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Stephen Burch's Birding & Dragonfly Website |
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Home | Trip Reports| Gallery | UK index | Oxon pics | UK pics | Dragonflies | Other Nature | Contact | Links |
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Stephen Burch's Birding & Dragonfly Website |
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Home | Trip Reports| Gallery | UK index | Oxon pics | UK pics | Dragonflies | Other Nature | Contact | Links |
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Black-tailed Godwit, Titchwell Beach, Norfolk 9 December 2021 Some photos from a week long visit to Norfolk in early December. Generally, the weather was pretty rubbish with heavily overcast gloomy conditions - not good for bird photography. Just once, on our last day, the sun came out for about an hour, while I was on the tideline at Titchwell beach, hoping for the odd passing wader to come within range. This wasn't as easy session as any waders were moving very fast and were generally more distant than I'd have liked. This Blackwit did however come reasonably close in nice light. For a gallery of all the photos from this trip, click here Click to enlarge |
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Bar-tailed Godwit, Titchwell Beach, Norfolk 9 December 2021 Another photo from Titchwell beach, but somewhat more distant than the Blackwit above. For a gallery of all the photos from this trip, click here Click to enlarge |
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Turnstone, Titchwell Beach, Norfolk 9 December 2021 Another photo from Titchwell beach. Turnstones were even more tricky subjects than the godwits being much smaller and faster fliers against the sea. But at least they were closer! For a gallery of all the photos from this trip, click here Click to enlarge |
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Turnstone, Titchwell Beach, Norfolk 9 December 2021 Another photo from Titchwell beach. Close up of the same Turnstone. For a gallery of all the photos from this trip, click here Click to enlarge |
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Oystercatcher, Titchwell Beach, Norfolk 9 December 2021 Another photo from Titchwell beach, but before the sun made its fleeting appearance. For a gallery of all the photos from this trip, click here Click to enlarge |
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Turnstone, Holkham, Norfolk 6 December 2021 The Holkham Estate has good numbers of Grey Partridge and this bird was one of a covey, taken from Lady Anne's drive, using the car as a hide. Horrible light for this shot in the rain, resulting in ISO 20,000 for this photo! For a gallery of all the photos from this trip, click here Click to enlarge |
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Redshank, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk 9 December 2021 The harbour here can provide some photo opportunities using the car as a hide, depending on the state of the tide. This photo was taken on a very grey day! For a gallery of all the photos from this trip, click here Click to enlarge |
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Whooper Swan, Welney WWT, Norfolk 3 December 2021 Arriving at Welney WWT en-route to Norfolk, we were told on arrival by a helpful member of staff that the special photo hide, beneath the main hide, was now open for casual visitors. This affords a much lower angle on the swans than the main hide above, so we paid it a visit. As for much of the week to come, the light was very dull for these photos! For a gallery of all the photos from this trip, click here Click to enlarge |
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Whooper Swans, Welney WWT, Norfolk 3 December 2021 See above. Clearly a pair together. For a gallery of all the photos from this trip, click here Click to enlarge |
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Buzzard, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 Time for another visit to David White's excellent raptor hide high on the Marlborough Downs near Swindon, booked through Wildlife Photography Hides. As for my visit last year, it was cloudy nearly all the time but at least today it was a little less dull with one very brief almost sunny spell! This very white Buzzard was an interesting and spectacular bird, but didn't stay too long. For a gallery of all my Buzzard photos, click here Click to enlarge |
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Buzzard, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 Crop of the photo above. What a bird! For a gallery of all my Buzzard photos, click here Click to enlarge |
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Buzzard, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 Any action was very brief and sporadic today. At least I managed to capture this calling bird with one frame. Click to enlarge |
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Buzzard, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 A close bird! Click to enlarge |
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Buzzard, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 Seems to be looking right at me, or more likely my lens! Click to enlarge |
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Buzzard, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 Flight shot in poor light. Click to enlarge |
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Red Kite, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 Unlike last year, Red Kites were frequent visitors, allowing some rare shots of them on the ground. For a gallery of all my Red Kite photos, click here Click to enlarge |
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Red Kite, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 Crop of a bird perched close by. For a gallery of all my Red Kite photos, click here Click to enlarge |
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Red Kite, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 Head on view allowing more of a crop. For a gallery of all my Red Kite photos, click here Click to enlarge |
