Thursday, February 18, 2010

Waxing Lyrical...


On my way to work this morning I bumped into a bicycled ADMc near Linton scanning the local Whooper flock. After exchanging pleasantries, and exact Waxwing locations, I was on my way. Later on I was passing the churchyard in Ashington frequented by the tufty munchers and turned in. I was lucky to see the birds straight away, loafing in a tall tree between meals. This flock of 33 is part of a minor movement along the east coast, very late in the season, after a massive influx into Scandinavia a couple of weeks ago. Its great to hear their tinkling calls after a poor show this year.

Today I didnt even have my binoculars let alone a camera so this is a shot from last winters proper invasion....   See John Malloy's photo's for proper quality.

A strange message was on the pager this afternoon. A report of  a Sabine's Gull at East Chev raised an eyebrow. Now, recent September's have made these birds quite regular in the county but one in February! I'd love to see the photo's....

Call me a cynic....

7 comments:

Ghost of Stringer said...

Forget sabs, thats easy to string, a poor effort.... what about this black woodpecker tho ?!!

Expert stringing !! If a jobs worth doing, do it properly !

foggy said...

pleased you have seen the waxwings stew is it true they also feed on insects some one told me that the other day ps like the neetness of your blog how do you get your writing and general apperance so tidy,unlike my scruffy blog.
ps again i want to have a slide show on my blog to show of the odd good photo i take amongt the 1000 crap ones.can you help

Stewart said...

Gary - Like the Jackdaw - Black Woodpecker juxtaposition....

Chris -

1. Yes Waxwings spend most of thei time feeding on insects, only resorting to fruit in winter. They flycatch from high braches and glide back to their perch very gracefully.If any linger into better weather you will see this.

2. Blog. No idea. I'm not very technical but I am a bit of a pedant when it comes to notes 'n that so I like things to be so so. Basically I just scratch around with settings until it looks ok!

Slide show.

First get yourself a dozen or so photos and reduce them to a reasonable memory size and save them into a folder on your computer.

Then just go into your blog and 'customise' 'add gadget' and upload the pics. Done.

I am using the new format posting box on blogger now, it seems not too bad...

Blyth Birder said...

I found my own Waxwings last Sunday on Fallowfield but decided to visit the ones that are frequenting Nursery Park today.

The lack of fieldcraft/sheer laziness of some bird photographers amazes me.

Standing right below the exact rowan they're known to frequent - have a word with yourselves man.

I went for the walk, and found them elsewhere and had them all to myself for at least half an hour..........I like to think thats poetic justice.

Blyth Birder said...

Apparently that Black Woodpecker is a plastic mimic designed to keep GSWs off the telegraph pole its nailed onto.

Looks like 2010 could better 2009 when it comes to crass stupidity..........

Stewart said...

BB - Nowt suprises me anymore. Its always a case of how close can I get...

I see the blog has gone Alan?

Blyth Birder said...
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