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Zim Girl's 5th Big Year 2022


Zim Girl

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So, I had decided at the end of last year that I probably wasn't going to bother with BY this year.  I had beaten my best UK score at 144 birds and pretty unlikely to reach that number again as last year included trips to 3 different areas of Scotland giving me lots more birds.

However, the bug does bite and I haven't been able to help myself looking for birds while out and about, and if you see one then you just have to take it's picture!!

 

So we are off again.  Targets include any owls, birds of prey, hawfinches, waxwing, eider duck, bittern and that ever elusive green woodpecker.  He gave us a sneak peak over christmas but I am determined to get his picture, eventually!

 

Then I have the annual agonizing over whether I need a new camera.  I am still using my Panasonic FZ330 bridge.  Overall I think it is reasonably good for a bridge but it does only have a small sensor and I do think it struggles in poor light.  I keep looking at the Sony RX10 with the bigger sensor but the price difference between that and my one is over £1k and I am doubtful I will get £1k worth of extra IQ.  So I will stick with the Panasonic for now.

 

Our local nature reserve is only a few minutes drive away and there had been reports of a pair of Tawny owls nearby so how could we resist??

We found one on the way back to the car, but it was very dark by then which was a shame because it sat and posed for me.  Then the next day we saw both of them on the way into the reserve but this time they were well hidden among the leaves of the tree.

 

I took pictures both times but we will keep looking out for them to try and improve later.

 

1.  Tawny Owl

 P1430224c.jpg.d9786cd0a0ca72ca2d1d651c98fa429f.jpg

 

In this picture the 2nd owl is at the top right hand side.

P1430228c.jpg.998e7b703e4cbade94665a048472437d.jpg

Marton Mere  -  20/01/21

 

 

 

 

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There are normally plenty of geese around locally and we found the 3 of the more common ones very easily.

 

2.  Greylag Goose

P1430206c.jpg.b100c07c03675d46c324eb14274a213b.jpg

Local fields  -  19/01/21

 

 

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3.  Pink-footed Goose

P1430354c.jpg.0cddd0dd1395afef0612dd8c57ad6467.jpg

Local fields  -  20/01/21

 

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I tried a few times with these to see if they would get a bit closer but they were having none of it, so distant shot it is.

 

4.  Barnacle Goose

P1430207c.jpg.6b3b58d6011c34decf4cf45795f5ff06.jpg

Local fields  -  19/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
number error
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Pleased to get both winter thrushes.  I haven't seen a fieldfare since this time last year.

 

5.  Fieldfare

P1430232c.jpg.d0d534ef3548df9d8290e2bcca664b4a.jpg

 

P1430237c.jpg.3785e89bb85aab4c60021bc34d6da7a2.jpg

Marton Mere  -  20/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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6.  Redwing

P1420793c.jpg.66984f47db9b226c6ff5313a0dcba3f3.jpg

Aldcliffe  -  15/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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Good to see you back for another year and making a flying start too.

Good luck with your target birds.

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7.  Common Moorhen

P1420848c.jpg.48762b7ae4db742d2760628206359990.jpg

Looks like breeding has started early!!

P1420852c.jpg.9e5ce631977980b93b3a09edf1659001.jpg

Lancaster Canal  -  15/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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8.  Whooper Swan

The Bewicks were also in nearby fields but much too far away for a photo.

P1420882c.jpg.3e4397154c83c59cefaa87297e956fee.jpg

Fields south of Glasson Dock  -  15/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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9.  Common Goldeneye

Can never seem to find these ducks close up so more distant shots.

P1430271c.jpg.560b293d9949c7b9c2d6006416a3ea2d.jpg

 

P1430280c.jpg.a849941218150fcb042e17fb6a8cd6e5.jpg

Marton Mere  -  20/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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10.  Magpie

P1430142c.jpg.371888bf80de1be59e5e9451e8fbc5b1.jpg

Marton Mere  -  18/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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The lake and wildlife areas of the local park have been closed to the public since before christmas because of avian flu, several swans were found dead. I think they are hoping to open back up in the near future as no cases have been found recently.  The Ring-necked parakeets that are normally found there must have got lonely so they have de-camped to the nature reserve and are causing havoc in the woods.

