SHOTS FROM THE PAST - 2

In October 2009 a Lesser Scaup had been reported at Draycote Water. As I'd never seen one before I headed down there but as usual with me I thought I'd left it too late as it had been reported a few days earlier.There were no other birders where it had been seen  but I was very lucky because I soon spotted it and it came pretty close.

One of my favourite birds are Hobbies. They are wonderful to watch in action hawking for dragonflies. My local patch Marsh lane till recent years has been great for seeing them. All these shots were taken there two in September 2015 and one in June 2010.

Kestrels till recent years were pretty easy to find locally but nowadays are rare.These shots were taken at Marsh Lane in February 2018 and at Draycote Water in September 2009.

Peregrines are another favourite of mine. Both these shots taken at Marsh Lane. The first one in November 2018 and is the only time I've seen one on the ground and the other shot was taken in July 2016.

In July 2015 a  Red-footed Falcon had been seen in an orchard area near Stoke on Trent for a few weeks before I decided to have a go for it. Although it would be a lifer for me I did not fancy the grind of the M6. A friend at Marsh Lane persuaded me to go saying the journey wasn't too bad.So off I set the next day. The M6 was a nightmare with most of it reduced to 50 mph and I got lost as soon as I turned off the motorway my map was well out of date. By some miracle I found the site.There was only one birder there and after a while together we found the bird. Well worth all the aggro.

SHOTS FROM THE PAST - 1

As my birding is now limited to my garden and some places close to home I thought I'd post a series of shots from the past that I was pleased with.

Although I had been birding for over 15 years I had never seen a Bee eater so when in July 2017 a total of seven were reported in a quarry area not far from Nottingham I shot over there. The site was well organised by the RSPB and a farmer had sent aside a field for parking ( £5 a time so I hope he did well ). I went 4 times in total and saw these fabulous birds every time but they never came close so no decent shots.

Regarding Buzzards over the years Common Buzzards are easy but although chasing Rough-legged Buzzards several times I've never seen one. Regarding Honey Buzzards I was in a hide at Titchwell in September 2008 when a Buzzard drifting across in front of the hide was ID by a couple of other birders as a Common.I relaxed. Then they both shouted "No it's a Honey Buzzard" . All I got was this crappograph as it drifted away (2nd shot). 

I've got loads of shots of Cuckoos over the years but the only decent one was taken at Brandon Marsh on May 2012 . I was standing near one of the screens when one landed on a tree very close to us ( 3 other birders) . I was the only one to get some shots as their 500 lenses wouldn't fit through the viewing gaps in the screen.

In April 2009 a good friend knowing I'd never seen a Dipper tipped me off of a spot at Lathkill Dale were they were showing. After parking in a little village and a long walk after walking down the hill from hell I found the spot.There were 2 other birders there who were just giving up and leaving having been there for 2 hours with no luck.Less than a minute after they had gone 2 Dippers turned up.

In October 2008 whilst on Titchwell beach I found a Lapland Bunting. Well that's not exactly true I re found it that morning it had been found the day before  .

I've only ever seen one Snow Bunting and that was along the Farborough  Bank at Draycote Water in October 2007.

I raced to Shustoke Reservoir in May 2011 when the day before a Black-throated Diver had been spotted.Luckily it was still there.

Every Winter Draycote Water had upto 4 Great Northern Divers showing and it was pretty easy to get some decent shots.These were taken in December 2013

On a bitterly cold day early in January 2009 a Red-throated Diver was at Draycote Water. I and 2 other birders were just past the sailing club and spotted it right over by the valve tower over a mile away. Amazingly in several short flights it headed towards us and I managed a few shots.

GARDEN BIRDS.

Thought I better do a post if only to show I'm still around.There are two reasons for not posting for ages.The first is that now I am in my eighties I no longer can handle the cold wet winter weather so now do not enjoy going out birding.Sitting in a hide waiting for a bird to show would probably finish me off.

The second reason is my health is not so good.I cannot really complain as in all my years I can only remember needing to go to hospital once and then for less than an hour. Early in November some symptoms appeared and after a visit to the docs and a quick blood test I was told I had a blocked bile duct. If this is caused by gall stones no problem if not it's caused by a tumour. 

In the next few days I had a ultrasound scan (easy and the nurse was very pretty) a Cat scan ( not nice specially when the injection flows round your veins) a MRI scan (very noisy even wearing headphones). Then to cap it all a few days later I was enrolled as a Day patient and had an endoscopy ( not pleasant but your are put out).Here they put in a stent that diverts the bile flow round the tumour and gets rid of the symptoms which were very unpleasant. This has left me even more knackered and even less keen to get out there in the grim weather.

In order to prevent the camera from rusting up I have been trying to get shots of garden birds.Long gone are the days when I got Lesser Redpolls, Siskins, Bramblings, Winter Thrushes etc visiting but here are a few shots of what turns up now.The pics are not great but have been taken from inside a closed conservatory usually in dull conditions. 

My best visitor to the feeders have been for a while now a pair of Coal Tits but I have not seen them lately.However a new favourite has shown up recently this Black Cap. Over the years despite having been a regular visitor to local reserves the best shots I've taken of these has been in my back garden in the winter.

I have ventured out a few times but only when the weather has been sunny and then only visiting a few country spots in the car.Not had much luck as it appears to be very quiet out there even compared with a few years ago.Did get this Common Buzzard but it was a long way off  (two fields away)from the CP I was parked in in Earlswood.