A few shots from the recent past.

Haven't been able to post any decent shots lately due mainly to the gloomy weather and no birds of note being reported locally.In fact if you take out the Bitterns at Brandon and the Waxwings all over the place I've not taken any decent shots to post for weeks now so I thought it would be a good idea to post some of my favourite shots from the recent past (You can tell I've got nothing else to do).

I was very pleased to get this shot of a Common Crane back in March 2007 in a field near Banbury.Luckily for me Steve Seal and Dave Hutton were there and put me onto it.

Took this shot at Draycote last September along the Hensborough Bank.It was nice to get a couple of Curlew Sandpipers,a Dunlin and a Sanderling in the same flight shot.

At Napton I joined the throng who came to see the GG Shrike last November.I was pleased to get a flight shot.

I was chuffed to get this shot of a Grasshopper Warbler in June 2008 not only because it's a decent shot but also because it was at my local patch Marsh Lane.Much thanks to Steve Seal who persuaded me to hang about (3 hours) waiting for it to show (20 seconds).

Love Hobbies to bits.Got this shot when one flew low over me at Marsh Lane last June.

Got this shot of a Lapland Bunting on Titchwell beach in October 2008.It was pleasing because I found it (well I found it that morning it had been there the previous day).

It was amusing one morning at Draycote in November 2009 when a friend and I spotted this bird on the water and hadn't a clue what it was.It then flew off and I managed this flight shot.It turned out to be a Manx Shearwater.

I loved this Pectoral Sandpiper that visited Draycote in September 2009 because it didn't care a damn about all the photographers.

I was very lucky one morning to get a decent shot of the Red-breasted Merganser which visited Shustoke res. last November because every time I had been down to see it it was always with the sun in my eyes and I got very poor shots.This time it was near the jetty and the sun was behind me.

I love Red Kites and go down to the Chilterns most years to see them.Got this shot last May at Watlington Common when one drifted over my head.

This Red-necked Grebe stayed for ages at Draycote in 2009.Got this shot just before it left in April.

Very chuffed to get this shot of the Red-throated Diver that was at Draycote in January 2009 because it always remained in the middle of the pond far too distant for a shot but this bitterly cold morning it came pretty close in.

Probably the rarest bird I've got a shot of is the White-spotted Bluethroat that visited Welney last year.Here is another shot I took last June (see the header for this blog above for my best shot).