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/