TonyQ Big Year Number 5

[TonyQ]

217.UK.81. Skylark  Alauda arvensis 

Grimley, Worcestershire         25.05.20

Grimley, Worcestershire         25.05.20

Much easier to hear than to photograph!

[TonyQ]

218.UK.82 Collared Dove  Streptopelia decaocto     

Not the most scenic of perches, Grimley, Worcestershire         25.05.20

Grimley, Worcestershire         25.05.20

[TonyQ]

219.UK.83. Spotted Flycatcher  Muscicapa striata    

Grimley, Worcestershire         25.05.20

Grimley, Worcestershire         25.05.20

[TonyQ]

220.UK.84. House Martin  Delichon urbica    

Grimley, Worcestershire         25.05.20

Grimley, Worcestershire         25.05.20

It is interesting seeing them from the side - their whole body is an aerofoil shape

Nest building (no chicks yet), Grimley, Worcestershire         25.05.20

 

[TonyQ]

221.UK.85. Pied wagtail  Motacilla alba         

Holte, Worcestershire 25.05.20

Holte, Worcestershire 25.05.20

Holte is a small village about a mile away from Grimley

[Galana]

Looks like a fine outing. Great shot of the Little Ringed Plover. Do they occur often now?

[TonyQ]

Thank you @Galana  it was a very enjoyable morning. Little Ring Plovers appear regularly, but not really frequently. We have seen them each year in the Midlands (since we started Big Year). We saw a pair at another site a few days later (but very far away)

[Peter Connan]

Lovely shots Tony!

[PeterHG]

Beautiful House Martin shots and well done on the Lark, too !

[TonyQ]

@Peter Connan @PeterHG thank you

A couple more from a trip to another local reserve

 

222.UK.86. Egyptian Goose   Alopochen aegyptiacus          

Ladywalk  Reserve, West Midlands    28.05.20

Quite a bit of heat haze - the photo was taken across water to an island where the geese were. (Heat haze is not something we get used to in the UK)

 

The male here is much bigger than the female. There were also some Canada Geese on the island and it was interesting how much bigger they were than the Egyptians.

(I know that the books give the size of birds but I often don't internalise this information!)

[TonyQ]

223.UK.87. Sand Martin          Riparia riparia 

Ladywalk  Reserve, West Midlands    28.05.20

Ladywalk  Reserve, West Midlands    28.05.20

All very high and fast moving and requiring a very large crop. We enjoyed watching them fly and it was good fun trying to get a photo. We were at the side of a river and could see lots of them flying to and along the river. We noticed that they were nesting in the river bank

Ladywalk  Reserve, West Midlands    28.05.20

Distant, poor light, poor photos - but I thought they were interesting. So many birds flying about. You can see the heads of two chicks poking out of a hole, and three other birds sitting very close. I was thinking these may be chicks that have already fledged and were waiting for food from their parents - but that is guesswork.

Ladywalk  Reserve, West Midlands    28.05.20

[xelas]

You are doing well with UK birds, @TonyQ!

[TonyQ]

Thank you @xelas  the slight easing of lockdown has helped. We are able to make journeys for leisure as long as we do not stay overnight. My target for the year is to get 100 UK birds (as I will not get any more from outside the UK!).

We have a trip planned to Norfolk in the East of England in October (self catering) so are hopeful that things will have eased enough by then to allow us to go. If we do manage it that should help us add some coastal birds to our total. Fingers crossed.

[xelas]

@TonyQ both self-driving and self-catering will be also our preferred way to visit nearby (Italy, Austria, Croatia) birding sites. I wish you good luck with birding in the UK.

[Galana]

Nice photos and a realistic target of 100 for GB.

A few Seabirds  and Autumn in Norfolk should bring that total to you.

[Soukous]

2 hours ago, TonyQ said:

My target for the year is to get 100 UK birds

 

That should be doable.

I'm at 73 UK birds myself and I am hoping to make the 100 as well. All being well I've got a trip to Mull in September, postponed from April, which should help a bit.

Once local RSPB reserves open up again that should also make a difference as I'll be able to get close enough to photograph a few more species that are currently too distant.

There's plenty of the UK left to explore.

[michael-ibk]

Very impressive shots of the Lark and the Martins Tony!

[TonyQ]

Thank you @michael-ibk @Galana

@Soukous  good luck with Mull in September- and as you say there are other parts of the UK.

 

However, the next three postings are from our garden. Though the first one is not a bird - but it was exciting!

 

We were sitting having dinner inside, and very close to glass doors overlooking the garden. Then what should walk along the other side of the glass, but a Hedgehog!

I grabbed a camera and here it was coming for a drink (we had a long time without rain in Birmingham). Lots of reflection.

It then went into some bushes before briefly coming out into the open

 

before quickly returning.

 

A couple of days later, Mrs Q was sitting at the table outside when the hedgehog (presuming it is the same on) walked past her within a couple of feet. It went into the bushes and seemed to have disappeared. A bit later I went out and sat at the table and we hard some rustling.

(taken at 100mm) - we were very excited!

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

Back to birds. We had a couple of birds fly over that were new for the garden - Cormorant and Mallard (though I am sure we have seen Mallard before) taking  the garden list to 40. Then we had a couple more fly overs

 

224.UK.88. Sparrowhawk       Accipiter nisus

Our Garden, Birmingham        27.05.20

High, very heavy crop. Probably a male I think from the colouration. I think we have seen one once before from the garden but we have seen them much more clearly in nearby woods in previous years.

[TonyQ]

The next one is the first time we have seen it from the garden taking the garden list to 41

This one had a bit more drama....

 

UK.89. Peregrine        Falco peregrinus       

(Seen in Malaysia earlier in the year )

Our Garden, Birmingham        30.05.20

High, very heavy crop but you can just see that the Peregrine is carrying something - I think a Gull chick. The Gull was having a real go at the Peregrine

Our Garden, Birmingham        30.05.20

Poor photos, but an exciting garden sighting. I know that Peregrines breed in the centre of Birmingham, but we have not seen one in Birmingham before.

Edited June 6, 2020 by TonyQ

[michael-ibk]

Very nice to have a Hedgehog in your garden! It´s been years since one wandered through here.

[Galana]

Top marks for the Peregrine.

[Peter Connan]

Lovely sightings!

[PeterHG]

Very nice to have a hedgehog so near! And what a sight with the Peregrine.

[Dave Williams]

Envious of the Hedgehog but there again I have my own garden attractions so can't complain. You should make the 100 I'm sure. Keep it up!