Here are a few pics I have taken of birds this year
I saw this little Duckling only a couple of weeks ago, which is strange that is so late in the year to see, when I 1st found them there were 3 now sadly only 2 are left.
Here are some Gosling I found at Lodmoor in the Spring
It has been a good year for first ever sightings too, as well as captures in camera.
Starting from the top a Cirl Bunting, I travelled down to Devon with Frank to see these, just past Torquay. Next was the Great Spotted Cuckoo, this arrived on Portland and stayed around for over 6 weeks right through May.
I was working down in Falmouth a bit at the beginning of the year I had some spare time and went to look for an American arrival called a Hudsonian Whimbrel great to see, finally we had a brief visit of a Red Footed Falcon, this is a Female, I only got to see it once before it moved on, all of these are firsts for me in the Uk.
I have been extremely fortunate to see some more new Warblers, firstly a Pallas's and then a Northern Bonelli's both new ones to me.
This was brilliant a Wood Warbler, I was up in the Forest Of Dean with my friend Ben and he found it, gorgeous little bird, on the same day we also got another couple of crackers a Pied Flycatcher and a Hawfinch
We were sat in the tiniest hide to get this it was incredibly close, you can just see a Brambling behind I got some pics of them too.
One of my favourite birds to see come back in Spring is the Northern Wheatear, the Males really are striking
It has been a good year for seeing Owls, I was very kindly invited to Rick and Melanie Symes house to see the Barn Owl behind their garden, fantastic, so grateful for my best ever views of one.
I found another Little Owl on Portland down in the Water Works Quarry by the Eight Kings Pub
And Delighted to get some amazing shots of the Short Eared Owls, we had them around for ages, saved a trip up to Sixpenny Handley
I nearly forgot to say about the Hoopoe we had a few of these around on Portland, great see and finally get some okay shots of
Finally for now a shot of a Black Winged Stilt that turned up at Lodmoor
Thank you for continuing to look at my site, I will now start to up date it more.
As a Footnote I have just started another website, showing my Landscape pictures, it is still a work in progress, but please take a look and let me know how you think I might improve it.
It is :- WWW.Markeggletonphotography.com
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I have been to and around Poole Harbour a fair bit this winter.
So many places to visit and so much to see, Brands Bay, as the tide is coming in, is fantastic. A couple of years ago I went to Keyhaven Marshes it was brilliant for wildlife, well Brands Bay is just as good, I saw so many different birds, all of the Waders and tons of Ducks, Wigeon everywhere.
And no shortage of Teal and a few Pintail
There were some big flocks of Lapwing and Black Tailed Godwit constantly on the wing, stopping for a few seconds and then off again.
Under the Hide a Redshank was searching the last of the mud, before flying off with it's customary alarm call.
A pair of Oystercatchers were having a prod in the mud as well, I had to check my book when I got home, one of them had a white band on it's neck, I didn't realise until then, that this shows during the winter plumage, funny I hadn't noticed this before.
One of my favourite spots has got to be Middlebere, the walk is far enough to deter many wildlife watchers, so it is not often busy during the week.
I was there last week all on my own, it was a very high spring tide, the Avocet were restricted to small areas, so groups of hundreds were a great sight.
Loads of Redshank in the field to the East.
They soon lifted when a Marsh Harrier came by, It drifted over the marshes to the west, did a few hang and stoops, great :-)
A Curlew came past looking for somewhere safe to settle.
In the past few times I have been there Spoonbill have been through, saw a Tagged one the other day.
I walked with my Wife and Daughter along with Her Partner, all around Holes Bay a couple of weeks ago, I have been told it is 5 miles it took 2 1/2 hours much of it in the rain, saw plenty though, but didn't take a single shot the light and rain put paid to that, some of the birds I did see were, Jay and Goldcrest in Upton Country Park, in the fields Curlew and Black Tailed Godwit. By the drains a Greenshank and Spotted Redshank, Cormorants diving in the shallow flow, on the Mud flats the usual ducks, Shelduck, Wigeon, Pintail, Teal and of course Mallard, I even caught sight of a very late Wheatear shooting off down the bank.
Here are some earlier pics from Holes Bay.
I haven't mentioned Arne or some of the other spots, but if you get a chance visit Poole Harbour, you never know what you might see.
more on my Website :- http://markeggleton.zenfolio.com
Happy days until the next one :-D
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I have been struggling so far this month with my photography, I have taken hardly any pics that I like.
I went down to Lulworth to get the sunrise, my 12-24 lens would not work with the new camera, so 24-105 is the main landscape lense, the sunrise wasn't that good anyhow, here are a couple of pics from that morning.
My wildlife pics have not faired much better either, full of noise and soft focused, I tried at Lodmoor the light was low and the moor was flooded, little to get enthused about, I did see a great little Grey Wagtail in the old tip, at the end of Weymouth Bay Avenue.
I have also been to Radipole, surprisingly I didn't see any Reed Buntings or Beardies, the Common Gull was washing in the usual place
A Heron dropped into the Sedge across from the look out on the loop, which was nice
And as always the Cormorants were on the rocks, I saw a Rat in a tree feeding on Berries, now that was a first.
In Weymouth the Grebes are in the Harbour.
Again a dreary day when I got the Red Necked and Slavonian Grebes.
We went for a long walk up the Fleet, started at Chickerell and marched through the mud to Rodden Hive, up over the Hill to Langton Herring before walking back to Chickerell, Knackering to say the least in the conditions, I did get some shots of a Brown Hare, also saw some Grey Plover in the Fleet at Langton.
Yesterday was a bit better I ended up going to Poole harbour, then tried Wareham Forest before shooting up to Blandford for the Otters and finishing up on the Owls again at Wyke Down.
Finally, we did have a Bewick's Swan down at Woodsford, out in the fields, very difficult to get close too, I had to walk a fair distance and cross a muddy field to even see it, again then it was a long way away, but still here it is.
Happy Days until the next one, more pics on my Website :- http://markeggleton.zenfolio.com
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Radipole Lake, it has been very productive lately, In the still and sunny days the Bearded Tits have been about, there are some showing at the Concrete bridge and reports of more by the RSPB shop, their special metallic ker--ching call can be heard all over the reserve, when they climb up the sedge to feed in the sunshine it is always special, the Bird watchers send themselves into ecstasy when they show, okay, yes, they are a fantastic sight.
