Author: Andy Burns

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On By Andy BurnsIn Sightings2 Comments

Id’ing 1st Summer gulls (12 months old) is always difficult this time of year when their feathers are bleached and moulting. Have a look at this one

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/p12189958/h21a5d145#h21a5d145

and again on the following two shots. Looks like it could be a YLG but no help from the feathers. The head was big and square, although not shown too well in the shots and the bill was big. The bird itself was big hence not a LBB. The Jizz was very different from the LBBs and HGs. Perhaps a hint of darker mantle feathers coming through suggesting not an HG.

Any support for a YLG?

Andy

First new LBB gulls at Cosmeston

On By Andy BurnsIn SightingsLeave a comment

The first LBB gull of this years brood turned up a Cosmeston yesterday (Lol Middleton) and we took this shot this morning
http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/lbb/he142bee#he142bee

Perhaps it is one of the Flatholm ‘chicks’ that we saw last week. I guess it’s not much more than 7-8 weeks old. Still, it was holding it’s own (almost) in the scramble for bread. There was also another baby LBB on the lake.

There seemed to be a few more birds around than what we have been seeing with a couple of common sandpipers, goldcrest, long tail tits and reed warblers etc. There were still 3 chicks with the moorhen pair that Lol spotted for the first time yesterday at the north end of the west lake- the Herons must be keeping well fed on fish!

Andy

Flat Holm

On By Andy BurnsIn Sightings3 Comments

…..I think it is still in Glamorgan!

Lol Middleton and myself went over to Flat Holm for a day earlier in the week to photograph some young gulls and try and get some first hand experience at Id’ing very young LBB’s and HG’s. I have posted a series of shots at

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/younggulls/h2fd9dec8#h2fd9dec8

which look from eggs, to fullfy balls, to scraggy chicks, to our well loved juvenilles (or not). There are 13 shots in all which show quite a variation in colours and patterns – even the LBB’s eggs vary in colour.

The records seem to show nearly 10:1 LBBs to HG, but it seemed like there were more HGs than that. The HGs were all around the shore/cliffs(?) whereas the LBBs also were nesting in the fields and bushes.

In addition to the LBBs and HGs, there way one GBB (yes, just one!), double figures of oyster catchers, maybe a handful of pairs of shelducks, the odd wood pigeon and a single rock pipit. Not the place to go with all the gulls.

Well worth the effort to get the baby gull shots.

OOC …..but the last one

On By Andy BurnsIn Sightings2 Comments

Just got back to the mainland after 10 days in Shetland and Fair Isle. Managed a total of 89 species including the few posted already and the following highlights

Icterine warbler, sub alpine warbler, red necked phalarope, snow bunting, tree sparrows, golden plover, rosefinch, red-backed shrike, Kumlien’s gull and lots more.

The best of the photos are at

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/shetlandport/h19f11753#h19f11753

and more at

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/shetlandbirds/h323fcfef#h323fcfef

There are also some record shots in the adjacent directory. If anyone is thinking of going up there, this seems a good record of what to expect (bearing in mind that we missed the main migration period by 2-3 weeks – although the bonus was great weather). The Fair Isle Bird Observatory is a really special place and one not to miss.

Back to Cossie by the end of the week!!!

Andy

Cosmeston

On By Andy BurnsIn Sightings3 Comments

Not a lot about today.  I did manage a reasonable shot of a Reed Warbler

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/passerines/h27389d89#h27389d89

…but is it me are these birds getting more secretive? Lots of reed warblers about but all hiding at the bottom of the reeds. I thought by this time they would be singing from the tops of the reeds.

 

…….and an update on the cranes earllier in the week I have contacted Damon who heads up the Great Crane Project. He confimed two of the birds as Tamsin and Chocolo. The third, he could not identify but thinks it is definitely one of theirs (the rings are hidden under the feathers). He gave me some info on movements and confirmed that they are quite mobile. More info with the pics of the birds.

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/waders/h3be4e3b9#h3be4e3b9

Well worth a look at the Great Crane project site if you havent already been there.

http://www.thegreatcraneproject.org.uk/

No sign of any cygnets, goslings or Gargeney.

Cosmeston

On By Andy BurnsIn Sightings10 Comments

Not a lot about this morning …….until these 3 Cranes flew over!

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/waders/h368b440d#h3be4e3b9

The were quite low heading west and then started to circle near the car park for about 5 mins as they gained some height (presumably in a thermal) until they headed off west again. The first shot shows the 3 birds, the second is a close up of the lower right bird. Notice it has tags (or GPS senders?) on the top of both legs. The bird on the lower left has no tags. The top bird may have a blue tag on its left leg but difficult to see.

After a few phone calls, all the birders at Cossie had a good view.

Andy

Cosmeston

On By Andy BurnsIn Sightings4 Comments

Good shot of male Bullfinch this morning

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/passerines/h151b6979#h151b6979

and also a Blackcap in full song

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/passerines/h151b6979#hba4a8d

…..also the usual warblers heard but not seen and ………

….an Otter??? Lol spotted it as it swam from near the bridge across the west lake to the reed bed on the other side of the lake. It was big and very dark, perhaps a body two foot long and a tail half that size. It was swimming on the surface as we saw it but submerged quickly and then broke the surface with it’s nose every 30 foot or so. It vanished once it got into the reed bed. I have seen many otters in the wild and this looked like one. It was too big (both long and wide) for a mink. It was too quick to get a shot of it. Other than a escaped Croc, I can’t think what else it could be. Any ideas? We haven’t got Otters at Cozzy have we?

Cosmeston

On By Andy BurnsIn SightingsLeave a comment

No Garden Warblers today (!!) but plenty of activity.

A good shot of a whitethroat

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/passerines/h28d9e979#h26f84842

Lots of reed and sedge warblers heard but few seen. Cetti’s in at least 3 locations.

Also the first cygnets of the year at Cozzy – on the west lake, with the Male of the adult pair chasing off all the dogs that turned up

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/waterfowl/h32ccc051#h32ccc051

Cardiff Bay

On By Andy BurnsIn SightingsLeave a comment

No sign of the Boneparts but I did manage a long shot of a 1st winter Med Gull

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/medgull/h3ee2b5d8#h3ee2b5d8

and also a 1st winter Little Gull with a chunk missing from it’s left wing (well maybe it’s just it’s P8 missing) – this was a long, long way away

http://andyburnsphotography.zenfolio.com/littlegull/hf68bd2d#hf68bd2d

There was also a 2nd winter Med Gull, but still trying to find it in the pics. Thanks to Lol Middleton for spotting them. ……Boy it was cold!!!

Also, one Wheatear.