Reach for the skies!!! My tern to fly high!

[michael-ibk]

Very nice Brambling and Redpoll!

[TonyQ]

What a fabulous start to your Big Year!

[Dave Williams]

An unusual sighting for me today, not the bird but where I found them. In woodland just along from our house and sitting in a tree too!

16)Chough

Chough.    BY16 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

Beat me to a Chough this year.

Did you check the rings?

[Kitsafari]

brilliant shots and collection of those small birds which we saw in Spain. my only conclusion is that birds in the UK are friendlier than those in Catalonia. 

[lmSA84]

On 1/12/2022 at 9:45 PM, Galana said:

Well there is plenty of room as most of the population are shopping in England.

Seems like a fair trade to me! 

[Dave Williams]

 

A trip to Liverpool yesterday with the hope of a drop in to the Dee marshes on the way home to look for Short-eared and Barn Owls proved a wasted journey so I continued on to one of my least favourite RSPB reserves at Burton Mere. It was a glorious day but the low winter sun made viewing in most places really difficult.

I had some decent views of a 17)Great Egret

Great Egret    BY17 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

[lmSA84]

@Dave Williams- out of interest what is that you don’t like about RSPB Burton Mere. I’ve never been so just interested 

[PeterHG]

I do like the back lighting on the egret!

[Dave Williams]

4 hours ago, lmSA84 said:

@Dave Williams- out of interest what is that you don’t like about RSPB Burton Mere. I’ve never been so just interested 

 

Everything is distant from most view points , the main reception area/viewing gallery is quite high up too so you are looking down on everything as are two out of three of the other hides. The other one never seems to have anything much to view ! For most of the day the sun is in the wrong direction for photography.

If you are happy to view with a 'scope then it's popular with birders as they do get some good birds there.

It's just my own opinion of course! 

[Dave Williams]

A quick check of some local fields gave me what I was looking for

18) Eurasian Curlew

Eurasian Curlew.   BY18 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

I have to constantly remind myself not to be envious of birds from other counties when here in the UK some of the common resident species are amongst the prettiest you will see.

19)Blue Tit

Blue Tit.     BY19 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Kitsafari]

8 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

I have to constantly remind myself not to be envious of birds from other counties when here in the UK some of the common resident species are amongst the prettiest you will see.

19)Blue Tit

Blue Tit.     BY19 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

 

totally - almost all the tits are so pretty and i was very bummed for my first ever sightings of the tit species, we couldn't get proper views of them. 

 

I think a trip to the UK's friendlier birds is in order. 

[Dave Williams]

We don't have anything quite as exotic looking as this one in the UK!

20)Cuban Tody

Cuban Tody.   BY20 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Kitsafari]

gorgeous tody! (over here toddy refers to a strong fermented alcoholic drink but i'll toast to that excellent bird)

[Dave Williams]

On 1/28/2022 at 3:59 AM, Kitsafari said:

gorgeous tody! (over here toddy refers to a strong fermented alcoholic drink but i'll toast to that excellent bird)

 

In the UK a hot today is a remedy fo a cold....or omicron!

[Dave Williams]

Not many seen at our beach resort but lots in the harbour at Havana when I din't have my camera!

21) Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican   BY21 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

22)Killdeer

We have had some pretty poor weather in the last few days but a torrential downpour had a flock of Killdeer arrive further along the beach from where we are staying.

Killdeer.    BY 22 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

A single 23)Spotted Sandpiper amongst the Killdeer has proved very elusive.

Spotted Sandpiper.   BY 23 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

In the UK a hot today is a remedy fo a cold....or omicron!

We don't need the excuse of medicine. Coming in after a brisk walk in the cold winter will suffice.

Equal Tot of  Rum and Blackcurrant in a long glass. Top up with Hot water. Brings the colour back to ones cheeks as a birdwatcher called Eric would say.

 

Oh. Nice birds by the way.

Edited January 31, 2022 by Galana

[PeterHG]

Excellent photos in spite of the poor weather. That Tody is a real beauty!

[lmSA84]

I'm looking forward to seeing what you found. Was this your first trip to Cuba? Beautiful Tody photo to start.  

[michael-ibk]

Love the Tody! Enjoy Cuba Dave!

[Dave Williams]

On 2/1/2022 at 7:59 PM, lmSA84 said:

I'm looking forward to seeing what you found. Was this your first trip to Cuba? Beautiful Tody photo to start.  

 

Not our first trip but certainly a different kind of trip. Last time we hired a car and covered nearly all of the island except for the western end staying in Casa Particulars ( B&B's) as we went . This time we opted for package tour security as TUI have their own airline so if everything went pear shaped we were confident we would get home again! Since Thomas Cook went down the pan the options for Cuba are much more limited with TUI only flying to Veradaro at the western end which actually suited as the hotel of choice, the only one in Jibacao is perfect as a birding destination as the hotel is close to some interesting locations, some of which can be done on foot and without transport. It's also only an hour from Havana which we wanted to visit.

[Dave Williams]

The very first bird seen and photographed on the very first morning of our holiday in Cuba just a few minutes and metres away from our hotel room! Big Year  24) West Indian Woodpecker Could the sightings and consequently images be reasonable good for the rest of my BY contributions from Cuba? The answer will of course be........wait and see!!

 

West Indian Woodpecker.  BY 24 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited February 5, 2022 by Dave Williams