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OK, let's see what turns up - BY 2021


Soukous

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Apart from the slightly upturned bill ( but we’ve talked about that before) the pattern on the back is much too striking and varied for a Black-tailed Godwit, which would have a ‘plainer’ look. This is more Curlew- like and I often find that a helpful ID feature. But then, the real Godwit expert has not spoken yet…B)

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12 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

Beautiful photos @Soukous! In my view you’ve definitely got a Bar-tailed there.

 

Aah, now I see it

Bar-tailed Godwit

 

So, with thanks to @PeterHG (welcome home by the way) and @GalanaI can add

 

#137 - Bar-tailed Godwit - Limosa lapponica

Burghead Bay, Moray. Scotland. Oct 2021

 

Bar-tailed Godwit

 

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Norfolk white-tailed eagle reintroduction project cancelled

 

Oh poo. It looks as though I'll have to keep going further afield to see them

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/18/norfolk-white-tailed-eagle-reintroduction-project-cancelled?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco

 

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Temporary set back. It will happen naturally eventually.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Dave Williams

You have included some nice shots here Martin. Excellent POV on the Godwits.

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A sunny day, and as the forecast for tomorrow is rain all day it was almost imperative that I got out to make the most of the good weather.

I set out with 3 target species, I managed to get just 1 of them.

 

I went up the coast to RSPB Minsmere.

I missed out on the Stone Curlew and the Darford Warbler. Apparently ( or at least this is what I was told) a lot of people had been trying to find the Dartford Warblers and many of them had resorted to playing the birds call on their phone, which had the result of driving the few that were there away. True or not, they have been very elusive and I have not managed to find one at all this year.

 

When I got to the beach I was told that I'd missed the Snow Buntings. They had been there but had chosen to hide from the wind (it was blowing hard)

A group of 6 Snow Bunting had been seen on this beach on the last 3 days.

 

Patience was in order.

 

Sure enough, after a while they appeared, flitting down the beach, pecking around a bit on the shingle and then flying another 30 metres or so.

They were attracting a bit of a crowd too, so rather than follow them I stayed where I was and was rewarded when they changed direction and came back down the beach towards me.

 

It was no easy job getting focus as they hpped around among the stones, but I managed a few acceptable shots.

 

#138 - Snow Bunting - Plectrophenax nivalis

Minsmere, Suffolk, UK. Oct 2021

 

Snow Bunting

 

Snow Bunting

 

Snow Bunting

 

Snow Bunting

 

 

 

 

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A beautiful bird, would love to see one. Well done! 

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Patience gets it's own reward.

Nice portraits of a cute bird..

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more than acceptable shots of the cute snow bunting. never seen them as well. 

 

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Beautiful Snow Bunting on the shingle

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I posted a couple of my Snow Bunting pics yesterday and got this response from a friend in Western Australia.

 

"Looks like a sparrow! … not allowed in Western Australia"

 

248538610_10159392940925390_4389496709689192716_n.jpg.ecc11de40a08528c277b431d9cabd4e9.jpg

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Any Sparrow would be flattered to be mistaken for Snow Bunting.

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On 10/30/2021 at 3:36 PM, elefromoz said:

Whaaat, nuthin like a Sparrow!

 

I did say he was from WA :ph34r:

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A glorious day; sun shining, minimal wind and an itchy shutter finger.

 

I've made several visits to RSPB Minsmere this year, and each time one of my target birds has been the Dartford Warbler. Minsmere is usually a very reliable location for them.

I arrived nice and early so make sure that no-on else would be there to disturb the patch.

 

Meadow Pipits in abundance

Meadow Pipit

 

Meadow Pipit

 

StoneChats aplenty

Stonechat

 

but after two hours of wandering up & down the patch, no Dartfords.

 

Without even looking for them, I found a Snow Bunting on the shingle. There had been 6 of them here last week, but now there was just one. Just one, but it is hard to imagine a more relaxed, confiding little bird.

he was not at all bothered by my presence

Snow Bunting

 

Snow Bunting

 

Snow Bunting

 

As I was enjoying quality time with the Snow Bunting an RSPB volunteer arrived, so I asked him if he'd seen any Dartfords.

he said not for a while but pointed me to a spot about 300 metres south. He'd seen them there a week ago.

 

En route I met a chap who was looking for Snow Buntings, so I traded my information on those for his on the Dartford warblers. He'd seen a couple just a few minutes earlier.

 

Now that i was in the right spot, it didn't take me long to spot one. Finally. I think I have probably spent more hours looking for these than any other bird this year. I was just about to take a photo when a couple of women walked along the path with their dog. Not only did it have a f***ing bell around its neck but it decided to bark at me. Bye bye birdie.

I have teeth marks on my tongue.

 

Letting them get far away I waitied for the DW to re-emerge. It did, stopping briefly on a nearby bramble it flew on before I could get a photo. I saw where it went and started heading in that direction. I was getting closer and it still had not flown off.  I raised my camera, then simultaneously heard and saw that bloody dog again. They were coming back in the other direction, and instead of using the same path, they had looped around to one that ran right beside the bramble where my DW was waiting. Bye bye birdie #2. More tooth marks on tongue.

 

I had to wait almost an hour before it (or one just like it) appeared again.

 

#139 - Dartford Warbler - Sylvia undata

RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk, UK. Nov 2021

Dartford Warbler

 

Dartford Warbler

 

Time to go home.

and guess what, as I was walking back along the path I had reached almost exactly the spot where I had spent 2 hours searching for them and I heard another one chirring behind me. There it was, sitting atop a bramble. I tried to get around it for better light but it flew off.

 

No matter, after so many failed attempts I was happy to get one.

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I had a good laugh with the dog with the f***ing bell :lol:.

 

Nice pictures.

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Good job persevering. You got a very nice shot in the end.

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Ah, those dog moments :wacko:! I'm glad you got some great shots in the end and your Snow bunting photos are also excellent!

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A worthwhile outing. You got it in the end. My teeth marks or would that be toe marks would have trained the dog to be a Blacksmith.

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and, a couple of hours after I left, a new group of 9 Snow Buntings came to feed on the shingle.

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I'll think of this as a 'to do' list

 

10 brilliant birds to spot in Britain this winter – and where to find them

Britain hosts an array of migrant birds that bring a bit of magic to the darker months. If you’re in the right place, you may spot a flock or two

 

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/nov/06/birds-to-spot-in-britain-winter-where-to-find-them?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1636198334

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Great Dartford photos - really difficult birds.

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Drat de dog! but what great shots of the bunting, even if you missed the group of nine. 

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Well done with the Snow Bunting and your persistence with the Dartford produced some great shots.

(still never seen a Dartford, we were in a spot where they are found a couple of weeks ago, but no luck)

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