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

[Dave Williams]

5 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

There‘s still the Feral Pigeon - go get it, now now now! And since we don‘t care that much about rules, why not accept the Turkey? Both of them.

 

OTOH, you might like to try for another bonus bird just to be on the safe side - sure about your Scaup?

It's being widely reported as a Greater Scaup Michael. I went out for an hour this morning and it's blowing a gale and very muddy everywhere so I came home. I have decided I'll stick where I am, especially as I found a third duplicate! 

As Alex says, it's a number and you don't need a nought at the end. Think imperial instead of metric!!!!

497 is significant in India it seems!!

[Dave Williams]

Well,well! Trawling through my various trips this year, look what I found!

 

I'm pretty certain what this is too!

 

Both taken at hides de El Taray on the central plains of Spain whilst waiting in vain for the Great Bustard to turn up.

Anyone want to hazard a guess?? 

[Dave Williams]

The forecast rain has stopped and the sun has come out.

Mmmmm, I wonder.

[Dave Williams]

The sun lasted just a short while and by the time I was ready to set off it was raining. However, look what flew out of the trees!

 

[TonyQ]

The first one could be a Stock Dove, or even better, a pigeon?

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Anyone want to hazard a guess?? 

I will go for Rock Dove based on leg/foot colour but I would have like to have seen the rump to be certain. Faioling that it could make Stock and or Feral.

Your 2nd bird.? Why not? Spanish Imperial Eagle?

Hard to say what flew out of your tree other than a Crow.

[PeterHG]

I agree on the Spanish Imperial Eagle

[Dave Williams]

18 minutes ago, Galana said:

I will go for Rock Dove based on leg/foot colour but I would have like to have seen the rump to be certain. Faioling that it could make Stock and or Feral.

Your 2nd bird.? Why not? Spanish Imperial Eagle?

Hard to say what flew out of your tree other than a Crow.

Merlin photo ID suggests Spanish Imperial Eagle too. The other is a Rock Dove according to them but just for you Fred, using modern technology I have managed to move the birds wings forward.

 

 

Must admit I was hoping that it was a Raven not a Crow. We have a Raven nest up a tree in the woods above our house. One flew over honking the other day and the shot was so bad I deleted it in error thinking I wouldn't need it.

So here I am, 499 and right up to the wire it seems!

[Galana]

11 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

So here I am, 499 and right up to the wire it seems!

So sorry not to be able to help out for your 500 but I did redeem myself with 498 & 499. That's almost certainly not a Raven. Tail's all wrong as is the wing plan..

[Dave Williams]

Looks like I'm going to have to go out tomorrow then!

My list of possibles in ranked order.

Raven should be possible but it's going to be windy again.

Some are too far to warrant travelling, over on the Wirral.

 

[Tdgraves]

A man with a plan, good on you!

[Galana]

Baldrick goes forth with a plan.

Actually, whilst I have not been back through your listing I recall you had Snow Buntings earlier on. Or was that last year?

[Kitsafari]

Go Dave, Go!!

[Dave Williams]

10 hours ago, Galana said:

Baldrick goes forth with a plan.

Actually, whilst I have not been back through your listing I recall you had Snow Buntings earlier on. Or was that last year?

 

You can use the search feature top right hand side of this page to have a quick search but no, I haven't had Snow Bunting yet!

Horrible light out there and it's 9.20 already. Must get going despite the conditions.

I have 6 hours or so to find my target!!

[Dave Williams]

The light was dim as I set off but as I dropped down to the local promenade much to my delight the sea was like a mill pond.

Decisions,decisions.

Do I go for the Raven, by far the best likelihood of seeing one.

No, despite the tide going out, in fact only two hours short of low tide, I decide to chase the Scoters!

A 15 minute drive and I'm there and so are the Scoters, right in the middle of the shot. That's at 500mm off my full frame camera

 

I decide to attach my 500mm f4 and stick a 2x TC on.1000mm , that's better.

 

But that isn't really acceptable so I head off for the next target, a reported Snow Bunting.

[Dave Williams]

Before I get to the point further down the coast I stop off where there might be a better elevated spot to see further out to sea.

