Milestones

Last Sunday,,, sorry the Sunday before last was a milestone day in the life of FG. (Apologise to regular readers, its been over my usual week, and not a post). For years i've been looking at Wrynecks in bird books, and thinking 'great bird, but i'll never see one'... This is why the Sunday before last is a 'milestone' day in my life,,,, because not only did i see one,,, i photographed it as well. A feat that i probably will not repeat in my lifetime. I don't know a lot about Wrynecks, but i reckon that Dorset is on the northerly side of its natural range, which is largely on the European continent. This makes my experience even sweeter.

This last week has been a bit hectic... Radar and myself returned to the Middlebere hide, where the Green Sandpiper performed better than ever, and flew to the top of the post in front of the hide.

On Saturday it was really dull, Chris, Radar, and myself went on a fungus foray. Not much about, because of the regional lack of rainfall. We did however find a few specimens, and this made a long day worthwhile, with the highlight being (Phallus impudicus) although all of the gleba had been eaten by flies, they still make an,,, um,, interesting picture.

Macrolepiota procera

Leccinum scabrum

All in all a great week of photography. When the weather is dull in the autumn, i love to search for those wild fungi with the flashgun,,, long exposures will do it too.

A Piper in the Pool, and back to the MUD.

On Sunday we should have popped off down the coast to Seaton Marshes. However, due to the dull day i made a split second decision to accompany Mark to Middlebere again (his idea). So i find myself sat in the hide on the channel with just a 300 f4 and a 1.4 conv, with a very large expanse of marsh and reedbed fading into the distance. Needless to say i wasn't expecting to get much from the day. This all changed, when a Green Sandpiper flew in to the pool close by, and i embarked on a quest to get some decent shots. I was having a 'lifer' orgasm,,,, well almost. Took loads of shots, some of which are below.

After this we trotted off back 'home' to Loddy, the mud, and the Godwits.

And Spoons

Some of these shots were taken previously, and later in the week. Still no Horse Spray shots!!!

Spoons, Dunlin, and a Thrush Rush

I suppose i have to put this week down as a good week, togging-wise., but i don't feel that i've been out enough. However,,, i always think that.
    I had feared that i might have missed a close shot of the Spoonies at Lodmoor this time, as all of my contacts were able to get there and score. I need not have worried, because they waited for me to arrive,,, late as usual, and on Sunday. They were unbelievably close, and i think all the local toggers had good shots.

After getting some decent spoon shots, Dennis and myself trotted out to Ferrybridge for some wader action. Apparently a Little Stint, and a Curlew Sandpiper had been sighted,,,,,, but not by us. Did get some half decent Dunlin shots tho'.

I didn't get out again until Tuesday,,,, a beautiful late summer's day... After having my 'Mistle Thrush' appetite wetted by Radar, i was gagging to get back to Middlebere farm. These large thrushes are coming through in some numbers now, and are stopping to fatten up on the Rowan berries.

Car was in the dock getting a wheel bearing Weds/Thurs. A decent Osprey shot was not forthcoming this week.... Maybe at the weekend, or next week. What i really need is a shot of a Wryneck,,,,,, LOL.... Dream on!

A Walk with Radar

I'd had a walk around Loddy on Tuesday, and had not seen much at all. There were two Spoonbills on the marsh, but they were too far out for anything but a 'RECORD' shot..
On Wednesday i was invited by Mark (Radar) Eggleton to have a look at Middlebere from the farm side. I'm always a bit apprehensive with invites by Mark, as he does tend to shomp for miles. However on this occasion he was kind to me and kept it to a minimum. I arrived after him, and began the walk to the hide at Middlebere. His car was there,,,, i was all behind as usual,,,, but put me head down and started the (must be a mile) walk... I arrived at the hide,,,,, puffed out,,, sweating,,, knacked. He's sat there relaxing with another cameraman,,, and says,,,, "did you see the Mistle thrushes, whitethroats, swallows and the Spotted Flycatchers on the way out?... Well,,,, all i'd seen was my feet...
On the way back we saw all of them tho'. You never go home with an empty card on a 'Radar' walk. Knackered, but satisfied usually.

I saw a distant glimpse of an Osprey too. My first ever.

There's Always a Chance at Loddy

I've been giving Loddy a lot of my time lately, and its been largely quiet, hence the abysmal lack of interesting blog entries. Saying this,,, with Loddy, there is always that half chance that something interesting will fly in. I know that for your birding purists the arrival of a Bar-headed Goose at Loddy will cause a sneering distain among some of the tickers, but i am always interested in arrivals of this sort. One,,, because it breaks the Canada Goose monotony, and two,, because no-one can be really sure of where an un-ringed bird originated from. These geese are native to India, and are known to be spreading west, so i reckon dismissing it as an escapee is a bit 'closed minded'.

So that's my 'high horse' bit done, and on to the other fly-ins last week. Two Redshanks flew in for a brief visit, sadly i only managed record shots. I was puzzled as to the species, and consulted with a birder at the time. I do have a job telling 'Spotted' from winter and juvenile, and blah blah blah. In the end we settled on 'Spotted' which i would go along with. I'd like some input on this because i value informed opinion. From a togging perspective, i just wish they could have been closer.

Most of the other shots i got this week were of dancing Herons, juveniles of one sort or another, and geese. Hundreds of Canadas at Loddy now. This is 'Fuffykins' the juvy Little Egret.

Breaking News,,, my Loddy correspondent informs me that a number of Spoonbills have arrived.