For the last few weeks the concrete bridge area has been the place to be, also hanging around on the top of the Sedge are Reed Buntings, I have only seen the females, but there are plenty of picture taking opportunities.
On the water off the Buddleia Loop, the Gulls like to wash and preen, I'm not into Gulls/ Shytalks, but I was taken by the beauty of the Mediterranean Gull, it is a cracker, there has been a rare sight of a Common Gull as well, I got some shots of it washing and flying.
Sometimes if you are lucky, you will catch a glimpse of a Little Grebe diving under the water, even better a Water Rail out in the open, saw some last week out on the ice, caught one inflight chasing a rival out of it's patch.
Over at the North Hide, the Kingfisher makes a regular appearance, the RSPB have put out some perches for them to land on, for the best views, it is best to use the lower windows, now and again the Marsh Harrier will fly around hunting for food, they seem to be resident here now.
And of course at this time of year, the ever present Robin.
Radipole Lake is well worth a wander at any time, just to stretch your legs, do it, you never know what you might see, I bumped into a young lad taking pictures here last week, I was trying to see what he was shooting, then saw it, A Brown Rat in a tree eating berries, wow!! seen them tons of times scurrying around, but never in a tree eating berries, great to see not only the Rat, but someone so young and keen out taking pictures of wildlife, Look out Chris Packham you have competition :-D
More pics on the website, thank you for reading my blog, Happy Days and Happy New Year
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Winter time around here throws up some great birding opportunities, This Eider Duck came within 10-15 ft of me down in Portland Harbour, I have never been this close to one before in the wild.
Great Northern Divers migrate south, some hang around Portland harbour, the Fleet and Weymouth Bay, again up until last Winter I'd never had the chance to get close to one, this Winter again I got lucky , one came in close near the Sailing Academy.
Mergansers are abundant, they are already pairing up, so there is plenty of squabbles going on, when the Sun catches them, they are stunning.
I heard a report that there were some Velvet Scoter showing over at Ringstead Bay, I had never seen one of these before so I popped over there, they were a very long way off, but I got the added bonus of a Slavonion Grebe swimming around with them, 2 first's in one day.
I want to get down to Bincleaves this winter, it is a great place to see Grebes, the cliff path has long since fallen away so getting there is a problem, but I will work out a way.
One of the most impressive sights we get is the Brent Geese, there are 3 or 4,000 around, when you see a massive flock take off it is amazing, we went for walk from Chickerel to Moonfleet and back the other week, found about 1,000 or more in a field, I waited for ages for them to fly, it didn't happen until we had moved on.
There are loads more pics on my website of all of these birds, in the Autumn Winter group.
I am so far behind with this blog at the moment I have so many uploads to do, this week I will try to get on with some of it.
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Wyke Down is one of the best places to go and see hunting Short Eared Owls, they migrate down here in the Autumn and leave in the late spring, staying this year until May.
On Monday there were 4 and maybe 5 Owls flying around doing their thing hunting for Mice and Voles,.
It was amazing, being so close to these fantastic birds, on a couple of passes one was probably no more than 10 metres from me, it wasn`t bothered in the least by mine or anyone else`s presence.
I hope with these pics you can see and be encouraged to go and find these for yourself, if these images makes just one person get into seeing nature it will be wonderful.
Happy days my next blog will be on the water birds in and around Portland.
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For years I have been looking to see a Hoopoe in this Country, I first saw one in a friends garden back in 1972 when we were youngsters, I saw it land on a tree and then quickly ran indoors and looked it up in a book to ID it.
Well at last I have finally found this one on Portland, it took a lot of finding, I knew where it was, but it was in the centre of the Island near 2 quarries and loads of open ground, it was very flightie, every time I got within 30 yards of it swoosh gone, still managed some shots though.
Another Bird that has been proving difficult is the Black Redstart, a couple of years ago there were tons of them down at the Bill, but since then I haven't been able to get close to them, well I have seen loads, but as soon as I raise the camera they fly off, very frustrating, well the other day I was able to get some semi reasonable shots.
Happy days took a lot of effort to get these.
Finally here are a couple of pics to finish off probably the last of my favourite bird the Wheatear, looking forward to the end of March until they return all smart and gorgeous, there are also plenty of Dartford Warblers showing over at Middlebere, so I had to get pics of them before the cold gets them.
Happy days loads more to do, especially my evening on the Short Eared Owls, until then all the best and thank you for reading my blog
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The day after going up to the Wildlife Centre, first thing in the morning, Elaine and I were down at the railway station boarding a train to London.
We really wanted to see the Ceramic Poppies at the Tower Of London.
It was rammed up there, so many people, I took this pic from on top of the hill, I have deliberately cut off the bottom of the pic to get rid of all the people from the shot, still we got to see them, a one off, never to be repeated.
We left the Tower and walked onto the Bridge for the Tower Bridge Experience, we had BOGOF tickets and it was a reduced day as well. so it cost us £7.50, Bargain :-)
How interesting, well worth the visit, the view from the top is excellent, then when you have crossed the top you come down and walk along the road a bit before entering the Engine room terrific.
This is the view from the top, HMS Belfast in the foreground.
Looking from the Southbank back at the Bridge, you can see the Gerkin in the distance.
We decided to walk along the Embankment back towards the Houses Of Parliament, we had never seen the Millenium Bridge, so we stopped off there for a while, didn`t realise it was right in front of St Paul's.
While we were here, it poured down with rain, took this in between the showers.
One view that dominates this part of London is the Shard, the header pic is just after another shower, it was amazing how as the sun came out, it lit up like a beacon.
Here are a few pics I took of it along the embankment.
We continued our walk back towards the London Eye, the tide was out, so we walked on the shoreline, I took this next pic, looking back towards St Pauls.
We eventually got to the London Eye, we had a couple of hours or more, before we had to be on the train home, so we had a bite to eat.
I wanted to have a go at night time photography, I did try it before when we went up in February for Adam's day out, I wasn`t happy with them.
So I spent quite a while working it out, Poor Elaine, she has the patience of a Saint, there I was messing about for ages, she didn`t complain until she got cold, anyhow here are some of the results.
We had a great day, we will have to do it again soon, there are loads more pictures on the website:- http://markeggleton.zenfolio.com/
And finally a pic of inside Waterloo Station.
