tdgraves big year 2022 - here's hoping it's (all) better!

[Tdgraves]

1 hour ago, PeterHG said:

The Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge delivered a good variety of birds!

Not as many as our last visit!

[Tdgraves]

I went to Welney at the start of the month to test my new lens, prior to our trip to Kenya. It was very overcast and the water levels were very low, given the drought. I took lots of photos that I otherwise would not have bothered with, to test it out. When I arrived, I was told that a rare visitor had been around in the morning and about half an hour before I left at closing time, it reappeared. A UK lifer for me...

 

WWT Welney, Norfolk, UK, 3/8/22

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 200-400 with 1.4x extender, ISO 320, f5.6, 1/800

 

7T4A0050a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0058a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

267) Eurasian spoonbill

[Tdgraves]

WWT Welney, Norfolk, UK, 3/8/22

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 200-400 with 1.4x extender, ISO 500, f5.6, 1/2500

 

7T4A0087a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

268) Canada goose

[Tdgraves]

WWT Welney, Norfolk, UK, 3/8/22

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 200-400 with 1.4x extender, ISO 250, f5.6, 1/800

 

7T4A9951a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

269) Common shelduck

[Tdgraves]

some duplicates

 

7T4A0007a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0011a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0110a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0114a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0121a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0128a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A9981a by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

this was the first shot of the day and I think it was the shot of the day!

7T4A9930 by tdgraves, on Flickr

[Galana]

Well done on the new 'lifer' and camera.

The one outstanding shot in the duplicates is the immature mallard in flight. Pin sharp showing what your camera can do.

[TonyQ]

Some lovely photos with your new lens. I look forward to the results from Kenya.

[Tdgraves]

I went out again on Friday. I thought I'd try somewhere new, even though with the drought and time of year, not much is likely. This really tested what is possible with the lens, as the water was only about half as full from the hide as it could have been. No matter, I still got a UK lifer!

 

Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, UK, 19/8/22

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 200-400 with 1.4x extender, ISO 1000, f5.6, 1/2500

 

7T4A0123 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 200-400 with 1.4x extender, ISO 1250, f5.6, 1/3200

 

7T4A0131 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

270) Green sandpiper

[Tdgraves]

Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, UK, 19/8/22

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 200-400 with 1.4x extender, ISO 1000, f5.6, 1/1250, EV +1/3

 

7T4A0050 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

271) Common snipe

[Tdgraves]

And a (slightly) better one than the EBC from Marievale

 

7T4A0077 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

with a couple of duplicates

 

7T4A0159 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0162 by tdgraves, on Flickr

[xelas]

Excellent new addition to your birding gear!

[Tdgraves]

I decided to drive home via a farm track loop where it is possible to stop using the car as a hide. as I was about half way around the loop, I saw a bird on some rubble, right next to the road. Of course, it flew off as I was so close. I then realised that it was a wheatear, another UK lifer for me! Luckily, it seemed to have taken up residence on the nearby dung heap and I was able to get some photos. It was so obliging, that I was even able to move off, put my new lens on and get a new battery out of the boot and go back to it. The light was also lovely, so I was very pleased!

 

Aldreth, Cambridgeshire, UK, 19/8/22

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 100-400, ISO 640, f5.6, 1/2500

 

7T4A0192 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 200-400 with 1.4x extender, ISO 400, f5.6, 1/1600

 

7T4A0267 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 200-400 with 1.4x extender, ISO 400, f5.6, 1/2000

 

7T4A0271 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

272) Northern wheatear

[Tdgraves]

Just now, xelas said:

Excellent new addition to your birding gear!

 

Gear or year (or both)?

[xelas]

Gear. But also birds(for the year) !

[Tdgraves]

I went out for a short but very humid walk yesterday.

 

Godmanchester Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire, UK, 24/8/22

 

Canon 5D mark IV, 200-400, ISO 800, f4, 1/8000

 

7T4A0003 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

273) Yellow-legged gull (I think). This pic summarises my knowledge....

 

gull by tdgraves, on Flickr

[Tdgraves]

some duplicates, with a much better little egret than the Kruger EBC...

 

7T4A0017 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0031 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0034 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0043 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0057 by tdgraves, on Flickr

[Tdgraves]

I drove home via Fen Drayton and the clouds parted for a while, to give me some more test shots

 

7T4A0080 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0083 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0108 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0126 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0135 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0138 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

7T4A0144 by tdgraves, on Flickr

[Galana]

I like that ID card. Very apt.

What make you think your subject is a YLG?

[Tdgraves]

22 minutes ago, Galana said:

I like that ID card. Very apt.

What make you think your subject is a YLG?

Because they grey was too pale for a black-backed

[michael-ibk]

Lovely Swan portrait!

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Tdgraves said:

Because they grey was too pale for a black-backed

But not for a Herring Gull surely?

[Tdgraves]

11 hours ago, Galana said:

But not for a Herring Gull surely?

And too dark for that?

[Tdgraves]

@Galana

to show the wings better

 

7T4A0004 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

also, I have never knowingly seen a herring gull around here....

[Galana]

Your bird, your call.

[Tdgraves]

just for @Galana

 

Hove, East Sussex, 14/8/22 (we went to the cricket)
 

iPhone 12 Pro

 

274) Herring gull