A Short Video of Gulls at Shawell, Leicestershire
Often in difficult conditions, poor light and wind, it is better to take video footage rather than still images. Also video can improve the quality of the imagery of distant birds. Last weekend I used...
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Update on the Med Gulls at Radipole Lake, Weymouth
After watching the Brunnich's Guillemot in Portland Harbour during December, Dave Gray, Colin Green, John Waters and I spent some time in the Radipole Lake car park photographing Med Gulls and also...
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A Quiet Time
Things have been a little quiet for me over the last couple of weeks. I tried a local site that looked like it might attract a Siberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita tristis.So far I've not located...
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Ring-billed Gull, Walpole Park - Take Two
Last February I volunteered to drive down to Fareham to pick up some important bits for work and I also took time out to see the nearby wintering Ring-billed Gull. The job needed doing again today, so...
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A Visitor From Finland
At Shawell the light was just beginning to fade when I noticed a Herring Gull with a yellow colour ring. The day had been a good one, as I'd already read 16 colour rings. I couldn't make out the code,...
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Kumlien's Gulls etc
I normally spend my February trip to Aviemore playing in the snow, but gale force winds and white outs limited my outings into the Cairngorms to just two.On the non-mountain days I spent my time...
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Moray & Nairn
Blue Skies, calm seas and spectacular birds - what more do you need?At Burghead, last week, a Great Northern Diver was fishing inside the harbour, Long-tailed Ducks dazzled and Eiders...
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Playing in the Snow
Looking up from the comfort of my armchair I could just make out the lower slopes of the Cairngorm Mountains, but the summits were still hidden from view. The rattle of the tiles above told me that I...
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Mussel-Pecker
Whilst I was birding the coast around Nairn last week I spoke to a wonderful Scottish lady who told me about the Mussel-Peckers. Initially I struggled to understand as she had a really broad Scottish...
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Germany to Senegal Via Shawell
On July 24th 2013 I spotted a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Shawell with an orange ring and the code PB4.T. It had been ringed at Rainham Tip, Greater London on August 29th 2009. Late spring records from...
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Back to Shawell
It's back to Shawell now, but the memory of Scottish harbours full of 'white-wingers' is still fresh in my mind (not quite full, but it sounds good). I expected to find at least one 'white-winger' at...
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A Close Look at Purple Sandpiper
During my recent holiday, I was lucky enough to spend time photographing a small flock of Purple Sandpipers. The light was fantastic, but at times a bit too bright (never happy). Anyway reviewing the...
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The Peregrinations of M.CAV
I recently spotted a Lesser black-backed Gull at Shawell A5 Lagoons in Leicestershire. It sported a green colour ring with the code M.ACV. This gull has been fitted with a data recorder, which uses GPS...
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Pure Ice
March is a good time for 'white-winged' Gulls at Shawell A5 lagoons, but so far this March I had come away empty handed after each visit. That all changed today when this little beauty arrived.Adult...
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A Good Weekend
Plenty of sunshine and some good birds - can't be bad!Some of my time on Saturday was spent gulling at Shawell and Sunday morning I shared my time between looking for Corn Buntings in the west of...
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Reward for Putting in the Time
As you know, I've put in my time at Shawell A5 Lagoons and today I got some reward for my efforts.I had been a good boy this morning so it was off to Shawell again for the afternoon. I was hoping to...
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More Fun at Shawell
Over the weekend I visited Shawell twice. You may already have read my previous posting, so I won't go on about Sunday's adventures. A greater number of gulls were present at Shawell A5 lagoons on...
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Adult Mediterranean Gull
I had a quick walk around Croft Hill and Quarry this morning. The exercise was good but the much hoped for migrants were in short supply. A singing Blackcap showed well as did a Willow Warbler, but...
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Glossy Ibis at Hicks Lodge
Having previously missed the Glossy Ibis at Rutland Water , I was excited to learn of another one and this time in Leicestershire rather than Rutland.I left work just before 5 o'clock, casually eat my...
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Pied-billed Grebe
After dashing off to see the Glossy Ibis the other night, it felt rude not to go for the Pied-billed Grebe at Rutland Water. Having seen a few Pied-billed Grebes in the past it took me a while to get...
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