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A couple of weeks ago my mate Chris invited me along to the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey, it was for a Canon owners day, well sadly they did not have the New Canon 7D to take and play with, so I used the 5D Mk3 instead :-)
For the First session we had a really interesting talk from Danny Green a Pro Wildlife Photographer. www.dannygreenphotography.com
He did put a new angle on how we go about taking wildlife shots, his main idea was, that we should be shooting in as wide an aperture as possible, great, I was always told to try and get as much detail into my shots as I can, so I nearly always shoot at F8 or above, Yes how right he is, on trying this out in field it worked.
The introduction picture is taken at F4 as are all the others, notice how the main subject is in focus but the background is blurred, what a great effect.
Starting from the Top, a Barn Owl inflight and then a shot of the same bird sat in a window, then a little Owl on a post, next is a gorgeous Tawny Owl, then finally is this Long Eared Owl.
When we finished we had Lunch and then had another session, this time it was with a chap called Mark Sisson, he spoke to us about photographing small mammals, very interesting again, then we went out to photograph them, we started with a Stoat and a Weasel
What a laugh trying to photograph the Weasel, they are so small and move like lightning, as soon as it stopped I tried to focus on it, then before I could lock on, it was off again, finally got this one with it's tongue out.
We left there and went into where the Otters were, Superb, I was using a 300 mm F 2.8, wow what a great lens, still shooting at F4.
There were 3 Otters I was not more than 3-4 feet away from them, I could have stroked them at times, what a terrific experience.
We left them after a while then went into the Fox enclosure, my pics were not as good on these, I was too close, still managed to get a couple that I liked.
Finally one of the best. Scottish Wildcats.
Again in enclosure, they looked like an over grown Tabby, took loads of shots, I have quite a few on the main page, still here are some, they maybe captive in enclosure but they are still wild animals.
What a great day, the saddest bit for me was having to give back the Kit, I was Using a Canon 5 D mk3 + and the 500 mm F4 Mk2 , so I was walking around with ten grand in my hands, it wasn`t even mine, I was terrified of damaging it, later I was using the same Camera but this time I had the New 300mm F2.8 mk2.
I was so taken with these big lenses, I have always thought that I wouldn't want one, well I changed my mind, I now have a Mk1 Canon 300mm F2.8 Happy Days, thank goodness I have a brilliant Wife, who let me get it.
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Tufted Bell Cap (Mycena inclinata)
I have spent a couple of days out and about, with my mates Chris and Frank looking for Fungi, Frank is a bit of an expert on them, having spent 9 years taking pictures of nothing else :-0
It is good to go and take pictures of something different, on our first outing it was quite hard work because of the lack of rain, but our second was very successful, I have a lot of pics of them and I am not 100% on the real identity, so if someone wants to correct me I will happy for them to do so.
The Fly Agaric (Amaita muscaria) probably the most recognised of all Toadstalls, it is poisonous, it kills flies.
Fly Agaric and Amethyst Deciever
The Common Earthball (Scleroderma citrinum) you see these all over the place in the woods.
Earth Ball
Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea) Deadly to Trees, it spreads by shooting stems underground to attack it's next host
Honey Fungus
Fairies Bonnets (Coprinus disseminatus) Normally found in large groups on rotting wood, you can see these form early Spring to Early Winter.
Fairy Bonnets
Parasol Mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) Edible :-) distinguished from the inedible :- Shaggy Parasol, by the Scales on the Stem. it is supposed to have a Nutty taste and best coated in breadcrumbs before cooking.
Parasol Mushroom
Common Yellow Russula ( Russula ochroleuca) found this over at Thornecombe Woods, in amongst the Beech trees behind Hardy's Cottage, according to my books it is edible and has a peppery flavour, but not to everyones taste.
Common Yellow Russula ( Russula ochroleuca)
There are lots of very small fungi that shoot up, they can be very difficult to identify, here are a few hope the ID is right :-0
Collybia dryophila
Amethyst Deciever
Here are a few more to see, that we have found.
Common Puffball
Amanita rubescens.
Paxillus Atrotomentosus.
Tricholoma columbetta
And finally a Wooly Milk Cap (Lactarius pubescens) my school boy humour made me snigger at the latin name :-)
Lactarius pubescens
Okay of out today, I want to see the Otters up at Blandford and then come back down to Portland for the Rose Coloured Starling.
Happy Days
Mark
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Water Rail
I start this Blog on the saddest of notes, my Friend and top mate Adie (Adrian Dunk) passed away last week, we have spent so many days together over at Lodmoor, also been all around the County in the last few years, He was a top bloke, never saw him angry, or a cross word for anyone, liked by everyone that met him, known to many that visited Lodmoor, his knowledge of the moor was second to none, with a sense of humour that would outdo many a comedian, he suffered from Ill health for while, but this was completely unexpected, all the best to his Mum Dad and Family. It was difficult visiting Loddie this week, knowing he would never be stood on the west path again with his usual dry quip. Rip mate
I know one thing for sure, Adie would never want me to stop doing this, and look on the bright side of life, and find something funny to laugh at.
Well I can't think of anything funny, but I do have a lot of sightings to say about over the last 6 weeks.
This top pic was one I took on the west path at lodmoor, A Water Rail, it was amazing, normally so shy and retiring, but like buses, there were 3 of them making a good show in the evening sunshine, this has got to be the best shot I have ever got of one.
With the Autumn migration in full swing, it started with a dribble then a spurt then a full flush :-) I have already said before about the Common Sandpipers loads this year but also there were Wood and Green Sandpipers showing as well, got the best one over at Middlebere, near Wareham, it sat on a post outside of the Hide. on the path down to the Hide there were loads of Spotted Flycatchers, I was over there with my mate Frank, we stopped off on our way back to get some pics, then we headed over to Arne and blow me down there were loads over there as well, a couple of days later they were at Lodmoor too.
Common Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper
Spotted Flycatcher
Another Bird to make an appearance on schedule was the Wryneck, a small ground feeder part of the Woodpecker family (I think) we normally get one or two around, but this year there has been a little bit of a flurry, I only got to see one, my mates from the DWP got some really good views, one sat on a small fence right in front of them without a care in the world, lucky beggars.
Wryneck
I said in my Small Mammal Blog that I had been to Brownsea again, well it was great 20+ Spoonbills sat on the far bank, I have seen on the local Birding Blog, that as many as 45 have been present there at one time this autumn, a national record.
