Friday 28 April 2017

Dotterels

I went on my first 'twitch' in a long time this evening! A group of four Dotterels have been at Therfield Heath for a few days and it was a bird that I've always wanted to see - they're fascinating! These four have stopped off on their journey from Africa/Iran up to the Scottish Highlands where they breed in summer. Dotterels often visit the same place each year in South-Eastern England, like a favourite service station! The females are actually brighter than the males - an indication of their role-reversal in raising the young, which is very unusual! The males are a duller colour in order to be well-hidden from predators when incubating and caring for young.




Tuesday 31 January 2017

A White Christmas in Scotland

Dipper
Crested Tit
Waxwing
Waxwings
Red Grouse
Stonechat
Coal Tit
Red Squirrel

Saturday 9 January 2016

A few pics

Grey Seals at Horsey Beach

Short-Eared Owl at Heartwood Forest


Green Woodpecker in Hitchin

Tuesday 5 May 2015

Thursley Common

Some shots from my last two visits to my local patch at uni.

Dartford Warbler











Stonechat













Robin
Common Lizard
Hobby
Whitethroat












Willow Warbler
Linnet
Great-spotted Woodpecker











Redstart (female)
Redstart (male)
Woodlark
Tree Pipit (first ever sighting)

Monday 6 October 2014

Cyprus photos are on their way...

I arrived at the University of Surrey last weekend and have settled in very well. My Mathematics course starts this week. I have finally found time to look at the 1,609 (which has been cut down to 54) photos I took in Cyprus on our family holiday during the first two weeks of September. I am in the process on editing the best ones and hope to post them shortly - keep checking!

Monday 15 September 2014

Cyprus

We had an incredible two weeks in Cyprus in September, with a couple of days of fantastic birdwatching! We saw about 20 new species! The best moment was swimming alongside a Green sea turtle (not the one pictured) at a beach for about 15 minutes. It was such a shock and an incredible experience!

Green sea turtle


Bee-eater


Lesser grey shrike













Zitting cisticola
Sardinian warbler
Squacco Heron

Greater flamingo
Glossy ibis
Glossy ibis, Spur-winged lapwing and a (hiding) Collared pratincole.
Glossy ibis
Spoonbill
Spotted flycatcher
Wryneck!!!
Honey buzzard
Swallowtail















Long-eared hedgehog
Roller
Kingfisher

Isabelline wheatear
Cyprus Wheatear


Olive-tree warbler
Cattle egret
Black-winged stilt
Red-backed shrike
Masked shrike












Ortolan bunting and Spotted flycatcher
Spur-winged lapwing and Collared pratincole.
Montagu's harrier

Pallid harrier
Purple heron
Glossy ibis and Grey heron
Hooded crow
Whinchat
Willow warbler
White-winged black tern
Temminck's stint
Kentish plover


Top of the Troodos Mountains