20260624 Turtle Dove, Kelling Heath

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

 

20260624 Turtle Dove
2 birds purring and active.

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...

20260531 Gull-billed Tern, Minsmere

 

20260531 Gull-billed Tern
Swooping by Island Mere Hide.
Focus not quite locked on... 1/3200th sec subject detection.

20260531 Gull-billed Tern
Hawking dragonflies over Island Mere.
Black trailing edge to primaries.
Compact and forked tail.

20260601 Gull-billed Tern
Darker inner primary wedge as in Common Tern.

20260601 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica

20260502 Gull-billed Tern
Glinting in the midday sun.

20210518 Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
Blakeney Point.
E-M1 mkII, 300mm +MC20

20260515 Stone Curlew, NE Norfolk

 

20260515 Norfolk Thicknee

20260515 Stone Curlew
 Well marked upperparts.

20260515 Stone Curlew
Whiter uniform underparts.

20250515 Stone Curlew

20260515 Stone Curlew
In much favoured habitat of ploughed but flinty field.
Minimal black margins on covert bar and pale legs suggest this is a female...

20260516 Stone Curlew
Nest on Pig Farm, SNorfolk.
Rare use of MC20 to give 2400mm, with afternoon heat haze.
Nest below electric fence line in very active section of farm.
 Had failed a week latter as overrun by the hordes of Pigs...

20260527 Stone Curlew
NNorfolk enjoying the early morn warmth before the real heat of the day...