DEATH WISH

Another weekend in the harbour,very very quiet just the normal wintering birds juv eider and med gull and kittiwakes,talking of kittiwakes one single bird has a death wish,it has worked out who catches the most fish and sits and waits then attacks fish as the angler reels in,i have been watching this bird does for over and hour it was getting one or two of the fish clever bird

then it happen it tangled up, hook in wing line wrapped around body grabbing a drop net i haul the bird in untangled it,then i had the greatest opportunity ever to hold this marvellous bird, so smooth and clam and gracefully i ask the angler to take a photo of me holding it, yes i let someone else use my camera.

the bird was released unharmed what a hour that was,but the bird carried on doing it,but i wandered of and let it get on with it,then i set about trying to get a few shots of the med gull that was playing hard to get

then a screaming common gull came into view 1st winter i think

end to pleasing weekend

BACK ON THE PATCH

Back on the patch for the rest of the weekend after spending yet more time looking for the pond heron on saturday,this time with a loads of friends good to catch up,saying hi to everyone i left,glad i had seen the bird the day before it looked like a dipping weekend,i had had planned to go to dung but the wind was blowing a gale so head down to the POW for once it was opened noting to little gulls and the normal auks i left

sunday morning i headed to the patch and bumped into keith and dick who already been to the end and back noting a little gull and a all white bird in with the kittiwakes thinking now't of it i carried on birding, counting the razor bill and guillimots with most coming into summer plumage,at last i caught up with juv eider who is still hanging about along with the 1st winter med gull

 kittiwake below herring gull above

and at about 11.05 a white wing bird appeared and flew west not bulky enough for a glaucous so if only had to be a iceland i called adult but i could of been wrong but still a cracking bird to end the weekend with
gull fever must be catching it all i seem to been doing lately anyway a few more shite hawks for mr ashton

 black head gulls

 common gull below

CHINESE POND REVIST

Chinese pond revist this morning not going to boring you the details just put up my crappy flight shots which points even more to chinese, no expert but a lot of internet seaching so post photos let you make your mind up,the colours are changing all the time,i was amazed how white this bird is in flight only the mantle which is  a maroon ish colour

if still could be a squacco heron yet, a few shots of Chinese and squacco

chinese pond 

these two above are shots of squacco heron so the one below

chinese pond

IF IN DOUBT HAVE A LOOK

Arranged to meet robbie stokes this morning for a days birding,after i had picked him up with the day all planned a tweet form ian roberts saying the Chinese pond heron was showing a quick detour off the a2 at bridge, likely we was just coming up to the turn off twenty minutes later in the pounding rain we arrived out the car and straight on to it sitting high in the tree

what ever happens with the bird now i can say i seen it now,after spending all day yesterday looking for it,i even got a crappy record shot,it will be interesting, what way this will go, first accepted record cat e or even cat d so why not worst things get accepted,all the big guns are pointing towards a chinese pond heron,me i no now't,so i will sit and wait for the out come if in doubt go and see

WHATS MY NUMBER

The harbour is slowly coming to life,with the auk movement going on nicely with odd half dozen dropping in,the kittiwake numbers are increasing all the time along with bh gulls,a few common are mixed in,the 1st winter little gull has moved on but a juv eider has taken it place,second bird this year in the last three years i have been watching first one was on boxing day,there seems to be a mass of spats or herring moved in by the hoverport which a good sign so hopefully a few divers will turn up,in the mean time i been hammering away at the 1st winter med gull trying to read its ring number

i think it reads 9395 if you think not let me know,so was have a ball with the med as it was feeding in close,giving the 40d a ideal test,not quick on locking on but a nice light wieght camera images are ok,still can't wait to have the 1d back a few shots of the 1st winter