Flock of 20+ Spoonbills
We saw loads of Waders, The Avocets had arrived at their winter home, I am pretty sure that this is the biggest flock in the UK in winter.
Avocet
Loads of Spotted and Normal Redshanks.
Spotted Redshank
Redshank
And there were also 11 Curlew sandpipers on the day we visited.
Curlew Sandpipers
At Lodmoor, I got to see my first Black Tailed Godwits of the year along with a Ruff, oh how good it would be to see one of these in it's summer plumage.
Black Tailed Godwit
Ruff
So to finish of this blog, A Collared Dove seen on the my Small Mammal Day, oh and how could I not put in a Wheatear we saw from the car on our way down to Chickerell Hive.
Collared Dove
Wheatear
I nearly forgot to say about the Buzzards, I got a young one calling from a post on Portland, then over at Lodmoor we got really excited thinking we had Rough Legged Buzzard flying around, it turned out to be a Pale Common, the Rough Legged is very similar but has distinctive bars on the tail.
Buzzard
Buzzard
There are more pics from this blog on the Website in the gallery, take a look.
I still have another blog I must get in this week, this is of the Fungi we have seen locally , how the hell Frank remembers the names of them, is mind boggling.
Til the next one all the best
Mark
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Corfe Castle
For a long time now, I have wanted to get up early and shoot over to Corfe Castle, for a foggy morning, Well finally I did it, I took 185 shots and as we say "filled me boots".
Corfe Castle
With the fog constantly coming in thick and then fading it made for some excellent picture opportunities .
Corfe Castle
It was terrific, I still have to go back and process some more, but that is best left for another day, I have put a fair few on the Website, so feel free to take a peek.
Corfe Castle
Another thing I am dying to try is nightime photography, I will have to wait until I get my new camera, but it does put a new angle on photography that I never knew possible, the idea is that you catch the stars and the milky-way as well as the landscape you are looking at, great effects, I have been scouting around looking for a suitable site and found a few, but I want to be unique, so it will not be just Pulpit rock or Durdle Door, anywhere that there isn't any lights.
Nicodemus Knob
This Nicodemus Knob on Portland, this could be a great spot for night photography, the plan will be to get a high powered torch on the rock to light it up and at the same time catch the sky, fingers crossed it will all work out, watch this space.
I have been to the Bill and taken some evening pics recently, it was amazing that all of a sudden the place was empty, here are some of the results.
Portland Bill Lighthouse
Portland Bill Lighthouse
And finally the light had almost gone, I had to use my headlight to pack up after this one.
Pulpit Rock
Really like the way this came out, it was along exposure due to the lack of light and no filter.
We went over to Morton Ford the other day on a little drive out, we had a nice cup of Tea at the cafe and I took a few shots of the Ford.
Morton Ford
Morton Ford
Morton Ford
Most of these pics are in my Landscape folder on the main page of my Website.
Happy days again
Mark
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Harvest Mouse
Just recently I was lucky enough to have a Small Mammal photography day with a local well known Photographer Colin Varndell.
It was fantastic, got to photograph various creatures including this header a Harvest Mouse, Now I will not try to cheat at all, a lot of the pics were from captive animals, but apparently, "that is how they do it"
The Harvest Mice were the only kept Mouse out of all of them, the others released after we had taken some pics.
We did spend some time in hides taking shots of Birds and Grey Squirrels, but to be honest and absolutely no disrespect meant to the course, or Colin, but I prefer to snap the birds in the open.
Grey Squirrel
Grey Squirrel
It was after the Bird hide, that we got up close the Field Voles, I have seen them before caught one on Camera running on the beach at Preston.
Field Vole
But to see one really close, looking at me, almost pleading to be let go, was terrific.
Field Vole
They were caught in a flap trap, along with Bank Voles.
Bank Vole
I was able to get a shot of one of these later, but with flash, it's eyes overexposed and looked awful, so I will not put one of those pics up.
After this Colin brought out the main event, the Harvest Mice.
Harvest Mouse
Absolutely wonderful, I have never seen these before, especially like this, Colin has 4, the thing they want to do is climb, so they are in a large enclosure with quite high sides, and in the middle various plants are put in and anchored down for this purpose.
A Raspberry cane.
Harvest Mouse
And a Burdock
Harvest Mouse
Later we had another hide session, we had to sit and wait, branches were laid between 2 points and smeared with peanut butter, after a short while first we had like I said a Bank Vole, then we had a few Wood Mice come out, they didn't seem that bothered by the Flashguns going off, so we were able to get a few pics.
Wood Mouse
I get these in the garden, Elaine goes mad every time she glimpses one, I don't mind as long as they stay outside.
I have also been over to Brownsea again, and Yes I got to find the Red Squirrels, but the light wasn't perfect and they were busily feeding on the Beech Nuts.
Red Squirrel
Red Squirrel
I have loads more to show, I will get my finger out, I have a whole array of Fungi pics some more Bird and Landscape stuff.
There are more photos from this section on my website take a look it's free
Happy Days :-)
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At the beginning of September a pair of Spoonbills turned up at Lodmoor.
They were very obliging and great to photograph, they would come within 6-10 feet of were I was stood, the light was perfect so there were no excuses for missing them.
It seemed every time I went down there, they were there.
People from all over the country came down to see them, I met some good folks over there, one chap came down from Gloucestershire, on talking to him, I found out he had won the Amateur Photographer, Picture Of the Year, last year, what an interesting bloke, I looked at his website, ( WWW.petedowning.com) really impressive, wow!!!! I have a lot to learn, We ended up chatting for a couple of hours just like old mates, it was brilliant.
So anyhow I will put some pics up here of what i took, there are loads on my site.
If you look at these 2 birds, there is a clear difference in the Bills, the Adult, (I'm sure it's a female, the male has a yellow collar) She has a Black bill, the Juvenile has a Pink bill
One thing that I found interesting, is when they needed to go to toilet they always got out of the water had a little shiver and shake then did a big white squirt.
How rude :-)
I did get them flying as well
Sad that they have gone, still lots of other things to put up yet.
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I have said many times how glad I am that I live in Dorset. I have a great life and love to get out and see life.
It isn't all about Wildlife although this is a big part, I also try not to miss the Steam Fair and Bournemouth Air Festival, if there is a chance of a quick landscape picture Happy days.
This years Weymouth carnival started with a flight from the WW1 Air Display Team, what a great show, I didn't see the carnival or the Red Arrows as I had to start Night shift.
