Sunday 3 February 2013

Updates

Right, year list-wise I'm still a bit behind where I'd like to be; 96 species, topped up in the last few days by hen harrier and purple sandpiper amongst others. Hopefully I'll get the chance to to that up a little over the next month.

At the reserve a week or so ago I got the opportunity to follow up on a promise to get some hawk shots for a friend. Our "sneaky" (okay blatant), young sparrowhawk spent a few hours sat in the bus below the feeders, before leaping up to catch an unfortunate chaffinch right when I didn't have my camera... Balls. At least I managed to get a couple of nice shots of him for James before he scarpered.

"Perfectly Camouflaged"

Yesterday I was being shown all the bits of the Clyde coast I'd missed by Rik; over the course of 6 hours racked up 70 species, including:

  • Whooper swans
  • Scaup
  • Purple sandpiper
  • Little grebe
  • Sanderling
  • Common Scoter
  • and at the last gasp a Merlin, which shot across the road infront of us. 

Whooper 1
Whooper 2
A golf course of Scaup
The island hasn't been too bad either, black guillemots, hen harrier, loads of mergs and another flock of scoter about. Still a bit chilly though, roll on the better weather!