Bird project 12 - Goldcrest

Sometimes prevarication pays off. Intending to go out somewhere today, to look for new species, I decided to have one last coffee, and took my camera into the kitchen to photograph a male sparrow that has been advertising his nest site loudly on next door's roof. But I saw a movement in the brambles that grow between our gardens. I first thought it was a butterfly, then a bluetit, but it was far more exciting.

12/101.
Regulus regulus Goldcrest
Location: My back garden, Blackpool.
Conditions: Mild, light cloud, some sunshine. Light wind.
Photograph quality: 3.

Comments: Only the third goldcrest I've ever seen, and the second in my garden (the first was half a lifetime ago, however). These birds are common, but hard to photograph, as they stay in thick shrubbery and undergrowth, and rarely stay still. They are the smallest British bird, dwarfed even by bluetits, so the camera wasn't totally happy trying to autofocus. However, the shots are good enough to identify the species, and I think the sex - no orange on the head stripe suggests an adult female. I spent a couple of minutes enraptured, watching it work through the garden, then it flew away.
A really special experience.

Photographs taken with a 200mm lens + 2x extender (400mm), through the kitchen window.

Bird project 11 - Razorbill

A lot of summer migrants have just started returning. It's been an odd spring, as everyone here will know, but the strange weather has meant (in addition to delaying blossom, and causing high mortality in some species) that winter visitors have been grounded here (like waxwings), and their replacements have been delayed. Still, the first chiffchaffs, sand martins, and terns have made it back to my area in the last week, so I wanted to see them.

I went down to the sea front to search for sandwich terns a week or so ago, but saw nothing but a very distant flock of scoters. Today I searched from a different point (Starr Gate, rather than Central Pier), but it was terrible seeing - very hazy, almost misty, so the sea surface was a sheet of grey. I was disheartened, but in fact the calm waters and maybe the cover meant quite a few birds were visible (or perhaps it's always like that down there). Despite the very poor visibility, I could identify most birds I saw, including a lone great crested grebe.

11/101.
Alca torda Razorbill
Location: Sea surface, <200 metres off Starr Gate, southern Blackpool.
Conditions: Mild, bright but mostly cloudy, very calm, very hazy; 1-2 hours after high tide.
Photograph quality: 3.

Comments: I have seen many local reports of true seabirds over the past few months, but never seen much of them myself. Birdwatchers' spotting scopes are much more powerful than even my super telephoto combination, and it's easier to ID by eye than get a usable photograph. However, sometimes they come close to shore, and despite the terrible air quality today, these shots are clearly of razorbills. It's strange to think such an exotic species - that makes me think of remote islands and steep cliffs - swim so close to populated areas.

Bird project 10 - Tree sparrow

10/101.
Passer montanus Tree sparrow

Location: Hedgerows and trees immediately northeast of Todderstaff Hall, east of Staining, near Blackpool, Lancashire.
Conditions: Bright sunshine, cloudless skies, persistent icy northeasterly wind.
Photograph quality: 1 (but small).

Comments: This group of tree sparrows is resident at the location I visited today, from what I can judge by the local bird reports. I had no trouble locating them, though they spent most of their time fussing in the hedgerows, so clear shots weren't totally straightforward. However, I got a few shots - I should probably have gone to 1400mm (rather than sticking to 700mm) to get closer, but the light was good and (auto)focus accurate.



Note the all-brown heads and dark cheek spots that distinguish these from the much commoner house sparrow - and in this species, the sexes are alike.

Bird project 9 - Knot

9/101.
Calidris canutus Knot

Location: Mudflats just north of Knott End, on the southern edge of Morecambe Bay, Lancashire.
Conditions: Pure blue skies, sunshine, mild - mid afternoon, just after high tide. Some haze and heat shimmer.
Photograph quality: 3.

Comments: I went up to Knott End to do the Wyre Way walk south along the river estuary to Poulton. However, when I arrived, I walked up to the north shore, just to see what was there. The tide had just turned, and most of the waders were still close to the shore, so I set up my tripod and shot at 1400mm. There were plenty of shelduck and redshanks (the larger birds in the picture above, with bright orange legs) close in, and large flocks of sanderlings further out. But as I looked, I found there were larger grey birds with yellow-grey legs, which I knew were a new species, though I didn't know whether they were knot or dunlin at the time.

Morecambe Bay is a major wintering ground for this species, and the UK as a whole hosts several hundred thousand at this time of year.

Bird project 8 - Pintail

 8/101.
Anas acuta Pintail

Location: Marton Mere, Blackpool.
Conditions: Strong, low sunshine towards sunset; mild, light breeze.
Photograph quality: 2.

Comments: On my fourth trip to try and see the pintails recently reported on the mere, I finally succeeded. I had nearly given up, but at last, as the sun shone strongly not long before sinking below the trees, I saw this male. It was considerably larger than the teal around it, around 200m away, near the north shore hide. Fortunately, though it remained distant, it didn't move very much, just turning and drifting, so I was able to use Live View to focus (using stacked extenders means only manual focus was available), and take many shots. I suspect the bird to the right, below, is a female of the same species, but since this is the only shot I got of it, and its face is hidden, I can't be certain.

Bird project 7 - Stock dove

7/101.
Columba oenas Stock dove

Location: Wires and barn roof 200-300 metres northeast of Marton Mere, Blackpool.
Conditions: Hazy sunshine, late afternoon; cold easterly wind.
Photograph quality: 3.

Comments: There are still a few species commonly found within walking distance or a short ride on public transport that I haven't yet photographed. Stock doves are seen regularly on farm buildings and power lines just east of Marton Mere, but perhaps because they look so similar to feral pigeons, I have overlooked them. I got a proper camera bag this month, so I can carry my tripod with much less difficulty. This allows me to spend much longer scanning for birds at a distance, using my camera, long lens, and two or three teleconverters as a spotting scope, and photographing anything notable.

I was also hoping to see a little owl, which is found in the same location, but it was not to be seen on this occasion. It took me some time to be absolutely sure the pigeons I photographed were stock doves, as the most obvious distinguishing feature (the green metallic neck) was not visible on any of the individuals. However, the general colouration, and especially the black eyes, are I believe conclusive.

The bird perched on the wire in the first photograph above is certain. The others, which seem similar, but were further away, are less definite, but still probably the same species. I've included a photograph of one yawning - something I've never seen before! Note, these photographs were taken at the limit of my equipment - at 2800mm focal length.

Bird project 6 - Waxwing

6/101.
Bombycilla garrulus Waxwing

Location: Highfield Road, Blackpool.
Conditions: First sighting (07/02/2013) overcast, very thick cloud; second sighting (08/02/2013) bright sunshine, blue sky (both mid afternoon).
Photograph quality: 1.

Comments: One species I hadn't really expected to see this winter. There has been a much greater number of these birds in the UK over the 2012-13 winter, reportedly due to failing food sources in Scandinavia - an irruption. Flocks of dozens of birds each have been seen in most parts of the country, but no significant numbers had made it to the Blackpool area until this month (Preston - the next large town inland - has seen a lot of waxwings though). A flock was sighted on the first of February, and I tried to find it the next day - but it was gone. I assume this was the same flock, which reappeared less than a mile away, and was seen in the same location for several days (as of writing, it is still there).

The first sighting was in a low tree by the main road. I was able to set up my tripod and take a large number of images, and some video, but the light was very poor. However, the following day offered perfect conditions, and the number of birds had increased from 17 to around 35. I only got a couple of minutes with the flock this second time, but it was enough to get the shots I wanted. Check out my Flickr feed for some of the best shots of these birds.