22/02/2015

Botherations

(CLICK ON A PIC AND IT WILL GO BIG)


So yesterday was supposed to be a cycle day but for some reason my lock decided to change its code of its own accord. Not something I'm particularly happy about and a hacksaw might be in order since life is a bit too short to go through all the possible permutations!
I headed towards Catcott but due to a slight miss turning I ended up at Tealham Moor. The same place James was at the other day and yep I saw the same Kestrel over the road and the same carcass in the field. Small world ah!


James's Kestrel

On the 'STRESS' post I got those, excuse my pride, rather good Kite pics up in Cambridgeshire. I tweeted them and got a decent response however when I tweeted the mildly interesting pic of the ten Herons in a ditch it all went crazy. In fact its still going a bit silly now four days later. Funny how people like that sort of thing.

With that in mind I happen to pass another ditch on Tealham. Now I promise you I wasn't looking for another one but hey I cant help it if a farmer has just dredged another ditch and I happen to drive past it just as the feeding frenzy starts!

For all you who loved the previous Ten Herons in a ditch..............

Nine Herons in a ditch

Nine Herons and two Little Egrets in a ditch

Slight improvement on the other day I think you'll agree.

I've recently purchased another M42 thread lens. Its another Takumar. This time the 28mm f3.5 wide angle. Thought I'd try out something a bit wider for landscape. Unfortunately on a crop camera (Canon 70D) it works out as a 45mm. I'm not entirely happy with it. It doesn't seem to have the same sharpness, colour and depth as the 50mm. All the landscape pics are the 28mm lens.

Tealham Moor

The Starlings were giving a good display with them flowing over the fields and at one point going up in a beautiful ball. Unfortunately I couldn't zoom out enough to get it. Grrr

I cruised around for a bit going back to 'that' ditch to see if their numbers count had gone up. There was another guy taking the same pic! He was only getting six Herons and the two Little Egrets. We had a good chat about Herons and blogging.

There was another Little Egret that had obviously not taken heed of Tufty (Google it if your under forty!!) and was standing in the middle of the road. Didn't get a pic of that infringement but did get it flying by

Little Egret



I'd had enough of the windswept Moors so headed over to Catcott for a bit of duck action and hopefully a Peregrine or two.

A few ducks as usual but no Peregrines. In fact there was no one else there. Totally alone. Just me a few hundred ducks and a couple of Roe Deer.

Roe Deer

Another Roe Deer

Catcott before the rains came

Catcott about a minute later

Wigeon waiting to get wet

At this point I was getting thoroughly cold. The sun was going in and out and rain threatened. Well it didn't threaten it did. The rain rained. I ran for it and packed up just as it all came down. Earlier I had text Mike (The Birdman). He had just finished doing a Crane walk and was heading to Greylake. I did the same

These bad boys couldn't care less about the rain

I arrived a few minutes before Mike and Carolyn and their dog...... erm...... Damn I knew I wouldn't manage all three names.

I amused myself from the car window with some choice little flitters.

Female Chaffinch

Female Chaffinch

Male Chaffinch

Female Chaffinch again

Starling. If this was rare we would be raving about it!

Reed Bunting

We wandered down to the main hide but on the way I discovered that the Birdman has his own Nemesis. There are a pair of Swans that often frequent the path and can be quit aggressive. (As James found out last year). Mike and the male Swan have a bit of history. The air was electric with the animosity between these two silver-backs of Greylake.

The hide had a steady change of visitors through the next couple of hours including one of Mikes friends who goes by the name of Mike. I'll remember that one I think. Very nice guy and like me doesn't believe that Bearded Tits exist. They are an invention to tease those not in 'The Club'. A great time was had between the three of us and lightened the dark of the day.

Just getting back to the great outside. I occasionally opened the window to receive an icy blast and take a couple of shots. There wasn't much going on bar a couple of Marsh Harriers way off in the distance bothering the ducks and a pair of Peregrines, again way off, except for one swift fly-by, also bothering them. We spied the Peregrines on fences and ground at a distance.

View from the hide



Assorted Duck

Duck being bothered one way

Duck being bothered the other way

While this was happening the Coots were getting all testosteroney 

A Botheration

Another Botheration

A 'can't be bothered' Peregrine at about 1km using my x2 converter

In the end it was a great day thanks to Mike and Mike the Birdman Silver-backed Swan Botherer. A bit of deja vu, a bit of tension, a bit of rain, a bit of sun and a jolly good laugh.


2 comments:

  1. Hi Andrew - I said I'd look in, here I am! Great photographs and I enjoyed reading the story of your day. I think the little egret I've just posted on Flickr could be the same one you mention as it seemed to be fond of standing in the road, something I've never seen before. I also ended up at Catcott but a bit later than you. I'll put a couple of Catcott pics on Flickr but I'm not as quick as you at sorting through them (a point we discussed of course!).

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  2. Hey Steve
    Nice to meet you to even though we caused a bit of a road block!! Impressed with your Heron catching the frog pic. Very nice. You should tweet it, you'll get hundreds of likes!
    You'r pics are impressive all round. Especially interesting fungi shots. You got one of my favorites, Plums and Custard. Hope to meet you again on your rounds.

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