20250915 Artic Skua & Manx Shearwater, Cley Beach

 

20250915 Arctic Skua
Under-parts, Intermediate phase adult.

20250915 Arctic Skua
Intermediate phase upper-parts, hunting off Cley Beach.

20250915 Arctic Skua
Dark phase adult.
Cley Beach at the moment is the photo op site to test your set up for BIF.

20250916 Manx Shearwater
Thin passage West.

20250916 Manx Shearwater
A photographic challenge at mid-range.
Use S-AF+MF as OM1 not consistent with subject tracking.
1.4x telecon required next time...

20250917 Arctic Skua
Resting on shingle this evening.

20250912 Garganey, Cley Marshes

 

20250912 Garganey
Loafing on Whitwell Scrape.

20250912 Garganey

20250912 Garganey
Grey upper-wing coverts of a female.

20250912 Garganey
F20 to get both birds this close in focus...ish

20250912 Curlew Sandpiper
Processed from an equiv 2400mm image. 1200 x2 digi zoom.

20250912 Whimbrel

20250912 Kestrel

20250909 E Honey Buzzard, Waxham

 

20250909 E Honey Buzzard
Low over the Dunes.
Intermediate - Dark morph juvenile.
Note barring in the axillaries, paler undertail coverts and greater underwing coverts.

20250909 E Honey Buzzard
Sea Palling beyond.

20250909 E Honey Buzzard

20250909 Med Gull
40 loafing on sea off Waxham. 
60+ on stubble fields early morn. The Commonest gull in the area...

20250909 Waxham, The Great Barn, Hall & Church
A mysterious place...

20250909 E Honey Buzzard
Returned to bramble patch and appeared to be sunning... 
Wings slightly open.

20250909 E Honey Buzzard
Taken from Waxham Rd at 2400mm through midday heat haze and 200m away.
Note dark long tail with white tip.

20250909 E Honey Buzzard
A large dark eye in an open face.

20250909 E Honey Buzzard
Upperparts shot. Tail coverts patch Off white but noticeable at range. 

20250907 Black-shouldered Kite, Hickling Broad NWT

 

20250907 Black-shouldered Kite
Once again a crippling bird but just under 1/2 a click away.
Best clarity at F10 here. Use F11 at these ranges in future...

20250907 BS Kite
Flight shot reminiscent of July 2023... 

20250907 Black-s Kite
Length 31-35cm as a Kestrel.

20250907 BS Kite
Of note is the grey primaries of the upper-wing which are black on the under-wing, 
a diagnostic flight pattern.

20250907 BS Kite
2nd bite of the cherry required...

20250907 C Crane
The necessary Crane flight shot required on each visit to Hickling...

20250905 Peregrine Falcon, Iron Road Salthouse Marshes

 

20250905 Peregrine Falcon
Juv buzzed Iron Rd Lake. Appears to have prey remains in talons.
Note no colour rings. Not of Cromer or Norwich.
Processed from over exposed images, over +3...??

20250905 Peregrine
Not sure how to make a kill...

20250905 P Falcon
Prey species dive for cover as juv glides over centre of Lake.

20250905 P Falcon
Had to hastily fire burst in flight mode so no time to set the ISO,
 which was 3 stops over in the bright sun....
hence the extreme processing.

20250905 N Wheatear
Resigned to the dung heap. 

20250906 P Falcon
Shot taken at 2400mm into the light... and cropped.
Bird still carrying carrion around this early morn.

20250906 Peregrine Falcon
Juv over Arnolds taken in flight mode with ISO set correctly,
cf above.

20250906 Peregrine 
Original shot at 1200mm from the shoreline.

20250906
The launch.

20250906 Peregrine Falcon
Attack run along Arnold's...
782mm equiv. The Big Black has all shot types covered.
Prey species flush slowly and seem to be aware of the Peregrines inexperience.

20250906 P Falcon
Taken at 2000mm, digi x2.

20250829 Red-backed Shrike, Thornham & Eurasian Dotterel, Ringstead

 

20250829 Red-backed Shrike
1st winter male.

20250829 Red-backed Shrike

20250829 Red-backed Shrike 
In late afternoon sun.

20250829 Red-backed Shrike
Early morn overcast light.

20250829 Red-backed Shrike

20250831 Garganey
2 of 3 female types on Pats.

20250831 Garganey
2 birds roosting with E teal on Pats.

20250902 Eurasian Dotterel
Ad summer male moulting to winter plumage.

20250902 E Dotterel
Lowered the shutter speed too much, 1/320th, causing fuzziness.
At 2400mm keep the shutter at 1/1000th or above... the old rules still apply,
especially with the Big Black.

20250902 E Dotterel

20250902 Golden Plover
Note smaller size of Dotterel by 4cm length, about 15%. 
Said to be very noticeable in flight... no shot acquired.

20250902 Red Fox
Met the 1st applicant for Warden at Holme Dunes...