Sunday, January 06, 2008

SUNSHINE, SUNSHINE, SUNSHINE...


Brown Hare in its form. Low Steads.



Goldeneye and an imm male Long tailed Duck, Howdiemont Sands.


Four Purple Sandpipers, Howdiemont Rocks.




Merlin(top) and Peregrine, Boulmer both photographed at the same time about 200yds apart.

A nice day, the best of 08 so far. Cold, clear and sunny with a light W3.

Out on the patch for most of the daylight hours today.

Started off at Low Steads ' Howdiemont Bay area. Here I bumped into TF who watches the next stretch of coastline north of here. Not often I meet another local birder... On the sea here were 4 drake Goldeneye and a fw drake Long tailed Duck showing very well just a few metres out feeding along the rock edges. A Red throated Diver was feeding further out and a second flew N. 6 Purple Sandpipers were on the rocks and bathing in the fresh water stream that runs out over the beach. At the cattle feed were Stonechat, 18 Linnets, 4 Goldfinches and 6 Skylark.

A Hare failed miserably to hide in some nearby stubble.

From here I drove around to Boulmer taking a brief look in the RAF Plantation. Coal Tit and Goldcrest were the only birds of note.

At Boulmer on the beach were 12 Bar tailed Godwit, 20 Knot, 3 Grey Plover, 58 Dunlin, 71 Curlew, 2 Shelduck, 13 Mallard, 16 Wigeon, 1 Common Scoter flew S.

Checked the Bowmere Turnips. 80+ Linnets, 15+ Goldfinch, 1 Skylark, Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit. While here I noticed an adult Peregrine sitting in a grass field over the back, lit up by the midday sun. I was scoping it and doing a sketch when a male Merlin stooped and banged it on the top of the head before retreating to a hawthorn bush a safe distance away. ' Little man syndrome'...


Oh well, thats day 17 over with. You know what tomorrow.

49. Long tailed Duck.
50. Red throated Diver.
51. Coal Tit.
52. Goldcrest.
53. Common Scoter.
54. Goldfinch.
55. Skylark.
56. Peregrine.
57. Merlin.
58. Mistle Thrush.

9 comments:

East Ayton Birding said...

Good to see another sketch in a post.

Ipin said...

grrrr, after my comment at the end of my last post, you've passed me...I'll have to try and get out more!

Stewart said...

EA - Cheers.
I - Now now, don't be bitter, by November you'll be 20 ahead of me...if you're in the country often enough that is!

darrell j prest said...

very nice drawing,i like the 'little man syndrome' comment

ST said...

I saw a rare migrant on sunday at the airport. Only a fleeting glimpse as it put it's feet on uk soil for four hours then it was off to southern climes, the lesser sibling. The result I missed the sun and no birding

Stewart said...

Wow a PT ....haven't seen one for years....

Warren Baker said...

Just found your blog mate, I'll keep an eye on it, looks good. I'll put a link on my blog if thats ok ?

The Wessex Reiver said...

Nice drawings of Peregrine BB, good in the field study.

Stewart said...

Thanks all...