The Following weekend was pretty full on, Elaine and I did our annual trip to the Steam Fair, it was exhausting trekking through the mud, but a good day was had.
This year they had a WW1 trench experience, I tried to make my pics look as realistic as possible.
The Next day, it was up early, shooting up to our daughter Kerrie's house in Poole, we all went on to Bournemouth to see the Air Festival, It did not start well when Chris my daughters partner drove us to the park and ride, the queue for the bus must have been at least 1/2 a mile long, cleverly he quickly rang for a taxi and we got there in time to see the Eurofighter, phew!!!! it was busy this year I have never seen so many visitors there.
One of the benefits from working nights in Weymouth at this time of year is to see the Sunrise, if there is a ship on Number 1 berth it makes for an even better picture, this time it was the Tall ship Pelican.
And to finish some pics I took from Kimeridge.
The month started in West Wales, watching Chough, a very young Wheatear and seeing a Wood Bug another first, when we returned home, the first thing I noticed as I walked around Lodmoor, was the silence, the Sedge and Reed Warblers had gone, eerie to say the least, then the sudden realisation summer was coming to an end, an instant downer, then as I walked on down the west path, I saw a pair of Dunlin in close and the first of many Common Sandpipers, I have never seen so many Sandpipers here 10 in all, along with a pair of Wood Sandpipers another first.
I left it late but finally got to visit Alners Gorse for the butterflies, Ben came down and we saw a Brown Hairstreak and a very late White Letter, on the same day we went down to Portland, got lucky tons of Hummingbird Hawk Moths, Painted Lady's and Clouded Yellows, what a great spell we had with these this year, plenty of them for a couple of weeks, we also found a Holly Blue and a few Migrant Hawkers.
Oh well another month gone now September has also passed, am I getting Old are the years passing quicker ?
We had a big family holiday over in Wales, I think there were about 28 of us, so chaos was inevitable.
Here are a few pics that I have downloaded, some of them are in HDR so not everyone will like the way they are processed.
My Nearest and Dearest Very Happy Days
Tenby at Sunset
The Old and the New Lifeboat stations
The Harbour at Low water
The Old Slipway HDR
The New Slipway HDR
The Tide does go out a long way
The Harbour again
This is my HDR version of the Harbour.
Fatboy Walking. Elaine caught me without my knowledge, that is Skomer in front of me
Fatboy WalkingElaine took this without me knowing, that is Skomer in front of me
I have been looking at some pics on the internet of Durdle Door. Today I thought I would get over there and take some pics, I really wanted to see the Stack called Butter Rock, I thought I would make the most of it and do Man of War bay as well. I phoned my mate Dennis and he very kindly lent me a 24-105 lens, so with that and my 12-24 lens I was sorted.
I started down at Man of War Bay, I walked to the point and tried to get some shots looking East, using the rock line as a leader.
When I had filled my boots I walked back around the cove and taking shots now and again.
I finished off in the corner, before clambering back up and over the the cliff to Durdle Door.
When I got down onto the beach, I walked like a man possessed to the other end of the bay, finally got to see the Stack, brilliant well worth the effort.
I think this will be a cracking place to come at Low water as well, with just the beginnings of the reef showing would be magic, I took loads of shots with the Big Stopper filter on, then I changed to the 10 stop B&W filter, this gives a warmer pic and as the sun was beginning to drop thought it would be worth a try.
I looked back along the beach and thought for a brief moment I was stranded.
It was okay but close to a paddle back, I wanted to get a couple of shots of the Door and some of the Sunset so I had to rush, I had a brilliant time down there, never got home until 10, that climb is knackering really needed my Rum and Coke tonight.
Happy Days, going Fishing tomorrow :-) tight lines.
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Well the Silver Washed Fritillary Butterflies are about again, they are probably my favourite of all of them, I have seen my first Purple Emperor and quite a few White Admirals, whilst out on Portland I got my first pics of the Lulworth Skipper, even got them mating.
I had a trip out with Frank and Dennis to Martin Down in Wiltshire for the Dark Green Fritillary's, saw loads, took tons of shots that looked great in camera, but were not so good on the Mac, since then I have seen them in few different places in Dorset, notably on Ballard Down Swanage, I will go back there as soon as I can, brilliant views of Poole Harbour, Bournemouth to Hengistbury and beyond to the Isle of White.
I also had a day out with my Friend Ben, fresh form his stint working on Springwatch. We always find something new, this time we went to Chase Wood a new place for me, it took a bit of finding but great for Butterflies again, we also went up to Salisbury where I found without realising it, our first ever Purple Emperor, we walked miles that day, We finished off in the evening driving back down to Weymouth,to go on the Fleet at Ferry Bridge, where Ben got his first shots of the Little Terns.
Ferry Bridge has been good this year, I got to see some Ringed Plover chicks, never seen these before, well not this small, while on chicks, I had the chance to take some shots of the Oystercatcher chicks up on the old landing craft in Poole harbour, when I was on night watch, initially there were 3, but the next time I looked,sadly only 1 was left.
I have spent quite a few hours (5days) watching Water Voles up on the river Frome at Wool, bearing in mind that the whole area was under water for nearly 3 months over the early part of this year, I was unsure wether I would find some, well I did, I saw at least 2 on one spot, I wasn't able to get very close and they were in the shade, but I did get some pics, this is the best of them
Sadly I spent more time looking at the river bank than the Voles, then I spent 2 days without seeing any, on the 2nd day I should have realised, I saw a Stoat hunting on their patch, it was as usual with Stoats all to swift a sighting and I never got a shot of it, but here is one I saw up at Chase Woods a another totally unexpected glimpse in low light.
I have tried to condense 4 weeks worth of togging into this blog, okay 2 plus were at work, but all the same, I let myself get behind, I am off to Wales next time off, looking forward to getting some shots in over there, it will be a trial, we are going with my family, there will be 36 or more of us there. Look Out Wales the Eggs are Coming.
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Marsh Fritillary
On Saturday I wanted to go to Cerne Abbas, thought that I might get to see some Butterflies, my mate Frank was already there when I arrived at 10:00, I decided to walk the hedge at the bottom of the hill hoping to find some early flyers, I saw a lot of Bugs and Beasties but no Butterflies.
