Somerset Levels

25th October..A great day out on the Somerset Levels , hoping to see Bearded Tits, a species I'd had brief views of a few times but never seen well and never photographed. Our luck was in, as soon after arrival we were treated to brilliant close up views of both male and females coming down to the path to feed on seed and grit which had been put down for them, ( they take grit as an aid to digestion in the autumn when their diet changes from insectivorous to seeds).We also had my best ever view of Bitterns , with at least two right in front of the hide, but photography was still not great as they either stayed partly obscured by the reeds or when one did come right out into the open was directly in front of the bright low sun, but still brilliant to watch .With Great White Egrets and Kingfisher as well a good day all round.

Female Bearded Tit

Male Bearded Tit -an exotic looking bird.

Bittern Take off

Typical view of a Bittern

Bittern silhouette

Kingfisher

Lapwing and Common Snipe

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

Larking about

Short Toed Lark-18th October.
The second attempt to see this bird after Joyce and I went down on the Sunday before only to be told it had been flushed by a dog 45 minutes before we arrived and it didn't reappear. So on Tuesday with no work, I tried again and it was in its favoured spot feeding in the car park, I did'nt even need to walk anywhere and had it to myself for  a while before a few other birders turned up. I have to admit though, a fairly non descript little bird ,and only so many photos I could take of it as it fed unconcerned within feet of me. Only the second I've seen after one on the Scillies a few years ago.

Short Toed Lark

Short Toed Lark

Short Toed Lark

Short Toed Lark

Short Toed Lark

Turnstone, a real Davidstow rareity

I've seen quite a lot of rare waders on Davidstow airfield, but this is only the second Turnstone I,ve ever come across there, strange when you could just pop over to Padstow and feed loads of them your chips right at your feet., and this is also quite normal weather as well-fog.

Turnstone in the fog.

Baird's Sandpiper

3rd October
After work, as I was half way to Davidstow and I knew the light would be really good, decided to go and see if the Baird's Sandpiper was still on the airfield, on arrival only one other person there (JC) who had filmed the bird and kindly showed me where it was feeding alongside a few Dunlin .I then had it all to myself and spent a good hour watching and photographing it at close quarters. This is my fourth Baird's and all at this site over the last few years .I do like waders.

Baird's Sandpiper clearly showing the long primary projection.

Baird's Sandpiper

Baird's Sandpiper with Dunlin

Baird's Sandpiper feeding

Baird's Sandpiper

Baird's Sandpiper

Hedgehog

Nice to see Hedgehogs regularly visiting the garden, my two grandsons next door found this chap in their shed and brought him over to me to see if he was o.k, seemed to be fine so took a couple of quick photos before releasing him. I have a Hedgehog box in the garden so hopefully they will have somewhere to spend the winter.

Hedgehog

Hedgehog

Lesser Grey Shrike

A nice sunny morning at Mount Batten in Plymouth watching and photographing the Lesser Grey Shrike that is  here for now its 5th day, this is a 'lifer ' for me in this country and apparently only the fifth record for Devon, it showed well most of the time and once came very close seeming unconcerned by the small group of people looking.

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Waders at Davidstow

Wed 14th September.
After last years complete lack of waders on Davidstow airfield, this week has made up for it already, with a fine selection of goodies including two American rareties, a splendid American Golden Plover and one of my faves, a Buff Breasted Sandpiper. All photos were taken from the car, really no need to get out as the birds come right up to the edge of the runway, ( I did have a word with a couple of old chaps who got out and set up a tripod ,risking the birds getting nervous, and apparently the next day the AGP was flushed by a photographer getting out of his vehicle), anyway moan over ,here's some photos.

A nice selection of Waders including the American Golden Plover, two Eurasian Golden Plover, three Curlew Sandpipers and a Ruff

American Golden Plover with two Europeans

Amarican Golden Plover in the foreground

American Golden Plover face on

American Golden Plover

American Golden Plover looking alert as someone went past on a motorbike

Ruff after bathing

Ruff bathing with two Curlew Sandpipers in the background

Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpipers

Buff Breasted Sandpiper, a Davidstow speciality

Buff Breasted Sandpiper

Ruff taken two days earlier.

Ruff pair again taken two days earlier

Ruff preening, two days earlier again which is typical of my visits to this site , someone always seems to find the rare stuff the days after my getting there!