Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos

Tag: photography

20th December 2024 – Paphos, Cyprus

Yesterday we explored the headland near to the Archeological site at Paphos and today we more or less covered the same region; but this time inside the confines of the site. It was a wonderful visit and I shall include a few photos of the site and, in particular, the mosaics but there were lots of opportunities to see birds and some interesting plants.

The first sighting was of a laughing dove (another first for me, except I now realise that I saw one yesterday) and then a Sardinian warbler.

Laughing dove

Normally I wouldn’t publish such a poor photo but I was very pleased to see this bird- a male Sardinian warbler

There were lots of of these Anemone coronarias – some were a much darker purple

Anemone coronaria

The other interesting plant which was prevalent was a Leontodon tuberosus.

Leontodon tuberosus

The only butterfly photo of the day – a large white

Red-throated pipit close up

Not so close up – a common chiffchaff

Stonechats everywhere

Crested lark on the ruins

Just a few of the ruins and mosaics for a flavour of what we saw (I will come back to this when I have more time and band width).

And a few more birds to conclude:

Laughing dove

Linnet

The locals certainly have stamina here (or perhaps it was a Russian gymnast).

Whilst I was admiring his skills I missed a flock of golden plovers nearby.

December 20, 2024
3rd December 2024 – Catcott Lows. Avalon Marshes

In autumn, Britain & Ireland receive vast numbers of wigeon from the breeding grounds located further north and this wintering population has increased significantly since 1983/84. The Wetland Bird Survey reveals a few widespread locations holding over 30,000 birds in winter.

The vast majority of them must have been at Catcott today; or that’s how it seemed. Most of them seemed to be asleep when I arrived and not much disturbed them. There was the occasional distinctive whistle from them but not even a marsh harrier sent them up in a flock. Perhaps their tactic for survival was to remain still

Eurasian wigeon

Eurasian wigeon

Eurasian wigeon

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier

Had the marsh harrier spotted its prey or was this its resting place?

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier

Great egret and marsh harrier

The great white egret found plenty to eat

The only other spot from the hide was a common snipe which was visible for only a few moments before disappearing.

Common snipe

Common snipe

However, the robin was not too secretive

A deer watched on as the great white egret arrived

Great white egret landing

Teal in flight

Another robin – posing again

Another great white egret fishing in a ditch as I left

Meadow pipit avoiding the danger of the barbed wire

December 3, 2024
19th November 2024 – RSVP Greylake, Somerset

Although there was snow forecast for north of Bristol and reasonable weather forecast for mid Somerset, I was disappointed to set off in rain and sleet. It didn’t rain all day but it was pretty miserable throughout; it was quite testing seeing birds and even more challenging photographing them.

I headed for Catcott Lows as there is a hide where you can park close by; but when I arrived I found it was closed as they were “managing” the trees on the lane leading to the hide. I continued further south to RSPB Greylake, a small reserve where, again, I wasn’t going to get drenched reaching the hides.

There were big numbers of lapwing, wigeon and teal. Best of all there were quite a few snipe close to the hide, a water rail and an occasional marsh harrier.

Wigeon

Teal

Lapwing

Common snipe

Snipe

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier

Marsh harrier

Lapwing

Common snipe

Water rail

Teal and snipe

Wigeon

On the way home I saw large numbers of little egrets and cattle egrets in the fields. Also, large numbers of starling were congregating and I thought it was a shame I couldn’t stay later to see the magnificent sight of the murmurations before they roost. But there again, I don’t think the views would have been too wonderful as the bad weather set in again and the light would have been very poor.

Cattle egret

I stopped very briefly at Cheddar Reservoir where I saw large numbers of pochard. I certainly didn’t stay long as it was only 2 degrees centigrade and definitely felt much colder with the wind blowing off the water.

Pochard

Meadow pipit

Grey wagtail looking as cold as I felt

November 19, 2024
10th November 2024 – Eastville Park, Bristol

There were the first glimpses of the sun for over a week as we started our walk around the park this morning. However, it was only a teaser and it didn’t last long. We are promised better tomorrow.

No sun maybe, but there were flashes of brightness throughout our walk as we had several sightings of the magnificent kingfisher. Firstly, we saw one flying along the River Frome west to east, and then two together flying from east to west. Then closer to the park there was one perching and posing.

