Once again my week has been rather full of work, work and more work. Haven't even got round to doing the ironing, hoovering or the garden yet, although I did manage to sort my pictures from last weekends visit to Big Waters were we had a great walk round on Sunday adding Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat and Swift to the Patch List. So here are a few pictures from the day
As you can probably see the Common Tern on the right has a ring on it and after a lot of photographing I have managed to get the ring number and passed it on to Alan J who hopefully can get it from the BTO so we can find its origin. Note the other Terns left leg (poor thing). There is another Tern there with a ring also, so will attempt to get that if it decides to stay.
Plenty of singing Sedge Warblers
A very short video of a Sedge Warbler singing and Birders talking
One of five Pochard that have been seen a couple of times last week
A welcome addition to any birders morning as it pops up beside you and belts out its amazing song louder than most singers and doesn't need amplification
The family of Swans from Little Waters are now doing daily trips to Big Waters. Still 8 Cygnets and their father clears a patch at Big Waters before they are brought onto the pond ensuring some modicum of safety
Then faster than a speeding bullet (not quite) but can be just as deadly
Finally one of my favourite places at Big Waters and as Spring turns to Summer the foliage will completely encompass the path making it a stunning view. Unfortunately then the path will be filled by cyclists, dogs walking their humans, family packs of walkers with children off the leash, horses with people on their backs wearing their pretend police shirts to make them feel important, etc etc. Of course they all have their rights just like I do but I don't ride along the paths eating choc bars and just throwing wrappers away, leave my old shoes lying on the road like some leave their bits of bikes that have broke, leave huge or small dollops of excreta where other people are treading, run across fields that have signs that say DO NOT, I could go on (as I normally do) but just look at the beauty of this little spot
Haven't blogged for a while because of a full calendar but here are a few photos from places I have visited in the past 3 weeks starting with my own garden with a couple of pics taken through the window in the rain with birds looking really p***ed off.
and a first for the garden
We had a week away in Arrochar and surrounding area in the West of Scotland, where we did a bit of birdwatching and fair bit of drinking sometimes both of them at the same time.
These photos are from the back of the hotel on the first day
The weather then brightened up for the rest of the time although it did rain occasionally. The next pictures were taken from the road in front of the hotel which ran alongside Loch Long
From the lawn of the hotel
This little beaut spent a lot of time on the overflow pipe just outside our bedroom wind which overlooked a square which was quite unkempt and several swallows were in the eaves of 3 of the sides of the square.
We managed to spot 59 species but alas no Eagles although the Bus Driver and a few others did see one whilst Carole and I were in the woods at the rear of the hotel exploring. We also saw 2 Otters having a splash around in the Loch and when we asked a lady who lived next door to the hotel she said that her husband had spotted one for the first time in years at the weekend.
Great place for watching the Black Guillemots at Oban was the Witherspoons on the harbour front, the only items needed were binoculars and pitchers of Cocktails, not necessarily in that order
Got up to Big Waters on the Bank Holiday and it turned out to be quite a decent day. Dropped into Little Waters first where I saw my first cygnets of the year. Eight little beauties who looked as though it was their first or second trip off the nest and they kept huddled into a little bundle all the time.
and of course a video
Walked around with Ian at a leisurely pace (bliss) so here are a few more pics from that day
Couple of Herring Gull with what looked like a young Duck
Cmon Guys start on those nests
and a video of a couple of Warblers singing
This photo reminded me of the Edward Lear Nonsense Verse
Back to Back they faced each other
They drew their swords and shot each other
Finally to finish off a few shots of a Deer that shot past us and I didn't even get my camera up until it was at least 50m away
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