Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

Blog

  • 17th March 2016

    17th March 2016

    Portesham, Dorset

    On our way to Portland with friends we stopped off at Portesham in Dorset to see if we could see a Pallas’s Warbler that we had been told about. We weren’t disappointed as, with the help of some obliging twitchers, we soon spotted the Pallas’s Warbler and got a reasonable shot.

    Not much else of note – I was too embarrassed to be photographing the Chaffinches, Long-tailed Tits and Great Tits on view in the company of experienced twitchers with huge lenses!.

     

    The last shot was of a very distant shot of a Kingfisher on a fence as we walked behind Chesil Beach towards the Abbotsbury Swannery.

  • 16th March 2016

    16th March 2016

    Snuff Mills

    Several sightings of male and female Kingfisher but only one poor photo. Wonderful display of pair of Dippers preparing a nest and feeding.

  • 15th March 2016

    Eastville Park

    Morning walk; spent ages looking for Firecrest but to no avail. Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wrens, even Sparrow Hawk, but only photos of Robins, Mallard, Black-headed Gull, Heron and Grey Wagtail. Having difficulty getting used to new lens on Fuji camera – but good fun anyway.

  • 14th March 2016

    Eastville Park

    Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Wrens, Robins, Heron, Moorhen on its nest, male and female Muscovy Ducks and a female Kingfisher.

     

  • 13th March 2016

    Tyntesfield
    A beautiful Robin

  • 10th March 2016

    10th March 2016

    Eastville Park

    A brief walk through Eastville Park (where the lake had clearly flooded the day before and was very muddy)  with Grey Wagtail at Broom Hill, a Jay by the River Frome and a Goldcrest appearing where everyone was looking for a Firecrest. Also saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker and an overflying Swan. The Black-headed Gulls now have very black heads. Loads of Robins, Blue Tits and Great Tits. Didn’t see one Long-tailed Tit nor a Kingfisher.

  • 8th March 2016 – Slimbridge

    Slimbridge

    A fleeting visit to Slimbridge on a grimy day. Nothing terribly exciting except the behaviour of the Flamingos who went on a tour of their pond. Goldfinch – the best from the hides.

  • 7th March 2016

    Eastville Park

    Very quick walk around Eastville Park. Everyone still looking for Firecrest and seeing Goldcrests. All I could see (to photograph) were Long-tailed tits.

     

  • 26th February – 4th March 2015 (Portugal)

    26th February – 4th March 2015 (Portugal)

    Some of the birds we saw on a walking holiday in the Algarve.

    The highlights were the White Storks, the Spoonbills, the Black-winged Stilts and the Flamingos. Common Sandpiper, Redshanks, Gulls, Skylarks, Little Egrets and a Kestrel also feature. Also saw a Kingfisher (of course).

    Fun seeing the bird-ringing but only one specimen (female Blackcap) presented itself.

  • 15th February 2016

    Snuff Mills and Eastville Park

    A few shots from a walk to Fishponds this morning and a walk around Eastville Park this afternoon.

    Lots of Great Tits around. Saw the Kingfisher too. Black-headed Gulls interesting to see with the different stages of black heads.

    Feels like spring is coming too.

  • 14th February 2016

    14th February 2016

    Whilst everyone was looking for Firecrests we saw a Buzzard being mobbed by Crows above their heads. There were Wrens and Robins too.

    The Kingfisher was resplendent on the Island and the Grey Heron went fishing. I thought the Blackbird and the Crow looked good in the sunshine.

    FP5A4908

  • Griffon Vultures in Andalucía

    Griffon Vultures in Andalucía

    Our trip to Andalucía in September 2015 was not a bird watching trip but I could not resist photographing these huge birds: Griffon Vultures have a wing span of 2.8 meters and weigh 8 kilos and are essentially specialist carrion eaters. The best views we had were in the Parque Natural Sierras de Cazorla.