A SUNNY MORNING AT MARSH LANE.

The sun was out yesterday morning so I set off to Marsh Lane getting there at 9.00 AM.Not having been down for a few days I was surprised that the Red Breasted Merganser was still around this I believe for the 8th day.

Did not intend taking any more shots of it but it was showing well if still not close in the sunshine.Did manage my best shot.

My new camera has a 1.2 and a 1.4 converter built in but I've not tried to use them before so yesterday I thought I'd give them a try. I found it a bit fiddly but managed a few shots which as expected  were not too sharp.Here are a few shots taken with the 1.2 converter turned on.

STILL AFTER THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER.

Went over to Marsh Lane again on Wednesday morning hoping that the RB Merganser would show up again.It did but not till after I had left.Here is a distant short video I took on Tuesday of it. 

I should have got there earlier on Wednesday because two birders sitting in the CP hide at 8.00 AM had very close views of an Otter that strolled past the front of the hide.

Did manage some shots on Wednesday morning but nothing special except for a distant sighting of a Kingfisher.

CHASING THE RB MERGANSER.

My plan this morning was to head over to Packwood where the Red-breasted Merganser had been seen on the NT property lake late yesterday evening.However I received a text before I set out telling me that it was again at Marsh Lane on the CP pool.

It was still there with 16 Goosanders when I arrived at 9.30 AM and better still the sun was shining.The plan was then to get some better shots than yesterday's poor efforts.Did the plan succeed then ?  No it didn't and this despite trying for well over an hour. In fairness it didn't come close and I had trouble focusing on it.These are my best efforts certainly no keepers.

Here's one I took earlier.On 16th November 2010 at Shustoke reservoir.

MARSH LANE CONTINUED.

Other than the excitement of the Red-breasted Merganser that I found on the CP pool things were pretty quiet today at Marsh Lane.I did see a Dunlin on the right hand island on the CP pool but it was very gloomy so all I got was a couple of crappographs. 

The long staying Whooper Swan was also still on the CP pool.

There were a very good number of Goosanders on the CP pool. I don't the record for the reserve but 19 was certainly a record for me.As usual they remained distant.Here are a couple of shots showing some of them one shot of which also shows the RBM.

BLIMEY I FOUND A GREAT BIRD.

The sun was forecast for the first time in a while so this fair weather birder grabbed his camera and shot off to Marsh Lane getting there at 9.00 AM. It was not sunny however it was rather gloomy.

Did find a Dunlin in the gloom on one of the CP islands and the Whooper Swan was still there as well.However a good walk round didn't provide any photo opportunities.There was a very good count of 19 Goosanders from the River hide but they were a long way off.

Had to wait a while to re enter the CP hide as a large group from the RSPB had crammed into it.The Goosanders were still there when I finally got in but they were a long way off.When I was scanning around a bird flew in and when it landed I though that's a funny looking Goosander. A Red Breasted Merganser had been seen at Earlswood Lakes a few days ago so I thought could it be that bird.This is a shot I took then.

It then went a long way off and joined the Goosanders on the far bank. It finally came a bit closer and I managed a few more shots.We were fairly confident it was a RB Merganser in the hide till someone came in after it had flown and raised the query had we considered a juvenile Goosander.We hadn't but luckily we found out later it was a RB Merganser.

Couldn't get any great shots but so nice to see and more important was the fact I found it and I hardly ever find anything.

A STRUGGLE IN THE SUNSHINE.

The sun was out for a change on Tuesday morning so off I went to my local patch Marsh Lane.When taking shots you definitely need some brightness but sometimes the sunshine is not your friend and it was the case that day the sun was always in the wrong position.

We hoped on site that that this distant bird on the streamline trees was the female Brambling others had seen but we couldn't get close and were not sure.

A female Shellduck was on the RW pool.Luckily the bright sunshine was behind me.

The was a female Goosander also on the RW pool near the River hide but the sunshine was in the wrong place and this is all I could get.

Tried to get a better shot from the Oak hide but it was too far  off from that hide.

Two Little Egrets showed well from the Causeway hide but the bright sunshine was blowing out the whites and you had to be careful.

Did track down a Redwing but the bright sunshine was right behind it so no keepers.

It's pretty clear from this post that unless conditions are perfect I struggle to get any decent shots.

A SHORT VIDEO OF THE WHOOPER SWAN.

A short video of the Whooper Swan from Marsh Lane taken last Friday.Click enlarge button at bottom RH corner.

A PEREGRINE AT MARSH LANE.

The sun was out for a change on Friday morning so I grabbed the camera and headed for the local patch arriving there at just before 9.00 AM.It was still sunny but pretty cold.

Had some luck in the CP where a couple of Meadow Pipits were perched on the fencing wires. Couldn't get close to them but got some decent shots.

Masses of birds on the CP pool but the only one worth photographing was the Whooper Swan. 

Struggled from then on to find anything to point the camera at but just as I was thinking about leaving the Oak hide another birder spotted a Peregrine.It had landed on the far side of the main island on the RW pool.Although distant managed some decent shots with the new camera.

It didn't stay long and flew off.I keep praising the new camera and lens which I am very pleased with however one area it doesn't match my old DSLR is flight shots.This so so shot is all I could manage.

HARD WORK OUT THERE.

Been out a couple of times since the last blog but have found it hard work finding interesting birds to photograph.It doesn't help that I am a member of the Fairweather Birders Club and we don't like to go out if it's cold.

Did catch this Great Spotted Woodpecker in the CP at Marsh Lane.

The Whooper Swan still can be found on the CP pool at Marsh Lane.

Very pleased to see a Meadow Pipit on the CP fencing this morning.A bit distant but got some shots till the brightness went.

The back garden feeders near the tree are doing quite well now with quite a few birds visiting.The stars are  still the Coal Tits