Short wildlife tour to Dorset May 2019

One of the highlights of a recent wildlife tour to Dorset was the image that appeared in front of my eyes as I scanned the heath in front of me. I'm sure I must have let out an audible gasp as my eyes clocked on, (and my inner voice was rambing on, ' It couldn't be, could it? Yes it is'.) a roosting Nightjar. Luckily it allowed a fairly close approach but shame about the pale grass stem though.

Nightjar (Caprimulgus eurpaeus)

 Sika Deer (Cervus nippon)

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

Wildlife Tour of Cyprus April 2019

Some photographs from a recent tour to Cyprus.

Disappontingly you only have to look in the direction of many of the birds in Cyprus and they will fly off. Presumably this is a reflection of  the rampant hunting across the island. However over the two week tour we occassionally came across tamer individuals, which weren't too bothered if you pointed a lens at them.

Cyprus Scops Owl (Otus cyprius)

Cyprus Wheatear (Oenanthe cypriaca)

Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius)

Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis)

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus)

Little Crake (Porzana parva)

Front cover of the April 2019 issue of British Birds

It was great to see my Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) photograph on the front cover of the April 2019 issue of British Birds.

This male was the bird at Sheringham in January 2018 http://robinchittenden.co.uk

Some photographs taken over this winter

Some photographs taken over this autumn and winter.

Red-breasted Flycatcher (Ficedula parva) Southwold, Suffolk October 2018

Shorelark (Eremophila alpestris) Kessingland, Suffolk October 2018

Merveille du Jour (Griposia aprilina) Norfolk October 2018

Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) Winterton, Norfolk November 2018

Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) Norfolk January 2019

Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) Norfolk January 2019

Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) Norfolk January 2019

This is the juvenile Grey Seal that spotted me prostrate on the beach, photographing the Glaucous Gull (above), at Cley. 

It bounded up to me and made itself comfortable lying right next to me and even had a little doze. The warm glow of being accepted by a wild animal was punctured, somewhat, by the thought it mistook me for a seal.

 

Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) Norfolk January 2019

This is the Little Grebe that shockingly died right in front of me. It had caught a fish & was bobbing its head up & down as it tried to swallow it. It then threw its head back & keeled over onto its back & floated off down river. 200m downstream I managed to retrieve the bird. 

This Bullhead fish was stuck in the mouth of the Little Grebe. Its pectoral fins were held out perpendicularly so preventing it being swallowed. But why had the bird died so suddenly? Could it still breathe through its nostrils with the fish's head in the mouth?

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) Norfolk February 2019

Sri Lanka

Some photographs from a recent tour to Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka White-eye (Zosterops ceylonensis)

Small Minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus)

Brown-capped Babbler (Pellorneum fuscocapillus)

Sri Lanka Tree Nymph (Idea iasonia)

Sri Lankan Kangaroo Lizard (Otocryptis wiegmanni)

Sri Lanka Junglefowl (Gallus lafayetti)

Great Stone-curlew (Burhinus recurvirostris)

Tufted Grey Langur (Semnopithecus priam priam)

Tour to the Algarve in Portugal October 2018

Some photographs from a recent tour to the Algarve in Portugal.

Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Yellow-browed Warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus)

Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope)

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata)

Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris borealis)

Great Shearwater (Puffinus gravis)

Above two: Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) harrassing
Cory's & Great Shearwaters

Norfolk Coast Autumn Migration

A long weekend tour exploring the north Norfolk Coast: birds in the mud.

Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

Redshank (Tringa totanus)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa islandica)

Mediteranean wildlife

What to photograph in very hot weather? Aquatic life is one answer. Here are some photographs from the Mediterranean.

Above two: Turkish Wrasse aka Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo)

Avove two: Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)

Cicada species excuvia case (Cicada orni)

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii)

The Peregrines of Norwich Cathedral 2018

The Peregrines of Norwich Cathedral 2018

Some of the photographs from this year below.

 ‘The Peregrines of Norwich Cathedral’ book now at a bargain price of £3.95 including postage & packing (in UK). 

Offer only available via direct orders & until our stocks run out. Please order at robinchittenden.co.uk click under the heading ‘Bird & wildlife photographs’. Thanks

 

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Norwich Cathedral 14^th June 2018. The second of the three juveniles to fledge. Above three photograph were taken from the cloisters.

A little later, number two Peregrine Falcon off the platform, slipped in a clumsy flight attempt, fell backwards and then managed to turn in mid-flight and coasted low over the cloisters roof near the café. I was expecting the bird to be on a wall or tree but it ended up on the road. Lying down to get a better angle to photograph the bird I was amazed when it ran up to me. After helping guide passers-by around the bird, it was later released on the Bell Tower