I eventually got to the end of the field and started to climb, it was still quite damp but warming up nicely, I was hopeful, eventually I saw a couple of day Moths, then a Brown Argos, a Marsh Fritillary, Frank found a Duke Of Burgundy Fritillary in a tree, by the time I got to there it had flown, I saw it land I crawled across the ground and got my first shot of one of these rare beauties in years, we were able to get a few shots before it warmed up enough to fly off for good, I decided to keep climbing up the hill, then as I got near to the Giant, I started to find a few Marsh Fritillaries, brilliant, these are excellent Butterflies, it seemed to go on and on everywhere I turned more and more of them, fantastic :-)
We decided to go to Powerstock common, there we found a few Blue Butterflies, got a terrific find of a Great Crested Newt, 2 years on the trot at the same spot, got a few bugs here as well, It was now 2:30 so we decided to head 30 miles East to Higher Hyde Heath.
It was warm when we arrived, Saw a Grass-Snake and Adder out in the open, the usual Lizards and Damselflies, saw my first Golden Ringed Butterfly of the year too.
On Sunday Elaine and I decided to go to Portland, via the tip as per usual, we got down to the Bill, saw a few Bee Orchids in the fields by the Obs, the Little Owl wasn't showing, we headed off to the Cliff edge, there are quite a few Auks on the ledges but no eggs were visible!!!!
I think this maybe one of the worst years ever for them, the winter storms took their toll, with most of these birds being monogamous they will sit and wait in vane for their mates, how sad, it doesn't help with the local fishermen and their gill nets everywhere either, I sat and watched from a distance in sadness as one fisherman cleaned his nets, he must have pulled at least 10 Guillemots dead from just one net utter madness.
Anyhow I digress, we started to see a few Small Blue Butterflies up there, I quickly changed my set up to macro mode and took a few shots of them, the Bill was busy in the warm weather, we did our usual walk out to Godner point before heading up the path to Culverwell, this is a small wooded spring near the Obs, sometimes really good for birds, it had recently had some tidying up work done there, a hole had been left only about a metre square and 1/2 a metre deep filled with water, in it I spotted some baby Frogs, they were in transition between Tadpole and Frogs, so I called them froglets, some had lost their tails and some still had them, great to see, I put my extension tube on between the 100-400 lens and the camera with the flash and took some pictures, this for me this is a very are sight, I cannot remember the last time I found these, probably when I was a kid, many years ago.
Finished my day off at Lodmoor, it was dull, but I did get some pics of Shelduck Ducklings, Happy Days :-)
Beetle ( Cryptocephalus aureolus)
Wasp Beetle
Arnie Bug Swollen Thighed Beetle
Bee Halictus rubicundus
Scorpianfly Female
Willow Leaf Beetle
Marsh Fritillary
Brown Argus
Duke Of Burgundy Fritillary
Duke Of Burgundy Fritillary
Adonis Blue
Great Crested Newt
Common Lizard
Harlequin Ladybird
Burying Beetle and Family
Small Blue
Small Blue Coupled
Froglet
Froglet
Shelduck Ducklings
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Southern Blue Damselfly (Female)
Well I had been home for 4 days, the weather was real downer, having had temperatures in the high 20's last week then have low teens this, it was a bit of a shock to the system, rain, rain and more rain, I thought I would phone up my mate Frank see how he was doing, he was out at Higher Hyde Heath, said it was okay up there, no rain at all, so jumped in the car and shot off.
Now birding in the poor light was out of the question, so bugs butterflies and insects were on the agenda, great to do something different, so instead of using the big 400mm lens, I put on the Sigma 100 macro with the flash gun, the flash helps to bring out the detail on the beasties, it didn't take long to find stuff, it is a great buzz getting close to insects and things that we would never normally notice, found loads of Damselflies by the pond, it wasn't long before we headed off to Wareham, to another place to find some Dragonflies it had started to warm up a bit now so our hopes were high of finding something good.
On arriving at the Heath we quickly ate lunch, then set off down the lane to the pond, a Cuckoo could be heard near by, never saw a sausage on the path, we hunted for another Cuckoo calling at the lake, saw it but couldn't get near it, now our initial enthusiasm was beginning to wane, I spotted a Silver Studded Blue Butterfly, the first of the year, then a newly emerged Black Tailed Skimmer, then I saw something right up my street, a Slug, it had crawled out on some gorse, it had got itself into a difficult position, the spikes of the gorse were clearly sticking in, and it must have been agony, not being one to interfere with nature, I just took loads of pictures, it didn't no what to do, to let go and fall, or turn over the end and slide back against the spikes, delightful :-)
Found my first Keeled Skimmer of the year then a Scarce Chaser, I hadn't seen one of these for a couple of years, all of these pics are taken using a macro lens, it really is great fun, if you have a camera try it, I will finish this blog with the usual stream of pics, the last is a pair Snipe Flies bonking, Life Goes On, Happy Days :-)
Southern Blue Damselfly (Female)
Southern Blue DamselflyNot 100% sure on the ID here
Azure Blue DamselflyNot 100% sure on the ID here
Doc Bug
Hairy Shieldbug
Ground HopperNot sure which one this is
Silver Studded BlueNot 100% sure on the ID here
Black Tailed Skimmer (Female)
Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly
Slug on GorseThis looked really painful, looks like it had got itself in a very difficult position
Scarce Chaser Dragonfly
Marsh SnipeflyNo Comment :-0
Swallowtail Butterfly
There were plenty of Butterflies to be seen over on Cyprus, but with it being constantly hot and sunny, they were mostly on the wing. I did see quite a few that I had never seen before, the Swallow Tail is one I had never got a pic of so I was made up to finally nail one
Yet again up at Mavrokloymbos Dam we saw loads,got a Long Tailed Blue, a Hermit and Lesser Fiery Butterfly, there were lots of Skippers but never got a shot and loads of really small Blue ones, never got on those either, I did get loads of Dragonflies, mainly Drop Wing, I did see another absolutely beauty, it was like one of our Darters, but it was a shiney Golden Yellow, it was stunning, I followed it for ages but it just wouldn't settle.
Over on the Asprokremos Dam I saw the strangest creature ever, it was like a Dragonfly but it wasn't one, it was about 2 inches long and when it settled it set it's wings back like a Damselfly, it wasn't one of those either, it turned out to be a Giant Lacewing, what a wonder to see, felt like Darwin for a minute.
