Faulty starter motor, but I'll get it fixed . Soukous BY 2020

[Soukous]

31 minutes ago, xelas said:

Full throttle now, @Soukous! A lovely day with lovely birds.

 

Confucius he say "sadly one fine day does not a Big Year make."

[pedro maia]

23 minutes ago, Soukous said:

 

Confucius he say "sadly one fine day does not a Big Year make."

 

Confucious also said "go southwest, where the weather is good and birds are plenty".

[Galana]

Confucious also say "Even largest Big Year start with single pixel!" Or he would have if they had known about pixels 2.5 Millennia ago.

[Soukous]

Lyrebirds are survivors, but the situation for Australian birdlife after the bushfires is dire

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/26/lyrebirds-are-survivors-but-the-situation-for-australian-birdlife-after-the-bushfires-is-dire

[Soukous]

Great excitement this morning as it was not raining and only a little bit cloudy. 

I decided to check out one of the smaller RSPB sites that are found all along our coastline.

 

This one is called Hollesley Marshes.

 

Despite the blue skies it was very windy and it seemed that all the hedgerow species were sheltering/hiding from the wind so I saw practically nothing as I walked the coastal path.

The marches were more productive. Recent rains meant there was plenty of water around and lots of birds too. Most of the species were either ones I have already posted or were too far away for photos. 

 

Lots of Black-tailed Godwits

 

 

 

[Soukous]

#16 - Herring Gull - Larus argentatus

Hollesley Marshes, Suffolk, UK. Jan 2020

 

 

[Soukous]

#17 - Greylag Goose - Anser anser

Hollesley Marshes, Suffolk, UK. Jan 2020

 

 

 

 

[Soukous]

#18 - Pink-footed Goose - Anser brachyrhynchus   (First time posted (FTP) #1)

Hollesley Marshes, Suffolk, UK. Jan 2020

 

I have no idea where they landed, I just saw them fly past.

 

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Soukous

[elefromoz]

@Soukous #29, such a depressing state of affairs, if only it could be fixed with $$$ alone. Looks like another sunny day your way.

[Soukous]

#19 - Stonechat - Saxicola torquata (FTP #2)

Hollesley Marshes, Suffolk. UK. Jan 2020

 

female only. I didn't see a/the male

 

 

and I have to confess to a very basic error here. I thought I was shooting at 1/800 sec, but in fact the dial had somehow made its way around to 1/8000 sec. hence a much higher ISO than desired and much noisier photos. 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Soukous

[Soukous]

#20 - Robin - Erithacus rubecula

Hollesly Marshes, Suffolk, UK. jan 2020

 

 

I wasn't going to bother with the Robin as I planned to grab one in the garden later on in the year, but there it was. As they say, a bird in the bush is worth 2 that may appear in your garden later.

[Soukous]

#21 - Skylark - Alauda arvensis  (FTP #3)

Hollesley Marshes, Suffolk, UK. Jan 2020

 

I'm not at all sure of this ID, but I can't definitely match it to anything else.

Assistance appreciated. 

Sorry for the crap shot but it is cropped hugely from a very distant little bird.

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Soukous

[Soukous]

On 1/29/2020 at 12:48 PM, Soukous said:

'm not at all sure of this ID, but I can't definitely match it to anything else.

 

Holy feathers Batman, you mean I got it right? Now there's a rare occurrence 

[Soukous]

This hit my 'inbox' so I thought I might as well share it.

 

10 quick tips on photographing garden birds

https://www.ephotozine.com/article/10-quick-tips-on-photographing-garden-birds-15306

 

as did this

 

How To Take Great Waterfowl Photos With Ease

https://www.ephotozine.com/article/how-to-take-great-waterfowl-photos-with-ease-15617

 

[Galana]

""Know your equipment well before heading outside as you don't want to be searching for buttons and messing around with settings when you only have seconds to take a shot.""

Damn! You mean there is MORE than ONE!
 

[Soukous]

29 minutes ago, Galana said:

Damn! You mean there is MORE than ONE!

 

yes, incredible though it may sound, on some cameras there are several  

[Soukous]

#19 - update

 

I think I found a male now, although the colours are it muted and it could be another female

 

 

[Soukous]

and although I think this is a female Stonechat I'm hoping someone will tell me it something different (ie, something I have not listed yet)

 

 

[Soukous]

but this is definitely a new one for 2020

 

#22 - Little Egret - Egretta garzetta

Hollesley Marshes, Suffolk, feb 2020

 

 

[Galana]

On 1/31/2020 at 8:10 AM, Soukous said:

Holy feathers Batman, you mean I got it right? Now there's a rare occurrence 

Sorry. You can't win em all.

Your male Stonechat is 'probably' OK due to full breast colour and clear collar but whilst your 'something different' is correct the difference is that it is just a Juv.

[Soukous]

58 minutes ago, Galana said:

Sorry. You can't win em all.

 

The occasional one is satisfaction enough. 

 

58 minutes ago, Galana said:

Your male Stonechat is 'probably' OK due to full breast colour and clear collar but whilst your 'something different' is correct the difference is that it is just a Juv.

 

Yes, thank you. After looking at 2 more books I was coming to that conclusion, but was by no means certain.

[Soukous]

Returning to my computer after 3 weeks away I am somewhat dismayed to see how some BY totals have soared in my absence. Weren't you supposed to wait until I got back?

 

One of my goals this year is to try and post some different species. 

With so many visits to Africa my previous Big Years featured many species over and over again; to the point where I get more pleasure from looking at other people's posts from destinations I've never been to than from my own.

 

I still love seeing and photographing them but I'd like this year to be different.

 

As far as my own list goes, it will never reach the magnificent 400 species recorded by @Galana, @xelas and @kittykat23uk in Uganda, but my visit to Sani Pass was just what I needed, as the area is home to several endemic species I've never seen before. 

 

[xelas]

1 hour ago, Soukous said:

Sani Pass was just what I needed

I would love to visit Sani Pass ... by driving it myself. Is it even allowed for a tourist to drive over it? And while @Galana has ticked 400+ we might only clicked around 300. 

[Galana]

5 minutes ago, xelas said:

we might only clicked around 300.

And maybe 250 of them were White-browed somethings!

 

Never really thought of Sani Pass as a birding destination. Eyes on the road.

[Soukous]

15 hours ago, xelas said:

I would love to visit Sani Pass ... by driving it myself. Is it even allowed for a tourist to drive over it?

 

Most certainly, but you need a 4x4. So as a visitor that means an expensive hire car, and making sure you have the right documents to cross the border. Or just persuading @Peter Connanthat his 4x4 needs another outing and that you'd be the perfect co-driver.