Juv Pectoral Sandpiper, RW

Commoner than Wood Sandpipers here now.

Lincolnshire Coast

There can be two endings to a days sea watching, either you guess the weather correctly and see a shed load of good sea birds or your a day late and you miss the bus. However, on the Lincs coast you nearly always miss the bus even when the conditions are great. It wasn't a complete waist of time though as i did have the pleasure of watching at least 7 dogs crapping on the beach, all before 7.30am.

Black Kite and Buzzard, Lincs

Consolation prize after the dismal sea watch. These photos were taken when it was at least 1000ft up playing with its mate.

Water Shrews, RW

Pygmy Shrew, RW

Great crested Newts

I've been assisting with a GCN re-translocation project near the reservoir. The above photo shows from top, ad female GCN, ad Male, this years juvenile and bottom individual is a this years juvenile Smooth Newt. There is a considerable size difference between juvenile GCN and Smooth Newt.

Woody

Sparrowhawk, Rutland

Found freshly killed on the road. The few sporadic brown Secondaries age it as a 2nd calender year (born last summer) and the blue-grey uppers point to it being a male.

Rutland Ospreys 2007

A few of my encounters with Rutland Ospreys in 2007 are shown below. All photos were taken through the telescope, the camera hand held to the eye-piece. A rather crude method but it does the job. Click on the photos for a bigger image.

Pain in the......

Unwanted visitor

Top photo shows female 05' chasing her 2004 son 5R away from the nest and lower one shows his dad 03' doing the same. Returning offspring are unwanted visitors to the nest.

Nearly....

This was the closest i got to getting a photo through the telescope of a fishing Osprey. I need a digital slr.

A sight we thought we would never live to see - 08, the 10yr old male finally incubating!!!!. I think we all owe him an apology for the many years of verbal abuse that he has taken from us.