Birds
No Twite; No GG Shrike but an Adult Med Gull in the roost instead, photographed here at ISO 3200 setting near dusk i.e. more noise than sharpness but interestingly arty nevertheless. Roost also had plenty of G B-backs, Lesser Black-backs - varied intermedius types in the main; Common Gulls including some large pale ones as well as the usual sized dark ones - showing far more variability than someone from South Wales is used to seeing. Herring Gulls - all but one appearing northern (argentatus) in origin but one paler (argenteus) race type. Western Yellow-legged Gulls a plenty. As usual Black-headed dominated the numbers game followed by L B-b's. Who knows what could be discovered with the time and the light and a much smaller water body. Anyone know where the plug is situated ?
- Farmoor - Sunday Roost
4.50-6.30pm. Light not good for distinguishing gulls (sharp light plus some initial air shimmer over water). Very noticeable increase in large gull numbers, since last few visits and large gulls still arriving at 6.25. Med Gull 1 adult seen when it flew...
- Farmoor Res. F2 Basin 3.45 - 6.35pm
ENE wind and rain showers, mainly good light Black Redstart not looked for; Goldeneye 14 with just 1 in breeding male plumage; B-h Gull c200 insect catching near surface (only c2500-3000 in roost); Little Gull 1 adult non-breeding plumage, insect catching...
- Farmoor Afternoon
c300 Fieldfare and c50 Redwing, 1 Buzard, Treecreeper, Bullfinch through Buckthorn Meadow to Pinkhill (including the berry burdened cotonesters by the F1 fishermans car park). c300 Wood Pigeon at Pinkhill lock area, possibly flushed by one of the 4 sightings...
- Great Views Around Appleford Pit Gulls
402 Canada Geese with 2 Greylags arriving together certainly made the gulls shift to the goose free side, but this chap and his large dog circling the lake in full view had not the slightest effect on anything ! So great views of Iceland flying around...
- Thrupp Lake, Radley 1st Jan 2011 3.00-4.40pm
Wrong side of Abingdon for Bittern (again!), but female SCAUP present throughout visit along with much reduced waterfowl numbers from recent times: c260 Coot, c30 Teal, c10 Gadwall, small numbers of Tufted, Pochard and Wigeon. NO GC Grebes, Little...
Birds
Adult Med Gull in Farmoor Roost
No Twite; No GG Shrike but an Adult Med Gull in the roost instead, photographed here at ISO 3200 setting near dusk i.e. more noise than sharpness but interestingly arty nevertheless. Roost also had plenty of G B-backs, Lesser Black-backs - varied intermedius types in the main; Common Gulls including some large pale ones as well as the usual sized dark ones - showing far more variability than someone from South Wales is used to seeing. Herring Gulls - all but one appearing northern (argentatus) in origin but one paler (argenteus) race type. Western Yellow-legged Gulls a plenty. As usual Black-headed dominated the numbers game followed by L B-b's. Who knows what could be discovered with the time and the light and a much smaller water body. Anyone know where the plug is situated ?
- Farmoor - Sunday Roost
4.50-6.30pm. Light not good for distinguishing gulls (sharp light plus some initial air shimmer over water). Very noticeable increase in large gull numbers, since last few visits and large gulls still arriving at 6.25. Med Gull 1 adult seen when it flew...
- Farmoor Res. F2 Basin 3.45 - 6.35pm
ENE wind and rain showers, mainly good light Black Redstart not looked for; Goldeneye 14 with just 1 in breeding male plumage; B-h Gull c200 insect catching near surface (only c2500-3000 in roost); Little Gull 1 adult non-breeding plumage, insect catching...
- Farmoor Afternoon
c300 Fieldfare and c50 Redwing, 1 Buzard, Treecreeper, Bullfinch through Buckthorn Meadow to Pinkhill (including the berry burdened cotonesters by the F1 fishermans car park). c300 Wood Pigeon at Pinkhill lock area, possibly flushed by one of the 4 sightings...
- Great Views Around Appleford Pit Gulls
402 Canada Geese with 2 Greylags arriving together certainly made the gulls shift to the goose free side, but this chap and his large dog circling the lake in full view had not the slightest effect on anything ! So great views of Iceland flying around...
- Thrupp Lake, Radley 1st Jan 2011 3.00-4.40pm
Wrong side of Abingdon for Bittern (again!), but female SCAUP present throughout visit along with much reduced waterfowl numbers from recent times: c260 Coot, c30 Teal, c10 Gadwall, small numbers of Tufted, Pochard and Wigeon. NO GC Grebes, Little...