It was a pretty poor decision last night to give ringing a miss after being led astray by the BBC’s poor forecasting again. But at 0730 with a light southerly blowing it was already too late to go and start putting nets up, but at least they had promised some sunshine for birding and I had unfinished business at Rossall.
It was pretty murky near the point where I found Seumus and Ian “vis migging” and sea watching, eyes and ears concentrating on the above and beyond but fighting a light mist with a poor excuse for a sun making no inroads into improving the visibility.
I found the Stonechats behind the tower and spent some minutes trying to get decent photographs as they insisted on staying on the wrong side of what light there was. I could have tried taking a shot from the golf course but it’s a fairly dangerous spot anyway, without standing on a direct line from a tee shot, especially early on a Saturday morning following the Friday night nineteenth hole.
It didn’t take me long to give up this particular effort, but I promised myself another go when the sun came out.
There weren’t many waders on the beach today, perhaps just as a result of the slightly higher tide, so I struggled to find enough to photograph but at least today there were twenty or so Ringed Plovers amongst the Turnstone.
As usual the Oystercatcher come and go from the tide line according to their strict unwavering rule that dictates how near anyone can get; they seem to vary this rule for people with dogs, and fly off even earlier. So after a few attempts I got a few shots but a red eye on a black bird is difficult to catch without direct sun.
Not long after I turned near home just as the sun emerged.
I spent the afternoon experimenting with the slide copier as several hundred slides collected over the years emerged from a long forgotten black plastic case. It’s funny but I remember those slides being far better than they looked today, poor focus, badly composed, shocking exposure, tiny peas on a far off drum many of them. Time hadn’t helped either with a hint of yellowing on some with buckled cardboard surrounds on others. Only one thing to do for many of them, sorry chaps.
But I found a few that transferred to the digital age with a score of 2/10, and at least it’s a bit of back up for blog non-photo days. So to kick off here’s a competition along the lines of “mystery bird” but only for anyone that doesn’t know me. I pulled this bird from a mist net several years ago in Britain. What is it? Answers next time.
It was pretty murky near the point where I found Seumus and Ian “vis migging” and sea watching, eyes and ears concentrating on the above and beyond but fighting a light mist with a poor excuse for a sun making no inroads into improving the visibility.
I found the Stonechats behind the tower and spent some minutes trying to get decent photographs as they insisted on staying on the wrong side of what light there was. I could have tried taking a shot from the golf course but it’s a fairly dangerous spot anyway, without standing on a direct line from a tee shot, especially early on a Saturday morning following the Friday night nineteenth hole.
It didn’t take me long to give up this particular effort, but I promised myself another go when the sun came out.
There weren’t many waders on the beach today, perhaps just as a result of the slightly higher tide, so I struggled to find enough to photograph but at least today there were twenty or so Ringed Plovers amongst the Turnstone.
As usual the Oystercatcher come and go from the tide line according to their strict unwavering rule that dictates how near anyone can get; they seem to vary this rule for people with dogs, and fly off even earlier. So after a few attempts I got a few shots but a red eye on a black bird is difficult to catch without direct sun.
Not long after I turned near home just as the sun emerged.
I spent the afternoon experimenting with the slide copier as several hundred slides collected over the years emerged from a long forgotten black plastic case. It’s funny but I remember those slides being far better than they looked today, poor focus, badly composed, shocking exposure, tiny peas on a far off drum many of them. Time hadn’t helped either with a hint of yellowing on some with buckled cardboard surrounds on others. Only one thing to do for many of them, sorry chaps.
But I found a few that transferred to the digital age with a score of 2/10, and at least it’s a bit of back up for blog non-photo days. So to kick off here’s a competition along the lines of “mystery bird” but only for anyone that doesn’t know me. I pulled this bird from a mist net several years ago in Britain. What is it? Answers next time.
Nice shots of the waders Phil. Better than my miserable attempts at digiscoping! I assume the mystery bird is one that you caught when you had a nervous passenger alongside you on the flight?!
ReplyDeleteHi. It was a pretty scary flight I admit. But no more clues. Phil
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