Sacre Bleu!

As I have mentioned previously, if possible, I try to record any ringed birds that I see. With the camera it is easy  - photograph the rings and when post processing crop as heavy as necessary to read the information - simple! However, in the past I have been known to grumble about how long it takes to receive a reply - never again.  Late Tuesday evening I searched the Euring Website for the particular project that rings Med Gulls with white rings prefixed 3 and found the e-mail address for Camille Duponcheel. I constructed a report:

Mediterranean Gull: White Leg Ring 3K50

Sighted: Lepe, Hampshire, United Kingdom

Date: 19/11/2013 10:34 UTC Position: 50.79N   1.34W  Nat Grid Ref SZ462 987

Picture attached,

 

This was sent at 2157, imagine my surprise as I downloaded my email the next morning to find a reply timed at 0511 - astounding service. Most of the ringing groups request that you keep the database output confidential but it is OK to give an extract.

 

Mediterranean Gull/ Mouette Melanocephale 3K50 was ringed at Antwerp, aged >3CY, on 22/04/2006  and there have been 11 subsequent sightings. This bird obviously likes the Hampshire coast as 9 these have been in the county.

 

 

Whilst waiting for the Lesser Yellowlegs to show, I did some experimenting with the camera, for birders the following shot of a Dunnock is quite unremarkable, it is a bit washed out, the depth of field is ridiculously small and there is a fuzziness to it. But I took it with the Canon 1D MkIV coupled to stacked x2 and x1.4 extenders and the 500mm f4 lens. The camera is tricked into believing that only a x2 is connected so it behaves as a 1820 mm F8 lens that autofocuses - albeit a tad slowly. I am hoping that this will prove useful to record birds when sea watching. Shot at f8 1/320s ISO 800. Post processing - cropped, noise reduction and sharpening. 

 

  

Today's outing was a visit to the WWT at Arundel, with the weather set wet, windy and cold, our reasoning was that the hides would afford some protection as well as the chance of a bird or two. Especially as there have been recent sightings of Spotted Crake, Bittern and Bearded Tit.

Before parking at WWT we had a quick visit to Swanbourne Lake, just in case there was something out of the ordinary. Not this time - plenty of Black-headed and Common Gulls, a disappearing Grey Wagtail, Tufted Ducks and a multitude of Coots.

On to WWT where we visited each hide in turn but despite loitering around we found very little, the birds were doing exactly the same as us - sheltering from a bitter north-easter. Back to the Visitor Centre via the boardwalk and the Wildfowl collection. I couldn't resist a photograph or two of a couple of colourful residents - very smart individuals indeed. The best part of the day was the steaming mug of tea in the restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ring-billed Gull

I started the New Year with a pre-dawn departure for Walpole Park in Gosport. There was virtually no traffic, even on the M27 cars were few and far between. I parked up expecting only a short stay as "Waldo" is the most  dependable and obliging bird. Well, two hours later, having searched the park and the whole of Haslar Creek, I gave up and left for some sea watching at Stoke's Bay. Not a lot to be seen save for some Rooks doing aerobatics in a strong onshore breeze.

A local birder didn't believe that I had dipped on Waldo and insisted that I return for another go. So in pleasant sunshine I returned to the park and - yes you've guessed it - there was "Waldo" only 20 feet from the car, posing perfectly.

 Waldo, a Ring-billed Gull has overwintered at this location for at least the last 7 years and in tick reliability terms, ranks on a par with the Little Owl at Stapleash Farm

Common Gull for comparison

Having expended sufficient gigabytes of memory I departed, not really knowing where I was actually going next. I managed to find my way over Portsdown Hill to Boarhunt and took a leisurely drive down through Southwick (Suthick) to Cosham where I made my mind up and went to Farlington Marshes. Car parking space was at a premium but I managed to squeeze in. As soon as I got out the car a kind birder informed me that the Red-breasted Goose had relocated to Tangier Road but there were six Black-necked Grebes in the channel. I slung my camera on my back and set out for the Point. Success! I located one of the grebes, a long way off, but not much else. So, having completed a circumnavigation of the marshes, I returned home - knackered.


Happy New Year everyone