UK Bird Pics November 2004 to March 2005
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Lesser
Scaup, Farnborough, Warks
6 March 05
I took over
70 shots of this one, and suprisingly the ones without
direct sun were better, but very few were even moderately
sharp.
Thanks to
the NT for the nice Lesser Scaup signs - straight to the
bird - one of my easiest UK lifers ever!
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Lesser
Scaup, Farnborough, Warks
6 March 05
Shot
showing the diagnostic wing pattern.
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Eider,
Peterhead
15 Feb 05
This was
not the main aim of this add on to a business trip! I was
after the Ross's Gull which had been seen daily for about
3 weeks before. Shortly after arrival I had brief views
through bins of what was almost certainly the Gull, but
it had flown off by the time I had the scope deployed! It
never re-appeared all day, and now seems to have gone for
good! Oh, and the King Eider wasn't showing that day
either. Grrr!
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Red
Breasted Merganser, Hayling Island
3 Jan 05
The
conditions for taking pics of this bird on the oyster bed
pits at the north west corner of the island were not good
- a low sun and strong wind. Also the bird kept diving
for fish! Given all that, this shot came out quite well.
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Third
winter Iceland Gull, Walpole Lake, Gosport
3 Jan 05
With the
sun out, I found exposure difficult on this bird, parts
of which were brilliant white.
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Ring
Billed Gull, Walpole Lake, Gosport
3 Jan 05
A close up
- much more obliging this time than on my previous visit
in Jan 04.
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Ring
Billed Gull, Walpole Lake, Gosport
3 Jan 05
An unusual
location for rare birds, but this urban lake produced
this bird, the Iceland Gull (above) and Med Gulls on the
adjacent estuary. With the sun in, it is easier to avoid
high contrast on white birds like gulls.
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Short Eared Owl, Bury Down, Berks
13 Nov 2004
Another
picture of the bird shown below. Sideview only to avoid
shadows.
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Short Eared Owl, Bury Down, Berks
13 Nov 2004
A nice
bright day unlike the previous misty attempt last winter
to get pics of these photogenic birds. This was one of at
least four birds and the most obliging. Problem with
sunlight is it causes shadows!
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| © All
pictures copyright Stephen Burch |
