That first pic of the YBW!
Ha! You have to turn your patience dial up to 11 and just wait for an opportunity.
All leaf warblers in the phylloscopus genus are hyperactive, Yellow-browed being one of the most. Took over 30 minutes and a lot of near misses before that particular bird posed for more than a millisecond!
If it’s still there tomorrow you’ll have to see if you can catch it warbling !
Only joking .
55 minutes standing almost motionless behind a small wind screen before I finally saw the elusive Hawfinch perched at The Manse this afternoon. Even then it wasn’t exactly showy but at least I managed a couple of record shots.
Also today: 8 x Yellow-browed Warbler, 2 x Merlin, 1 x Rosefinch, 5 x Redpoll, 3 x Lesser Whitethroat & 5 x Swallow.
Cool AF
The Redpolls looked like “Greenland” rostrata race - to me - although it doesn’t particularly matter as they’ve all been “lumped” into one species now - including the striking Arctic versions
All the same, I will continue to try and separate the various sub-species where I can.
8 Yellow-browed Warblers today, this being 1 of 2 in the garden. Hawfinch at Feal, Yellow Wagtail (flyover) at Funzie, 6 Redpoll, Blackcap, 2 Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff and Goldcrest.
Assuming you didn’t see them all at once in a flock is there some way of knowing that they’re not all the same bird and he/she’s stalking you hoping to get their pic in the papers ?
Yes.
Spread far and wide across the island and by the time I drive from one site to another there’s no chance they could get there before me.
Hard work in awful conditions today. The only bright spot was finding 4 Yellow-browed Warblers and a Goldcrest in the same tree! at Feal.
The heavy rain attracted lots of common waders into the recently cut hay fields.
One such field held ~100 Ringed Plover, many of them juveniles, like this one
Not a lot in terms of new birds in today but still a decent number of Yellow-browed Warblers and Goldcrests.
A few Willow warblers were around
And a Lesser Whitethroat in the garden, almost certainly of Siberian (blythi) race.
Third photo is a belter.
If nothing else, it confirms that this is 100% a Willow Warbler (i.e. NOT a Chiffchaff - despite the dark legs)
Walked all the way round the reservoir for first time in ages this morning. Was overflowing due to the amount of rain we have had this week.
A gaggle of geese.
Ugly ducklings
Having moved to Kent recently, I’m exploring various nature reserves and birding areas near to where I live.
Today was Oare Marshes, rather beautiful place and saw quite a lot in a short space of time,
Marsh Harrier
Wheatear