 

11.  Ring-necked Parakeet

P1430330c.jpg.30fb6da73a70fa4a9eef257ff478e9e3.jpg

Marton Mere  -  20/01/21

Edited by Zim Girl
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And another dove for @michael-ibk.  I must admit, I have never seen these as easily as I have in the last few months.

 

12.  Stock Dove

P1430306c.jpg.6d885767f4490c175a828df96a91f1ae.jpg

 

P1430341c.jpg.c3af5609ed130990435e839daac2a93e.jpg

Marton Mere  -  20/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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These birds are still in their favoured winter spot on the estuary.  Got them first go this time.  There was a flock of around 50 feeding on the beach.

 

13.  Twite

P1420734c.jpg.71c5024582a9923aaf237985923118cd.jpg

 

P1420739c.jpg.fb861ae9fe75fae5716f5295acbc351c.jpg

Knott End-on-sea  -  15/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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Finally, a few from home, all taken through the windows.

 

14.  House Sparrow

P1420685c.jpg.eb0e6347eb9df7e4ff72f3ba2acc9da2.jpg

 

P1420702c.jpg.78c94dbfa346aef6721d13c48786bcf2.jpg

Front garden  -  13/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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15.  Eurasian Collared Dove

P1420693c.jpg.1987f5688d2c24e282958e1e907dd2a9.jpg

Back garden  -  13/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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In the past we have always had either Blue Tits or Tree Sparrows nesting in a box we have attached to the garage.  The last two years we have had a lot of building work and disturbance going on around the house so they obviously haven't nested.  However this month we have seen both birds going in and out of the box so fingers crossed they will nest.  It is often a fight between the species as to who gets it, they have been known to turf each other out.

 

I caught this one in the act, |I think it will need more than one feather to claim it though!

 

16.  Tree Sparrow

P1420660c.jpg.8de3061d595cac59e6a2ef8f1717a597.jpg

 

P1420659c.jpg.a2ac41eac3c40420a768960e455a9718.jpg

 

P1420656c.jpg.1921124772c15f17ea9a4ebd371c47a1.jpg

Back garden  -  12/01/21

 

Edited by Zim Girl
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I am glad you decided to take part in the BY thread again! And a good start as well, with the Tawny Owl. It must be so nice to have Tree Sparrows nesting close by. They seem to be getting pretty rare over here and I did not even manage to add them to last year's thread.

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I’m pleased you are taking part again, and what an excellent start.

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Great you´re in again Angie. Starting off with a Tawny Owl is very stylish indeed! You all seem to conspire with those Stock Doves just to irk me! :D

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On 1/21/2022 at 3:59 PM, PeterHG said:

I am glad you decided to take part in the BY thread again! And a good start as well, with the Tawny Owl. It must be so nice to have Tree Sparrows nesting close by. They seem to be getting pretty rare over here and I did not even manage to add them to last year's thread.

We can see the Tree sparrows in our garden most days so we are very lucky.

 

On 1/21/2022 at 5:12 PM, TonyQ said:

I’m pleased you are taking part again, and what an excellent start.

Thank you Tony.

On 1/23/2022 at 10:14 AM, michael-ibk said:

Great you´re in again Angie. Starting off with a Tawny Owl is very stylish indeed! You all seem to conspire with those Stock Doves just to irk me! :D

Yes, we are hoping to see more of the owls.

I have another bird just for you coming up soon!

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We couldn't visit the RSPB reserves this time last year due to lockdowns so it was nice to be able to go early on and pick up a nice collection of birds.

 

Leighton Moss is well known for having very confiding Robins.  I remembered to take some seed with me as most of them will happily sit on your hand to eat.

 

17.  European Robin

P1420897c.jpg.eb35ad0bd4e3be0253f048e4ca079177.jpg

 

P1420924c.jpg.aa0a7bdf8b059588ccc0f5fe4d75471d.jpg

 

P1420920c.jpg.fa8e138dca6602c82b3be471330aad8c.jpg

RSPB Leighton Moss  -  17/01/21

 

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