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Red Kite, Marlborough Downs, Wiltshire 26 October 2021 A flight shot - with the dismal light it was important for any flight shots to be of a bird against the distant ground below, rather than the comparatively very bright but leaden sky. For a gallery of all my Red Kite photos, click here Click to enlarge |
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Bar-tailed Godwit, Ferry Bridge, ne Weymouth, Dorset 14 November 2021 During a brief stay in Weymouth, I popped into the Ferry Bridge car park in the late afternoon. To my surprise there were three of these quite obliging birds behind the visitor centre. This photo was taken in the deepening gloom, and needed considerable cropping. It is amazing what the R5 and Photoshop can produce! Click to enlarge |
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Sparrowhawk, South Wales 21 October 2021 Time for another trip to Ian Howells' hide in South Wales. I was hoping for more photos of the juvenile Goshawk, but unfortunately it had moved on about a week earlier. Still, this very smart male Sparrowhawk was considerable compensation in the superb light. It was sunny pretty well all day. Unprecedented at this site, in my experience! I spent a long time hoping to get an "action" shot and this was the only one I obtained. This bird moves incredibly fast - impossible to stay with it given my limited reaction times! Click to enlarge For a Gallery of all my recent Sparrowhawk photos, click here. |
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Sparrowhawk, South Wales 21 October 2021 No action but a sideways on portrait. Something that is possible with this post, unlike the branch that is also provided. Click to enlarge For a Gallery of all my recent Sparrowhawk photos, click here. |
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Sparrowhawk, South Wales 21 October 2021 Feeding on the post. Click to enlarge For a Gallery of all my recent Sparrowhawk photos, click here. |
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Sparrowhawk, South Wales 21 October 2021 Super close up when the bird came onto the feeders perches which are only a few metres from the hide! Click to enlarge For a Gallery of all my recent Sparrowhawk photos, click here. |
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Sparrowhawk, South Wales 21 October 2021 No apologies for another shot Click to enlarge For a Gallery of all my recent Sparrowhawk photos, click here. |
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Sparrowhawk, South Wales 21 October 2021 One way of getting a sideways shot of the bird on the branch. Click to enlarge For a Gallery of all my recent Sparrowhawk photos, click here. |
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Jay, South Wales 21 October 2021 One of the supporting cast. The Jays were very active early on, before the sun has reached the perches. Click to enlarge |
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Great-spotted Woodpecker, South Wales 21 October 2021 The other supporting cast species. This was very close in lovely light! Click to enlarge |
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White-tailed Lapwing, Blacktoft Sands RSPB, East Yorkshire 16 October 2021 After spending two weeks in Yorkshire, I finally got the opportunity to twitch this mega UK rarity which is a world tick for me, and possibly the rarest bird I have ever seen in this country! Today it was showing somewhat distantly from the Xerox Hide immediately on arrival. However the light was poor and the bird was inactive for long periods. This is the only action shot I managed to get! Unfortunately the even rarer Long-toed Stint at the relatively nearby St Aidens RSPB reserve had moved on today. |
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White-tailed Lapwing, Blacktoft Sands RSPB, East Yorkshire 16 October 2021 See above. On this photo the illumination is more even, but the cut reeds behind are an unwanted distraction. |
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Goshawk, South Wales 9 September 2021 Another trip to Ian Howells' hide in South Wales but this time the target was a tantalising and rare juvenile Goshawk that had started showing just the week before. I was very fortunate to get a cancellation for this session for which an early start was needed to arrive by 07:00. By around 07:20 I was all setup and ready. Remarkably soon, at 07:45, in flew the star bird which stayed for about 25mins, tearing into the Woodpigeon! This is one of the first photos I got, before the feathers started to fly and the rain set in (see below)! Click to enlarge For a gallery of all my photos from this session, click here. |
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Goshawk, South Wales 9 September 2021 Shortly after its arrival, the rain started which I think made some of these photos more atmospheric, despite the rotten light. I feel this photo captures well the power of this awesome raptor. Click to enlarge For a gallery of all my photos from this session, click here. |
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Goshawk, South Wales 9 September 2021 Crop of the shot above, making the bird look even more imperious. Click to enlarge For a gallery of all my photos from this session, click here. |
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Goshawk, South Wales 9 September 2021 Headed turned sideways Click to enlarge For a gallery of all my photos from this session, click here. |
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Goshawk, South Wales 9 September 2021 Heavy rain. Click to enlarge For a gallery of all my photos from this session, click here. |
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Goshawk, South Wales 9 September 2021 Looking increasingly bedraggled! Click to enlarge For a gallery of all my photos from this session, click here. |
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Sparrowhawk, South Wales 9 September 2021 After the Goshawk departed early morning, I had a considerable wait until the male Sparrowhawk decided to put in an appearance. Click to enlarge |
© All pictures copyright Stephen Burch |
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