Sneaking up on the Sanderling.

The tide was in yesterday afternoon as i took a stroll on my local patch. So i was quite pleased to see these two waders at rest on the shingle. It took me a while to crawl closer without disturbing them So that i could get some photos, before i had to crawl away again to leave them in peace.

Waxwings of Whitehall.

Whilst driving my son to his sunday football game, i came across 13 Waxwings on the Whitehall industrial estate in Colchester. I watched them flitting from the tree top down to the pyracanthus bush, just outside the Bannatynes Health Club and then back up again as the customers came in and out.

Remembering Kes.

A big influence in my love of birds was the novel, Kestrel for a knave, Written in 1968 by Barry hines. Reading this book whilst at secondary school in the 80's made being there a little more bearable for me. Then a few years later i was able to watch the film Kes. If you haven't seen the film or read the book i would recommend them.

Solving the slavs.

Both slavonian & Black necked grebes have been present at Abberton resevoir, for the last month and when at a distance and in winter plumage can be hard to tell apart. However when close and now in summer plumage, it can make it a lot easier. These are Slavonian note the pale peak tip.

Lesser the fool.

I've been looking for this bird since the start of the year, wondering around the local woods in my spare time with no luck. So when another birder told me he had seen them in a woods, i had never heard off. I wondered if it was an Aprils fool. Well as you can see it wasn't Joy at last, well untill next year!!!.