Sunday 29 May 2011

Gulls just want to have fun - 29th May

Due to the current windy conditions and the recent run Shearwater recorded from the Hampshire coast I though I would try my luck seawatching from Hayling Island. Along with an Arctic Skua a few Fulmar, Scoter and Gannets I have had up to five Manx Shearwaters today which in Hampshire terms is pretty good. If it were not for an excellent birdrace and a peppering of scarcities at the beginning of the month, these might have been the highlight of what has otherwise seemed a very poor May for Hampshire birding.

Hampshire Gannets rarely seem to make it within range of my telephoto lens but this one was relatively close.

Despite the fact that they are a relatively common bird in south east Hampshire there is still something about Mediterranean Gulls I really like.

Elsewhere between seawatches there was little else on offer around Hayling though a combination of the wind and the high tide did produce a nice gathering of Gulls feeding along the shoreline near the Langstone harbour entrance. The conditions meant the birds could often be caught hanging in the wind, they seem to enjoy it and it makes taking flight shots pretty easy.

Herring Gull

Monday 23 May 2011

Fishlake Meadows – 21st May


A few hours in the early part of the day produced many warbler species at this site as well as Nightingale though none of them really offered themselves up for photography during the period I was there. There is still a Grasshopper Warbler holding territory though I was unable to see it.




Sedge Warblers were the only thing really showing and unfortunately  this is rather a tatty individual.

Farlington - 19th May

I spent a few hours at Farlington marshes on 19th May hoping to get some reasonable pictures of Sedge Warblers. They often sit out in the open when they’re singing so this is the best time to try and photograph them. They are having an excellent year at Farlington with many singing males in the point field and many more throughout the rest of the HWT reserve.


Singing Sedge Warbler


I didn’t do quite as well as I was hoping to sometimes they are not that easy to get close to, the obscured tail is a bit annoying but over all i'm quite pleased with this.



Common Whitethroat with food (Cranefly)

There were also a few other opportunities to photograph some of the other breeding bird on the reserve.

 
Meadow Pipit

Also at Pennington - 18th May

Three more picture from Pennington Marshes

Dunlin
Reed Warbler

Sand Martin

Terrible

Video quality looks awfull full screen!

Daylight Badger


Whilst birding near Middle Wallop a few days ago (18th May) I was surprised to come across a Badger foraging in a meadow in daylight. This was around 6pm in the evening unfortunately it never came all that close but it was unaware of my presence and I got some film of it.


On the same evening this Hare was quite accommodating

And another Common Swift

There where dozens of Swift new in at Pennington last week hunting insects over the pools at Pennington. I was able to photograph them at almost eye level at times by standing on the sea wall in the Butts Lagoon area.



This Common Tern was photographed in the same way

A few pictures to get things going

Hi all this is my first adventure into the world of blogging so bear with me in the early stages. I hope to update as regularly as I can and I will be posting about my wildlife photography and birding exploits in and around Hampshire.

And just to get thinks going, here is a recent photo taken at Pennington Marshes on the 18th May.

My website

This blog complements my website
 http://www.digitalwildlife.co.uk/