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

Kingfisher

… and away.

There was a newcomer to the lake as a northern shoveler seems to have taken up residence.

Northern shoveler

Northern shoveler

However there are always plenty of gulls resident and today we saw lesser black-backed and black-headed.

Lesser black-backed gull

Black-headed gull

There always seem to be plenty of cormorants at the lake. The fish stocks must be pretty low by now.

Cormorant

Cormorant drying its wings ready for take off

The tawny owl was visible ut not so easy to see today

Other birds were available …

Carrion crow

No sunshine but the colours of the magpie were still apparent

November 10, 2024
3rd April 2024 – RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon

We have spent the last few days in North Devon. It wasn’t a birding trip but on our visit to RHS Garden Rosemoor I did get to see siskins which are not very common where I live in Bristol.

I share a few of the other “garden” birds we saw as well as a few photographs from this wonderful garden in Devon.

RHS Garden Rosemoor

Siskin

Dunnock

Male chaffinch

Siskins

Siskins and female chaffinch

The azaleas were a picture

It has been very wet and windy but the tulips were surviving

Fritillaries

Robin

A lot of colour in the bamboos

You don’t have to go to Japan for cherry blossom

A very vocal peacock

Quite a scruffy blackbird

Formal and informal gardens at Rosemoor

Formal sculptures

… and informal sculptures

Colours starting to appear in most of the trees

Apples are “big” in Devon

Camellias would look better with some sunshine

Rhododendrons

Water features too

Magnolias

Magnolias losing their bloom

En route we stopped off at Tawstock to visit St Peter’s Church. You are most welcome to have a look if you like that sort of thing:

St Peter’s Tawstock, Devon

… and my other non-birding blogs

April 6, 2024
16th February 2024 – WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire
Another break in the rain and so we make a dash for Slimbridge. There’s not much doubt that these are currently wetlands.

Northern lapwings and golden plover clearly enjoying the wet conditions

There were a few rarities there today (spoonbill, dark-bellied Brent goose) but the only rarity (for Slimbridge) which we managed to see amongst the thousands of birds on view were two Whooper swans who have joined the visiting Bewick swans and the native mute swans.

Bewick swan

Whooper swan

Mute swan

Northern pintail

A ruff and a shelduck either side of a pair of wigeon

Black-tailed godwits were easier to pick out when they took to the air

Lapwings

Even the chaffinch had to negotiate the wet conditions

We heard the curlews way before we saw them

I only saw two oystercatchers

There were rather a lot more golden plover

The golden plovers regularly made splendid displays over the wetlands

Northern shovelers

Wigeon

Whooper swan up close

The Bewick swans are much smaller than the Whoopers (and the mute swans) and have proportionally more black and less yellow on their bills

Male and female tufted duck

A few of my favourites from the pens:

Smew

Goldeneye

Common pochard

Goldeneye displaying

Slideshow of my photos from this morning’s visit:
February 17, 2024
10th February 2024 – Painswick Rococo Garden
(If you are receiving this blog by email subscription please click on the title above to view as a web page for a better experience).

Painswick Rococo Garden near Stroud on the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire is currently resplendent with its display of snowdrops and hellebores.

The Rococo Garden website:

“Painswick Rococo Garden is quirky and pretty unique. Designed in the 1740s as a fanciful pleasure garden for the owner of Painswick House and his guests, today it’s a place to roam free, to get up close and personal with nature, or to feel the warmth of the sun on your face as you take in the spectacular views of the Cotswold countryside and magical follies”

I must admit it was great to see the light of the sun even though we couldn’t quite feel its warmth.

This wasn’t really a birding trip but we did enjoy hearing the drumming of a great spotted woodpecker. The great tits and robins were particularly vociferous too but the only visuals (apart from the carved tawny owl) were 8 moorhens on the pond.

Snowdrops and hellebores

Snowdrops and crocuses

Swathes of snowdrops in the woodland

,,, and following the stream

The formal gardens come to their own later in the year

“Magical follies”

Up close with nature

A badger’s set

Rococo – of or relating to an artistic style especially of the 18th century characterized by fanciful curved asymmetrical forms and elaborate ornamentation

Slideshow of my photos from this morning’s visit:
February 11, 2024