20260718 Black Tern & Continental Black-tailed Godwit, Cley Marshes

 

20260718 Arctic Tern
Over Arnolds. Maybe nesting on the rejuvenated Blakeney Point...?
Sandwich Tern juveniles are now gathering on Arnolds, rumoured to be from a new colony
on the Point..!??

20260718 Black Tern
Juvenile West inshore, Cley Beach. An excellent flyby.

20260718 Continental Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa limosa.
A helpful Juvenile with 2 adult Ll islandica.

20260718 Continental Black-tailed Godwit
Adult non-breeding plumage and juv with 2 ad islandica.

20260781 Continental Black-tailed Godwit
Juvenile helpfully with a deep bill base.
Note this gives a straighter bill profile than the slightly up-curved islandica.

20260724 Spoonbill
Low over East Bank.

20260707-12 Long-tailed Shrike, Crail, Fife

 

20260708 Long-tailed Shrike
Unblocked.
Lanius schach erythronotus
Pleased with the separation in this shot.
Will re-process the background blur for less blur when time permits...
Shot used in the Rarity Finders Report: www.birdguides.com/articles/rarity-finders-long-tailed-shrike-in-fife

20260708 Long-tailed Shrike
Very early morning sunshine.
1680mm.

20260708 Long-tailed Shrike
1/500th, ISO1250 during a pause to pose.
Tail wear...

20260707 Long-tailed Shrike
Mobbed and tracked about fruit farm hedge by 2 male Yellowhammer.
Midday on the 7th.
3rd hand info has it that the Shrike had predated a Yellowhammer nest and had used a hawthorn 
bush to butcher prey.

20260707 Isle of May
To the South of the Barnsmuir Fruit Farm.
Polytunnels full of strawberries and raspberries stretching for many clicks,
surrounded by arable fields with large hedges between.

20260707 The Bass
Good to see The Bass once again.

20260707 Long-tailed Shrike
One of the first tail shots as bird continually searched about hedgerow with intent...
Head as Red-backed Shrike, tail as Brown Shrike.
Note tail reduced as heavily abraded.

20260708 Tree Sparrow
Each time the Shrike entered a nearby ash tree this Tree Sparrow shot out and persistently called.
Many strange observation occurred without seeing or shooting any prey taken...
2nd hand info related that young Blue Tits had been grabbed and consumed.

20260708 Willow Warbler
3 times the Shrike sat in this hawthorn and 2 Willow Warblers came out and moved about it.
They seemed to be mesmerised by it...
A regular and persistent 'hueet' call was heard during these confrontations...??

20260708 Long-tailed Shrike

20260708 Long-tailed Shrike
1st summer male.

20260708 Corn Bunting
Abundant on this fruit and veg farm and also at the organic campsite farm.
The Shrike was found during a bird survey of this species.

20260624 Turtle Dove, Kelling Heath

20260624 Turtle Dove
Supplementary feeding of Woodpigeon causing gigantism...

 

20260624 Turtle Dove
2 birds purring and active.

20260702 Common Buzzard
Hanging into a stiff wind, Bayfield Est.

20260609-12 Western Reef Heron, Caernarfon

 

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Signalling 1st for Britain...
A crippler... as a dark morph.

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Bird flew up from loafing position into Little Froyd Bay,
landing in front of the 4th day twitchers..!!

20260609 Western Reef Heron

20260609 Loafing site in Foryd Bay.
All creatures great and small scampered to see this 1st for Britain...
Then scampered back to The Dales.

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Leaving to roost in Caernarfon Harbour this evening.
Of the 2500 images taken over 4 days is this the most visually compelling...?

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Feet dipped in cadmium yellow...

20260609 Western Reef Heron
Longer and deeper bill than Little's.

20260609 WRHeron
Pale grey in tibia.

20260609 Foryd Bay
At high tide in silvery evening light.
OM 9-18mm F4, at F8 all is sharp to horizon....
The bird had flown up high to the North with one Little Egret to roost in trees at Caernarfon Harbour.

20260610 Black Swan
Of Foryd Bay...

20260610 Western Reef Heron
Alongside Little Egret at Caernarfon Harbour.

20260610 Western Reef Heron
Balancing exposure on both morphs in the field was tricky...

20260610 Western Reef Heron
Cannot resist a shot of Grey Heron... this one will be permanently etched in the minds eye.

20260610 Western Reef Heron
Throat bulging appeared to be a proximity threat.

20260610 WRHeron

20260610 WRHeron
Sun came out for the seaweed shot.

20260610 Caernarfon Castle
And the harbourside carpark. 
Twitcher JR of Anglesey reckoned about 1000 here on Sunday...!
Also mentioned that the BBRC are happy with the bird... already??!

20260610 4th day Twitchers
A relaxed affair with a few flash points.

20260610 WRHeron
Shot from the South side of the harbour with the light.
Processed for a true colour balance.

20260610 Grey Heron & Caernarfon Castle

20260610 WRHeron
MC20 once again pulled back to 1600mm...?? ISO 10000
Within the reach of the MC14.
MC20 can only be used on well sunlit targets.

20260610 Western Reef Heron
Egretta gularis gularis
Dark morph.

20260611 WRHeron
Dull and rained most of the day on 11th and The Reef stayed way out in the estuary.
The bird came into the near shore at 1640hrs, actively hunting.

20260611 WRHeron

20260611 WRHeron
Top dynamic shot.

20260611 WRHeron

20260611 WRHeron
The bird froze and looked up at my position for the first time...??
Did a back flip into the stiff breeze and shot over to the far side of the loafing bay...