Canada Geese fly-by during Solar Eclipse

I noticed that a pic of a Herring Gull taken during the Eclipse has won Pic Of The Week on Birdguides. Slightly sour of me but I wish I'd uploaded my pic of Canada Geese doing a similar thing! It's an un-manipulated photo, although I will play around with contrast settings to make it moody.
Watch this space...

YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER at Branscombe

Many thanks and well done to Phil Abbott who found this bird; it's my second patch tick of the year! It was pretty distant and conditions were dull so the pic is a bit lousy. More to come hopefully...

Solar Eclipse, March 20th 2015

PENDULINE TITS Performing

As there is a strong likelihood that the Penduline Tits will be moving off soon, I thought I'd pop back to Darts Farm for one last look. Upon my arrival, people were leaving as the birds hadn't been showing. Not one to give up easily, I had a thorough look around and soon located both birds which were sheltering in a tree; difficult to spot but definitely there! I took the risky approach of sitting and waiting in one spot, hoping the birds would come to me. I did this for over 3 hours whilst others were following the birds; my approach eventually paid off and the birds came to within about 20 feet of me...

Just a few pics as I'm busy with work and business trips at the moment; more to come soon!!

Enjoy...

SHORT EARED OWL - Patch tick & lifer

I was away on business when the reports of a Short Eared Owl at Axe Cliffs went out, but I popped up to have a look at the earliest opportunity (yesterday & today). I was pleased when it popped up over a hedge; it's a bird I've been wanting to see for a while, and getting a lifer as a patch bird is always nice! Views were pretty distant unfortunately, perhaps due to the golfer... Let's hope it hangs around to give me a better chance. Karen and Steve both seemed to have much better fortune with the bird but I'm still content with this pic; it is my first SEO after all!!

BEARDED TITS at RSPB Radipole

Lifer.
Only got a couple of minutes viewing these, but a precious couple of minutes they were...

RAPTORS at Radipole

I took Dad to RSPB Radipole in hope of seeing the Bearded Tits; neither of us had seen one before. The day started by driving out of a sunny Devon and into a slightly dull Dorset! Upon our arrival we were reliably informed that we'd missed out on a close up sighting of a male Bearded Tit by about 20 minutes. Rather than waiting for their return, we had a look around the reserve and was rewarded with some nice views of raptors. Here's a few of the pics:

Marsh Harrier

Sparrowhawk

Marsh Harrier and corvid pursuer

Buzzard

Pics of the Bearded Tits will be here shortly...