Other oddities I encountered were a massive Robber Fly, a Mammoth Wasp, they are big moth like creatures, found some probable Egyptian Crickets, oh and another weird thing a Flat Nosed Grasshopper, a cross between a Stick Insect and a Grasshopper, again about 2 + inches long.
There are loads more on my site, take a look, it's under Cyprus Holiday, thanks for reading this all the best and Happy Days
Long Tailed Blue Butterfly
Hermit Butterfly
Lesser Fiery Butterfly
Swallowtail Butterfly
Giant LacewingProbably 2 inches (50mm) or more long
Robberfly
Hummingbird Hawkmoth
Mammoth Wasp
Violet Dropwing Dragonfly
Violet Dropwing Dragonfly
Egyptian Cricket
Flat Nosed Grasshopper
Flat Nosed Grasshopper
Starred Agama Lizard
One thing we did see a lot of when we were on Holiday were Lizards, I missed out on one the Snake Eyed Lizard, but managed the others, Sadly I only saw one Snake a brief glimpse of a Whip Snake at Episkopi.
We visited The Mavrokloymbos Dam a few times mainly because it was quite close to the Hotel and secondly because on our first visit we saw loads of things we had never seen before, Birds, lizards , Butterflies and Grasshoppers, if anyone ever goes out to Paphos I would recommend a visit here.
On our first visit we were driving up the road past a Banana plantation when I spotted a Bird sat on the fence, thought how it looked like a Redstart, except this one was all black apart from the top of it's head which was white, cussed my luck that the camera was in the boot, so I didn't get a pic. I found it later in my book, as a White Crowned Black Wheatear, rare even for Cyprus, never mind grrrrrr :-)
There were plenty of Lizards here, mainly Agama's and the odd Troodos Wall Lizard, I did get a shot of a Spiny Legged Lizard here as well.
Back at the hotel I was going through some pics of the day, I looked up and noticed a Gecko, wow!!! " get a look at this" I shouted to Elaine, brilliant it was a Turkish Gecko also known as a Mediterranean House Gecko, great to have around, no beasties get past these.
On one of our days out, we stopped of at Mandria, we drove up to the Asprokremmos Dam, we didn't see a lot here or in the fields below, the river had long dried up, I turned over a piece of wood underneath I found a pair of Kotschy's Gecko's, I was very wary about looking under stuff out here, you never know what you might disturb, if it were a Blunt-nosed Viper we could have been in trouble
I never noticed any Skinks on our travels maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, there a few on Cyprus, maybe next time.
On my next Blog I will show some Butterflies we found, Laters Happy Days :-)
Starred Agamas
Spiny-legged Lizard
Spiny-legged Lizard
Turkish Gecko or Mediterranean House Gecko
Turkish Gecko or Mediterranean House Gecko
Kotschy's Gecko
Troodos Wall Lizard
European Bee-Eater
Finally back from our Holiday in Cyprus, I was able to see most of what I wanted to see and spend some quality time relaxing on the beaches, the plan was to get out earlyish and look for wildlife and then find a beach for the day, before heading back visiting somewhere else on the way, it seemed to work most days, it will take ages to get through all of my pics, hundreds to sort through and tons of unidentified creatures to ID.
There were 4 Birds I really wanted to see for the first time in the Wild, a Flamingo, Pelican, Roller and European Bee-eater, well I managed 3 in one day, we ventured up a valley into the mountains, saw quite a bit up there, even got an Eagle, but still haven't found the ID for it, as we came back down I saw my first Roller sat on a wire in the middle of a field, fortunately the traffic in Cyprus is very light, you do not have cars up your arse all the time, so you can poodle along and stop without any hassle, we saw a few more Rollers before we hit hit the main road to Akritiri.
We headed for the salt flats and Lady's Mile Beach, wow what a wonder this place is, saw dozens of Bee-Eaters all along the road by the Salt plain, I was amazed how big this area is, I was expecting something a lot smaller, we found somewhere to park and headed out after the Flamingos that were doing their thing out in the water feeding on the Brine Shrimps, there were a few Black Winged Stilts out on the waters well, brilliant Elaine got covered in Salty slimy mud, she had to take her shoes off.
We ventured on to the beach, it was a drive across the salt flats to get there, but well worth it, the beach went on for ages pure sand and crystal clear water, there were not many people here either so chill time, at 4 o'clock we decided to start heading back, we called in at the Phasouri Reed Bed, glad we did, saw Cattle Egret, Purple Heron, Squacco Heron (another first) and further down the track on the plains a Short-Toed Eagle, took a few bug and butterfly pics as well, what a great place, shame there wasn't more time and water there, I think there would have been a lot more to see, what a great day though.
Roller
European Bee-Eater
Greater Flamingo
Black-Winged Stilt
Cattle Egret
Squacco Heron
Short-Toed Eagle
Finally finished another week of nights, I thought I would take a quick walk over at Lodmoor, after my little sleep, the Reed Warblers were everywhere, singing their heads off, I bumped into Dennis on his way back to his car, told me about the Terns down on the Island, great news, they have been absent for nearly 2 years since the big flood.
I walked on down the West path and found a roosting Orange Tip, been after getting a pic of one for ages, there was a Reed Bunting calling on top of a bush, not got close to one of these for a while either.
I knew I would see Adrian, sure enough there he was creeping around the corner, we set off to look for the Terns, they were distant and high in the sky, so walked across the road to the beach, they were fishing quite a way out, so we had to wait for them to land on the pole at the end of the Lodmoor drain, I caught a glimpse of something running around, followed it and couldn't believe a Field Vole was on the beach, Probably on its Hols :-), managed to get some shots, it actually ran under someones feet on the prom, it soon disappeared, at last the Terns came into land, lets hope they have a successful season, happy days off to Cyprus, laters :-)
Reed Warbler
Orange Tip
Reed Bunting
Field Vole
Common Tern
Common Tern
There seems to be a fair bit of grub and bug hatching going on at the moment , the other night I was walking around Lodmoor, I met Adie my mate, he was looking for caterpillar larve, Wow! never thought about doing this properly, I cussed myself at first, for not getting the correct gear out of my car, yes my big lens is very handy, but also very limited, I eventually got my Sigma 105 lens out with the flash and tripod, I got some great results and strange looks from passers by, as I was grovelling across the ground, trying to get a better angle.
