Slimbridge

November 2024. My annual trip to Slimbridge WWT while Joyce goes out shopping with her sister. It was a sunny but cold day and the recent snow had all but gone. The usual birds were on show, nothing too unusual except for a lone Spoonbill, the Bittern failed to show as usual and I could'nt find the Green Winged Teal, however the light was fantastic and walking through some of the collections of wildfowl I watched as a few wild Mallard and Shelducks flew in and land beside some lovely orange reflections of the nearby Larch trees.So I waited here to try and get some shots as they swam close by.

Pallid Harrier

7th November 2024. Dont get to see many lifers these days, so when a Pallid Harrier turned up near Cadoveer bridge on Dartmoor, thought I'd better make the effort, and after two attempts, and a long wait I caught up with it flying low over the bracken, a young bird, it showed well for just a minute or two. The photos were just quick record shots but nice to see.

Shopping can be good.

November 2024. On the way home from Plymouth we popped into Morrisons superstore in Tavistock,I had noticed the berries in the car park on a previous visit and hoped some birds may be feeding on them. Straight away I saw Blackbirds and Woodpigeons having a good old feast, so Joyce went to do the shopping while I photograped them at fairly close range ( always have my camera with me, just in case). So yes, sometimes even shopping can be good.

West Cornwall.

A nice sunny day at the end of October and a drive down for a little tour of West Cornwall. First stop was Marazion marsh and a search for the Red Backed Shrike which had been around for a few days, one or two birders were looking in its usual spot with no luck but after a wander around the marsh I found it sitting in the top of some bushes, showing quite well, a good year tick.

I then carried on to Drift resevoir but very quiet here so down to Sennen where I enjoyed watching the local Choughs, some visiting a garden bird table , never thought I would see this a few years ago!.

A short drive gown to Kenidjack valley to look for Yellow Browed Warbler and Firecrest but no joy, but happy to spend a bit of time standing in a stream watchig a Grey Heron approach me.

Finally on the way home, as the light was fading I stopped in at Ryans Field in Hayle, where a Spoonbill slept and a Kingfisher made a couple of flybys as well as some close ish Oystercatcher and Greenshank.