tdgraves 8th big year 2021

[michael-ibk]

Been around two years since I last saw a Brambling - great bird to have in your garden!

[Zim Girl]

Very impressed with having a Brambling in your garden, I have also never seen one.

[Tdgraves]

I also took part in the RSPB big bird watch this weekend for the first and hopefully last time (we are usually in South Africa ). 15 species, including the brambling and two appearances of the jay and great spotted woodpecker, which makes me think that the jay is actually around a lot, just never when I am usually looking! Lots of green woodpecker calls, but no sighting, which is usually the case for him.

[Dave Williams]

The Jays tend to be very noisy calling to each other so you should hear them if they are about on a regular basis.15 is a decent count though.

[Tdgraves]

The weather has really been against me for the past few weeks. Any time I am free, it has been very overcast and the places locally where I am allowed to go have been severely flooded. One day when the sun came out, I tried two different places and couldn't get to the car park of either due to the high standing water. I got this one as I turned the car around though

 

RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambridgeshire, 5/2/21

 

Canon 5D Mark IV, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 640, f7.1, 1/1000

 

7T4A7817 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

35) Eurasian magpie

[Tdgraves]

We are "on holiday" this week and managed to get out for a walk yesterday. Didn't bother today as despite the unseasonably mild temperatures, it was extremely windy. Given that Fen Drayton was very flooded 3 weeks ago, I was amazed that we managed to walk at all and it was nowhere near as muddy as I had envisaged. There was only one path inaccessible (due to it being temporarily part of the lake) but we could find another way around.

 

RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambridgeshire, 23/2/21

 

Canon 5D Mark IV, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 800, f7.1, 1/2500

 

7T4A8057 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

36) Fieldfare

[Tdgraves]

 

RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambridgeshire, 23/2/21

 

Canon 5D Mark IV, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 800, f7.1, 1/1250

 

7T4A8084 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

37) Little egret

[Tdgraves]

RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambridgeshire, 23/2/21

 

Canon 5D Mark IV, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 640, f7.1, 1/4000

 

7T4A8055 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

38) Yellowhammer

[Tdgraves]

There were lots of birds on the lake, but with the glare, it was very hard to know what they were! A very distant skylark as well, but I'll keep that in the hope of more than a few pixels taken up by the bird....

[elefromoz]

On 2/25/2021 at 12:45 AM, Tdgraves said:

We are "on holiday" this week and managed to get out for a walk yesterday.

Hopefully things are looking up a bit over there both with the weather and restrictions. it surely must be getting a bit tiresome..

[Soukous]

11 minutes ago, elefromoz said:

both with the weather and restrictions. it surely must be getting a bit tiresome

 

you betcha

[Tdgraves]

5 hours ago, elefromoz said:

Hopefully things are looking up a bit over there both with the weather and restrictions. it surely must be getting a bit tiresome..

 

Weather has definitely improved, spring is here, although there was a slight frost this morning. The easing of lockdown has been announced, but the end of restrictions is still in the distant future. We went for another walk this morning, the slightly longer one. Lots of people out and about in the sun, although not on the muddy paths we chose! Only one decent shot to add, which was a first for me at this site and if I'm not mistaken, one that evaded me last year....

 

RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambridgeshire, 26/2/21

 

Canon 5D Mark IV, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 800, f7.1, 1/4000

 

7T4A8111 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

39) Meadow pipit

Edited February 26, 2021 by Tdgraves
typo

[Tdgraves]

Another glorious day again here, chilly but the sun was strong and definitely higher in the sky and with little wind, it was very pleasant indeed. I have just discovered a path along the Ouse Washes nearer than the others I have used in the past, so we went there and the floods have already markedly receded, so the birds were pretty far away.

 

Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, 27/2/21

 

Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/3200, EV -1/3

 

J19A7999 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

40) Mute swan

[Tdgraves]

Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, 27/2/21

 

Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 320, f7.1, 1/1600, EV -1/3

 

J19A8037 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

41) Common (Mew) gull (I think...)

[Tdgraves]

And now onto the further away (and hence smaller) shots...

 

Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, 27/2/21

 

Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 320, f7.1, 1/2000, EV -1/3

 

J19A8020 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 500, f7.1, 1/1600, EV -1/3

 

J19A8116 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

42) Common shelduck

[Tdgraves]

Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, 27/2/21

 

Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 500, f7.1, 1/2000

 

J19A8073 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

J19A8085 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

43) Northern pintail

[Tdgraves]

Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, 27/2/21

 

Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 320, f7.1, 1/2500, EV -1/3

 

J19A8017 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 500, f7.1, 1/2500

 

J19A8058 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

44) Dunlin

[Tdgraves]

Ouse Washes, Cambridgeshire, 27/2/21

 

Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400 Mark II, ISO 320, f7.1, 1/2500, EV -1/3

 

J19A8028 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

45) Whooper swan

[Tdgraves]

Another couple of distant species should hopefully be bettered in the coming months. Now a couple of duplicates, mainly to improve on the previous distant shots...and the wren because it was so obliging!

 

J19A8105 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

J19A8132 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

J19A8142 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

J19A8167 by tdgraves, on Flickr

[PeterHG]

Good additions and what a beautiful Wren photo!

[Tdgraves]

Thanks @PeterHG

[Galana]

Awesome and quantum leaps if faith with some of those.

Did you miss out those two larger waders in the 'Dunlin' shot just to tease us?

[Tdgraves]

@Galana I am pretty much guaranteed to get better godwits later in the year (if indeed that is what they are!). I am already including shots which would have been kept until December in previous years, I need to maintain some standards ....

[Galana]

3 minutes ago, Tdgraves said:

I need to maintain some standards ....

I am with you all the way!

[Dave Williams]

50 beckons! All RSPB reserves are all closed here in Wales, even the one that's just a couple of miles away and walkable from home! I'm envious.