Yesterday Elaine and I went for our first trip of the year to Brownsea, there wasn't a lot on the lagoon, the Sandwich Terns are starting to nest, having their normal squabble with the Blackheaded Gulls, I did see my first Common Tern as well for the year, we ventured off looking for Squirrels saw a few but to far away, we went down to the Sedge hide, there was a small group Sika sunning it in the corner of the boggy area, there were a few 4 Spotted Chaser buzzing around and coupling already, then I thought I saw a Cuckoo, a few minutes later it started to call, bonus another first for the year, we went on to see at least 3, I think they were flying over and stopped off briefly.
We walked to the far west end of the Island, quite a few Downy Emeralds and Green Hairsteaks around, saw a few more Squirrels and then found a pair of Green Tiger Beetles mating, I had to lay down in the dirt to get a shot, brilliant bang on the button, I started to chase after another Cuckoo, just as I got close to the latest call, it was up and off grrrr!!! We turned and headed back through a lot of chopped down timber, on the side of one tree trunk, I spotted a Beetle I had never seen before, a 2 Barred Long Horn Beetle, excellent, well worth the trip to see something new, I talked Elaine into popping back to the Hides, on the Mud Island a family of Greylag Geese, another first for me Greylag Goslings.
Happy Days.
Garden Tiger Moth Larve
Scarlet Tiger Moth Larve
Drinker Moth Larve
Brown Tail Moth Larve
Sika in the Sun
4 Spotted Chaser
Downy Emerald
Green Tiger Beetles
2 Barred Long Horned Beetle
So here we are in May, my favourite month, it is the time when the woodlands come to life and all the Birds have arrived.
I have been up to Thorncombe Woods with Elaine to see the fantastic Bluebell display, it was a wet day but it didn't dull the view, we have been visiting here at this time of year for about 30 years, it has some very happy memories, there is a hole that a Nuthatch has been using, in an Old Oak for most of that time, it is always a joy to see one there again, I doubt it is the same bird mind :-)
The Butterflies have started to show as well as the first of the Dragonflies, I had a good day out on Saturday, I started up at Cerne Abbas, with my mate Ben, we found a few Skippers, Whites, Peacocks, Brimstones, Spiders and Bugs up there, before heading down to Higher Hyde Heath, where we saw a Green Hairstreak the first I have seen for a couple of years and a Downy Emerald, we headed out onto the heath looking for Dung Beetles I still haven't seen one, did see a few Green Tigers though, I lifted a tin where the Adder lives, sure enough a lovely female was lying underneath along with a Smooth Snake, nice one, not bad seeing Snakes are a big Phobia for me.
We ended our day on Portland looking for a Eastern Subalpine Warbler, saw it another first tick for me, the pics were not up to much but I did get a record shot, along with a nice Goldfinch a Whitethroat and the first Wall Butterfly of the year.
Happy days lets hope for a bumper month, I am off to Cyprus for a week soon, hoping to see some more Wildlife that I have never seen before.
It started to rain as I got out of my car, but just put the camera under my coat and walked on, not a lot showing here though, a few Wheatears again, I did bump into local birder and expert Brett Spencer, he was going down the road a bit further to look at Suckthumb Quarry, so I tagged along, he was amazing picking out stuff, I can tell quite a bit from calls, but Brett has radar ears, before long we had seen tons of Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Whitethroats, and a brief Garden Warbler, never got a shot of it to much in the way, it started to rain again, but we carried on, we walked around the corner saw some more Redstarts total of 7 there, then all of a sudden he said there was a Grasshopper Warbler calling, I couldn't hear it at first, soon latched on but couldn't see it grrr, we headed off down through a cut to a little Copse then surprise surprise not one but a pair of Pied Flycatchers, 3 in a week :-) we turned back up towards the Hump and this time I did hear it, another Grasshopper calling, we must have been only a few feet from it and could not see it, how frustrating, we checked out the Hump then Brett left for the Bill, I decided to go back up and try and find Gropper, no luck there, I did get some pics of the Redstarts a pair and did get another view of the Pied Flys before leaving.
I arrived home and downloaded my pics, they are not perfect, but being the light was terrible I had to be pleased, next task was to sort out my booking for our holiday, bloody hell what a wind up this is, I thought Robbing Air were bad, but Easy Jet is the wrong name, I spent 3 hrs trying to check in, kept getting sent back to the first page or another place I had already been, boy I was getting seriously P.....d Off, I eventually phoned "Bombay " it is difficult talking to someone when you are already grumpy,but then have someone who cannot understand you either makes it highly entertaining, thankfully they sorted it out, I got checked in, I tried again for another 1/2 hr to download my boarding card, only to eventually find out the site was down and I will have to pick up my tickets at the airport Grrrr again, I still have to book my return flight with Thompson lets see how they do.
After dinner I popped out, had a quick walk at Lodmoor, not a lot on show,got a Heron in close so had to take a shot, then saw a Common Sandpiper opposite the shelter, went back to the car via the tip, the light was going fast, so I went down to Radipole Park Drive, I wanted to get a Marsh Harrier in the Low Sunset, I got some shots that are certainly different, one Silhouette and one above the Sedge, happy days, more rain forecast tomorrow so I guess that is it for another week.
Happy Days
We headed up to the farm and top fields, saw a few Redstarts and Wheatear, did get a Kestrel performing above us which was good, in the end we must have walked for about 5 miles up there for very little, we headed back to Weymouth, to Lodmoor, after risking life and car in the wonderful Weymouth traffic system, we ventured off on another trek, saw young Cootlets and Ducklings, went up onto the Old tip and saw Lesser Whitethroat and Sedge Warblers, a few Willow/Chiffs and Blackcaps, I also had an interesting view of a Long Tailed Tit, never seen it with a fan tail before,up on the dead tree, still another days walking done, aches and Arthritis reminding me I'm getting old, Happy Days :-)
My mate Frank turned up but it didn't show again, so we headed off to the top field farm, saw some distant Redstart, but got close to the first Whitethroat of the year, heard but still haven't seen 2 Grasshopper Warblers saw another couple of Redstarts, then Dennis arrived, saw an amazing sight of a Kestrel making a kill and eating it on a hay bail right in front of us, we ended up on the cliffs above above Portland Bill where we got Fulmar and Skylark, what a good day again.
We left there and popped over to Kingcombe meadows, we had walk along the river were we saw some Chiffs Early Purple Orchids and a new family of Mallard ducks struggling up the river.
we headed home and then I finished the day off at Ferrybridge for the Sunset.
