Baldie Update

Back in July I stumbled across this nest which had two large, juvenile eagles in residence.  This time with the daylight starting later and ending earlier, I was able to find an adult and then the pair roosting at their nest site first thing in the morning.  I have discovered that the birds relocated from their earlier nest along Route 1 which had been blown down in a storm.

Also plenty of Red-tailed Hawks and a silent high-speed Cooper's Hawk chasing a Grey Squirrel across the road.  The squirrel managed to live to see another day and the hawk vanished as quickly as it had arrived..

Butter Butts

The Myrtle Warblers are plenty this time of year around the trees and thickets on my morning walk to-from work.  They were'nt there in July.

Sharpie near Bath

At last I've found an advantage of Imogen being at Uni!  This long-staying Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at Chew in Somerset was so close it would have been rude to not pop in and see it.  Also a winter plumaged Spotted Sandpiper.

Beanies

Four Tundra Bean Geese turned up at Cainhoe in 2009 and at the same site three have now taken up residence.  I wonder if this could be same parents now with a single juvenile and before, they brought two surviving young to the site?

White-fronts

Ten White-fronted Geese in the field north of Gypsy Lane this morning.  I checked yesterday morning and couldn't find them.

Roe Deer

Sadly too murky to photograph the Short-eared Owls and Hen Harrier.  Burwell Fen on Sunday afternoon.

Knot Study

A day out on the coast allowed some time to watch the Knot feeding along the shoreline.

Jay

Busy time of year for the local Jays.

Macro Monsters

I wouldn't normally get this close to a Hornet but this one had succumbed.  The bug was similarly impressive although species unknown until now.  Seems this is known as a "western conifer seedbug" and is an introduced species.

Suffolk for Breakfast

Followed by a welcome breakfast in Woodbridge.  I could say that I managed to stalk the bird to within close quarters to get my photograph but I'd be lying.

Rainbow Rising

A short burst of dramatic weather yesterday evening along Wood Lane.  A mniute later and the colour intensity had gone.  The complete 180 degree arc was as vivid as this.

3 for 2 offer at Grafham

At close quarters today - Sabine's Gull and two Grey Phalarope, all storm blown birds at Grafham.   Shame I couldn't have got out earlier when the light was better.

barbastella

Cambridgeshire and a new species for me.  To be honest, I don't know much about bats and this could any species.  Evidently, it is a Barbastelle Bat though and quite a rarity too.

Before I had a Canon

Before I had a camera and I managed to see a good bird, I would often sketch or do a quick watercolour from an image of the bird in question. Very occassionally I would try a sketch from life in the field but to be honest, I'm rubbish.

The Subalpine Warbler was seen earlier in the month at New Holland in Essex and didn't provide any photographic opportunities so I decided upon a simple watercolour instead. The lower montage was from ten years ago where I recorded ten species of Tern in the country and added each to the picture. I haven't improved but I still enjoy.

Buteo variation

The top bird is one of the breeding pair along the Ouse at Willington taken this morning. The second bird came in-off the sea in Norfolk last Wednesday and has a lot of Rough-legged Buzzard about it although I still think it is a variant Common Buzzard. What do you thnk ?

Autumn Already

Autumn already !

Spoonies

Nice to see Spoonbills doing well in Norfolk. Cley, Norfolk.

One Good Tern Deserves ..........

Four Black Terns at the fishing lodge at Grafham this morning. A good opportunity to compare plumage details with the juvenile White-winged Black, it having a darker "saddle" than the juvenile Black Terns which have a dark smudge on the shoulder/breast.

White-winged Black

Long stayer at Grafham.

Eagle Eyed

My reflection! Eagle Owl now a year old, Willington.

NJ - late oddments

White-breasted Nuthatch

Downy (ID as Hairy on BF but I think this is a Downy) Woodpecker

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

still working through my images and not much UK birding of late.

the inglorious twelfth

Today is the inglorious 12th, the start of a four month grouse shooting season in the uplands of England and Scotland.

See here for an idea of the illegal activities that support this profitable practice :-

http://raptorpersecutionscotland.worldpress.com/2011/08/12/welcome-to-the-inglorious-twelfth/

NJ Selection Box

American Goldfinch

American Kestrel

Cedar Waxwing

Chipping Sparrow

Eastern Kingbird

Gray Catbird

Tree Swallow

Yellow Warbler.