20260512 Great Bittern, Strumpshaw Fen

 

20260512 Great Bittern
Arguably the top flight shot in 50yrs...

20260511 American Golden Plover, Frampton Marsh

 

20260511 American Golden Plover
1st summer bird...

20260511 American Golden Plover
One spangle shows in upper scapulars.

20260511 American Golden Plover
Flap following bathing.
Tinted brown underwing coverts and axillaries!

20260427 Whimbrel & Whinchat, Cey Marshes

 

20260427 Yellow Wagtail
c30 flock in and out West, Eye Field.

20260427 Whinchat
Early morn, against murky light.

20260427 Whimbrel
Eye Field flyby.

20260427 Whimbrel
Overall a darker brown than ECurlew.

20260424 Yellow Wagtail & Black Tern, Nene Washes

 

20260424 Yellow Wagtail
Flock of c30 birds, all male...
along grass bank of Morton's Leam.
1/2000th at 1680mm...

20260424 Yellow Wagtail
Knee pad used to lower shooting position.
1/1600th, MC14... favour 1/2000th at this mag to freeze motion.
ISO1250 in strong light. Note almost BIF shutter speeds...

20260424 Yellow Wagtail
Bird at top of bank and shot from below.
Preferred grass background for this species. 

20260424 Yellow Wagtail
Back light and glowing result.

20260424 Black Tern
3 birds came through Washes late afternoon.
A vast area of wetland and therefore not great for bird shots...
unless one engages a flock of wags.
1680mm, 1/2500th. 
Raptor guru suggests 1/3200th for flight shots especially in strong light...

20260415 Ring Ouzel, Kelling Heath

 

20260415 Ring ouzel
With the resident.
+0.7 EV not necessary here. 1680mm. 1/500th sec too slow as slight motion blur on Ouzel.

20260415 Ring Ouzel
The pull shot.

20260415 Ring Ouzel
Adult female? Streaked throat and not jet black around head...

20260415 Ring Ouzel
Processed without interpolation...

20260415 Ring Ouzel
Brown edging in breast panel.

20260408 Ring Ouzel
Holme Dunes forestry.
Adult male, clean white breast crescent and black head.
Also 3 males at Blakeney today.
Abundant and extended passage this spring.

20260409 Garganey, Cley Marshes

20260409 Garganey
Pair on Watling Water.

20260409 Garganey
Surely to nest on the Salthouse Marshes.

 

20260413 Barn Swallow
Like all good second hide owners this swallow claims to be a resident of Cley...

20260402 Black Redstart, Holt Allotments

 

20260402 Black Redstart
Ad female swallow grub whole.
 Birds arrived along the coast today and over the last few days.

20260402 Black Redstart
Hue added just enough for rump and tail.

20260331 Jackdaw
Pair nest building, Stiffkey.
1200mm, no telecon. on a very dull day but surprisingly buoyant.

20260326 Twite & Grey Heron, Cley Marshes

 

20260326 Twite
12 in Arnold's scrub and onto fence.
Twittering heard way off. 

20260326 Twite
Evening rim light.

20260326 Twite
Males pink rumps.

20260326 Twite

20260326 Twite
Extreme crop.
Mustard yellow chin and throat.

20260326 Grey Heron
8 birds in Serpentine Stand on this windy morn.

20260326 Grey Heron

20260321 Hen Harrier & Short-eared Owl, Blakeney Spit

 

20260321 Cley Marshes
Misty early morn.
9-18mm at 36mm equiv, F7.1

20260321 Cley Marshes
Greyscale has it...?

20260321 Short-eared Owl
Over Blakeney Eye in murky light.
656mm, 1/2500th sec, F8.

20260321 Hen Harrier
Male hunting along shingle ridge.
Bird turned as not quick enough to drop to ground, and first focus missed here....
due to heat haze even at F11.
Note MC-14 at 1680mm as sun had got up.

20260321 Short-eared Owl
Massive crop.

20260321 Hen Harrier
Left wing on view in this shot...adds dimension to the image cf above.

20260319 Glaucous Gull, Horsey Gap

 

20260319 Little Egret
Arnolds's Marsh early morn.

20260319 Glaucous Gull
2nd winter as plumage blotchy and iris now pale.

20260319 Carrion Crow
Collecting Seal fur for nest.

20260319 Glaucous Gull
2nd winter with damaged right primaries.
Could be why the bird has not gone North as yet, along with the Seal bounty.

20260319 Glaucous Gull
On favourite well hung carcass.

20260319 Glaucous Gull

20260319 Horsey Gap
Only a few Grey Seals remain.

20260319 Shelduck
Arnold's Marsh early morn.

20260316 Herring Gull... Ness Point Lowestoft

 

20260316 Herring Gull
It appears Birdguides put the news out as Pallas's gull at the first....
not 'possible'?? 
Single observer on a brief flight view, no photo... so it turns out?!

20260316 Herring Gull
Doing a merry dance for all.
Note staining on breast and belly...

20260316
Right side of head.

20260316
Left side of head...!?
Surprise should only last a nano second.
As a top twitcher said after the unfortunate dust had settled...:
'I would have had to move on possible anyway...'

20260316 Great Cormorant
1st winter, Rollesby Broad and assessment of Pallas's Gull info for twitch...
'Near adult' must be genuine...??

20260316 Harris's Hawk
Falconer in Birdseye grounds flying Hawk at Gulls.
Highly interesting situation if a Pallas's Gull had been present...
The Hawk was reluctant to fly up high onto roofs and at the Gulls.