xelas]

3 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

No photoshopping on this one, left the offending leaf especially for @xelas 

 

Birds and leaves are part of the nature  ... that is how I comfort myself !

[Lyss]

Your photos are amazing especially that Blue Roller I have only seen them in aviaries at a few zoos. Probably my favorite of the rollers. I was also surprised to see your Canadian Goose photo. I didn't know you guys got those in Wales, or was that a trip to North America? Either way very nice. I look  forward to more!

[Dave Williams]

5 minutes ago, Lyss said:

Your photos are amazing especially that Blue Roller I have only seen them in aviaries at a few zoos. Probably my favorite of the rollers. I was also surprised to see your Canadian Goose photo. I didn't know you guys got those in Wales, or was that a trip to North America? Either way very nice. I look  forward to more!

 

I think there are more Canada Geese in the UK than Canada. They are everywhere!

[Lyss]

I did not know that. They have a very limited range here once you get to a certain latitude they just don't occur.

[Galana]

They were introduced to Great Britain on a large scale in the late 1950s and sadly have spread widely to reach pest proportions in may areas.

However some of the other races do occur naturally as vagrants from time to time. There is a 'Cackling goose' currently in the Outer Hebrides.

[Dave Williams]

205) European Greenfinch

One from the local reserve yesterday.

 

On a separate note, with a nice increase in BY contributors I'm struggling to keep up with all the posts. Its an Individual choice but I find too many pictures of the same bird just get in the way and make it even more time consuming so if you want me to check out your threads thoroughly please keep them as simple to follow as possible.

 

European Greenfinch   Chloris chloris by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

206)Carrion Crow

at our local reserve.

Carrion Crow   Corvus corone by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

207)Northern Wheatear

A glorious day in North Wales yesterday saw me off in to the hills for the first time in many months.My short walk  was rewarded with the sight of several Wheatears back for the breeding season and this male that was displaying to another caught my eye as I haven't seen that behaviour before.

Northern Wheatear   Oenanthe oenanthe by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited April 12, 2019 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

208) Chiffchaff

Our garden seems to have several that are chirping away, I have managed a few shots but hadn't realised I didn't post one from Spain back in January.

Let's make the Hare pant a bit more!!

Chiffchaff   Phylloscopus collybita by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

[Dave Williams]

209) Common Snipe

At our local reserve , the supreme camouflage artist!

Common Snipe  Gallinago gallinago by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[pedro maia]

@Dave Williams which is your "natural reserve"?

 

I´m sure the others know but I´m new around here...

[Dave Williams]

@pedro maia It's here https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/conwy?channel=paidsearch&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8L2sp6rK4QIVyZ3tCh0ejQEEEAAYASAAEgLrrvD_BwE

 

Not as good as your local I wouldn't think Pedro but it has it's moments. A friend of mine leads a guided bird walk there every Saturday morning and recently the species count is around 45. We have over wintering wild fowl, most which have now left, and in the summer a few breeding migrants. Now and again we get something unusual making a brief stopover visit.

Most of the migration activity takes place on the east coast of the UK.