Lucky me, they were slightly further in and what's more I decided to use the in camera 1.6 crop giving me 1600mm.

 

That will do , there are lots of these 500)Common Scoter over wintering just off the North Wales coast, amongst them are a few Velvet Scoter, but I'm only claiming one.  

 

 

I guess I could have posted the next one 501) Snow Bunting to mark the century but as I decided that that would do for the day as it was raining I'll finish my BY...again... with at least a shot that's clearly recognisable!

 

[xelas]

Well done, Dave! A man with a plan … and with 501 birds in 2022. Congratulations!

[michael-ibk]

Excellent Dave, was rooting for you to get there. Always love a happy ending! 🙂

[Tdgraves]

The plan succeeded, well done! What's the plan for tomorrow??!! 

[TonyQ]

Well done @Dave Williams

Determination and planning paid off.

Brilliant total for the year

[Galana]

Always good to see a plan work out.

Good that you stuck to it despite the weather and got your coveted and well deserved 500+.

[Kitsafari]

Congrats (again) and your plan worked with a beautiful snow bunting (love those little birds)!

 

 

[PeterHG]

I am glad your determination paid off. Congratulations on getting there!

[Dave Williams]

 

For those of you that have followed my BY and are also ardent photographers you may well know that for most years in the past 10 I have been lucky enough to spend a week on the tiny island known as the Isle of May. It's located in the Firth of Forth, a few miles off the Scottish coast. More details here:-

https://www.nature.scot/enjoying-outdoors/visit-our-nature-reserves/isle-may-national-nature-reserve

 

As a member of the Bird Observatory there I have access to staying at the Low Light, a now defunct lighthouse which has been turned in to accommodation for members. It consists of three bedrooms each with 2 single beds, a toilet, separate shower, lounge, small dining kitchen, boot room and a food storage room. Power/heating is provided by bottled gas, solar panels and a wood burning stove. Water is piped from a well. Hot water for the shower is available if the sun shines but there is usually sufficient power for lights and recharging batteries.

Transport to the island is usually by rib boat. There is a possibility that if the sea is too rough sailings can be delayed but in June it's less likely.

You have to take all your needs with you, food, drinks etc but the kitchen is well stocked with equipment and a gas oven. Fridge/Freezers are also powered by gas. 

Visitors are expected to fill in a daily log of all species seen, as well as fill in a diary but it's not a difficult task. You are expected to leave as you find, stick to the recognised paths etc etc.

 

You will have access to extremely close encounters with the nesting birds there of which there are around 250,000 which include 45,000 pairs of the iconic Puffin which in June will be returning to the burrows with bills full of Sand Eels. Other species include Razorbills, Guillemots, Shags, Kittiwakes,Terns,Gulls,Oystercatchers and one or two others like Rock Pipit. The variety is not huge but the encounters can be memorable, the photographic opportunities fabulous. You would be hard pressed to find better as you have access 24/7 and usually totally to your self. The only other residents on the island are up to 12 research people who stay in another accommodation place 700m away. During the day a daily landing of up to 130 day visitors arrive but they are there for no more than 3 hours, a time for residents to retreat for rest/lunch or whatever.

 

So why am I telling you this?

Because I have one available place to share a room for w/c Saturday 10th of June, leaving on the 17th.

The cost is £180 excluding food and drink which would be on a shared basis between the 6 .

Currently I have fellow residents of one married couple and three unaccompanied men, me included.

To give you an idea of what to expect, Claire has declared she would never want to go as she doesn't want to be marooned on an island with nothing to do for a week if the weather is poor. It's a chance we take although I enjoy any weather as it has it's own challenges.

If you are interested PM me ASAP. I do have a friend from Germany arriving at Edinburgh airport so it's not limited to UK residents, you can always add on a trip to other parts of Scotland or the UK.

 

The only thing I will add is that the terrain isn't always easy, there are precipitous cliffs and potentially slippery slopes

 

PS To check-out the photo opportunities you can typically get have a look at my albums on Flickr or read my blog. 

 

Edited January 3, 2023 by Dave Williams

[Soukous]

On 1/3/2023 at 11:25 AM, Dave Williams said:

If you are interested PM me ASAP.

 

 sadly I will have to pass