The second visit to Lincolnshire

Who could resist the chance of seeing a tame Bluethroat in Lincolnshire March 2017? 

Well I did put it off for several weeks and it didn't show while I was their for the first five hours. Long enough for me to get bored and leave the site, afterall it had been clear skies overnight, with the stars showing the way to go, it has to leave sometime. The inevitable happened so had to turn around a few miles away when news came through of it showing.

Front cover

A joy to see my Fieldfare photograph on the front cover of the latest Birdwatch magazine February 2017 issue

Unusual sights at Whitlingham Country Park Norwich

Unusual sights at Whitlingham Country Park Norwich in January 2017

A drake Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) with an immature Eurpean Eel being pursued by two eager Coots (Fulica atra)

Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) with a fisherman's lure

The first of what would be two trips to Lincolnshire

Who could resist the chance of seeing a tame White-billed Diver (Gavia adamsii) in Lincolnshire January 2017?

Thick fog put an end to any photography after about 8.30am. The fish in the lower photograph is a Ruffe. Thanks to James Lowen for the lift.
 

Cromer & Sheringham January 2017

Cromer & Sheringham: Black Redstarts & Glaucous Gulls

Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) As well as the summer plumaged male at the top this female or immature male was present at Cromer.

Glaucous Gull  (Larus hyperboreus) Saw five of these 'Arctic' Gulls at Sheringham. As well as three juvenile birds (like the top two) there were two adults.

Some recent photographs from Norfolk

Some recent photographs from Norfolk

Female Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) at Burnham Overy Dunes

Shocked to discover the record shot I took of a dragonfly at Burnham Overy Dunes was a female Vagrant Emperor (Anax ephippiger) on 25th October 2016.

Just in case it may be still there and someone wants to have a look for it on the next warm day, here is some further info

I think I saw the Vagrant Emperor intially immediately NE of Gun Hill favouring an open area with a scattering of privet. I put it down as a Migrant Hawker, as I never saw it perched, but did mention to two other birdwatchers there, to keep an eye open just to make sure. I couldn't get a photo as it was extremely flightly (rather like the Isabelline Wheatear there at the same time) 

A couple of hours later I bumped into a dragonfly that I did manage to get a poor photograph of  and which I presume was the same dragonfly (it was equally flighty and looked similar in flight). It was favouring the marram to NW of Gun Hill but keeping to the lower 'shelf' area between beach and first dune ridge. So 2-300 hundred meters from the potential initial sighting.

It always perched fairly low in the marram and was easily spooked.

Iceland...again.

Holiday in Iceland had a few surpises including this colour ringed Gyr. It was rung as a male nestling in June 2015. It looked so big I thought it might be a female at the time!

Gyr Falcon (Falco rusticolus)

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

Limosa tour to Iceland June 2016

Some photographs from a Limosa tour to Iceland June 2016.

We were very lucky with the weather. Calm enough for perfect reflections.

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus

Roseroot Rhodiola rosea

Nootka Lupin Lupinus nootkatensis

Oysterplant Mertensia maritima

Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae

Ptarmigan Lagopus muta

Redwing Turdus iliacus coburni

Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata

Scaup Aythya marila

Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis

Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima

Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus

Limosa Holidays tour in the Norfolk Broads May 2016

Some recent photographs from a Limosa break in the Norfolk Broads

Grey Heron

Greenshank

Otter

Limosa break in North Norfolk May 2016

Some phototgraphs from recent the Limosa break in North Norfolk. Sadly no photographs of the scarcer species seen, Dotterel & Temminck's Stint etc., as all were rather distant.

Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)

Shoveler (Anas clypeata)

Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur)

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

Trinidad & Tobago April 2016

Limosa tour to Trinidad & Tobago April 2016
Some photographs from the recent tour.

Yellow-crowned Night-heron (Nyctanassa violacea)

Long-winged Harrier (Circus buffoni)

 Blue-chinned Sapphire (Chlorestes notatus)

Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis)

Ruby Topaz (Chrysolampis mosquitus)

Straight-billed Woodcreeper (Dendroplex picus)

Trinidad Piping Guan (Pipile pipile)

Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)

Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)