Snettisham wader roost

The high-tide wader roost at Snettisham is famous, and rightly so. Time your visit right and you can enjoy the spectacle of thousands of waders flying closer and closer to you, chased by the waters of the Wash.



The weather conditions this morning were good... sunny and not too windy, although it was plenty cold enough for me. So when the flocks of Knot and Bar-tailed Godwit turned in the air, they positively shimmered, looking grey-brown one second and sparkling white the next.







Eventually, the flocks gathered close to the shore (and the hide) to rest, forming tightly-packed groups - Knot in the middle, Bar-tailed Godwits around the edge, Oystercatchers quite separate.

The noise made by the birds was just as amazing as the sight they made. I thought I could hear a distant train rushing by, at one point, but realised it was the cries of the waders and their wings beating through the air.







A close-up Little Egret also provided some entertainment on the walk back.

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995 + Leica Apo Televid 62 with 16x eyepiece

Saturday morning

*
You can't tell from this rubbish photo, but that's a Wood Sandpiper on the gravel next to the two Little Egrets.

Wow. It's not often that there are two Little Egrets in the PBC area at the same time, let alone two at the same site together. And standing next to a Wood Sand... amazing stuff.

I went to Prior's Fen this morning. It's not something I do very often, but it's been good there for the past week or so. Looking at the weather forecast last night, I decided an early visit would be in order, since a band of rain was due to arrive mid-morning.

I saw one Wood Sandpiper (Brian had two yesterday!), three Greenshanks, one Common and two Green Sandpipers, two Marsh Harriers (one juvenile, one moulting sub-adult male), two Little Egrets, heard a Curlew calling and got some more shots of Common Darters...



After that, I decided that, since I was out and about already, and I was sort of in the general vicinity, I might as well go to Woodwalton Fen before it started raining. So I did.




Common Darter (it's that time of year)

It has to be said that WWF is rubbish for birds at the moment. The place was as quiet as I've ever heard it. Good job there were some nice insects about to make up for lack of bird action.






"...and then I'm going to eat you..."

Female damselfly, Common Blue, I think.


Large Skipper



Like it often seems to when I'm there, the weather took a turn for the worse. Cloud billowed across the sky, the sun went into hiding, it got windier and started raining.


Female Southern Hawker - the Chocolate Lime of the dragonfly world, I think...

I finally got some better pics of Southern Hawker just as it started raining. It, or rather, she, was looking for somewhere to perch. By crawling across the path I managed to get close enough for a few photos.


Ruddy Darter


Spider crocheting a new web


Speckled Wood on a heap of vegetation - perhaps some warmth from the decomposing matter?

*really bad digiscoped photo taken with Nikon Coolpix 995 + Leica Apo Televid 62 with 20-60x eyepiece. The rest just with the mighty Coolpix

Camargue & Alpilles: Day Five

Buzzard (taken with scope balanced precariously on car door on top of hat) - 08:01


Black-necked Grebe, Etang de Vaccares - 09:20


Greater Flamingo, Etang de Vaccares - 09:43


Graham Catley (l) and David Jenkins (r) map-reading, Etang de Vaccares - 13:18*


Kevin Du Rose scanning for gulls, probably - 13:19*


Little Egret, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:03


Little Egret, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:05


Yellow-legged Gull, Sainte Maries de la Mer - 14:06


Yellow-legged Gulls, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:09


Little Egret, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:13


Little Egret, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:14


Greater Flamingo, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:32


Greater Flamingo, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:36


Greater Flamingo, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:49




Little Egret, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:39




Little Egret, Saintes Maries de la Mer - 14:46

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995 + Leica Apo Televid 62 with 16x eyepiece (* except where handheld)