Bird Watching At It's Worst

Lifers Ahoy had to take a step in darkest Derbyshire though!

2010-05-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, What a day!

Started the day with the Great Reed Warbler @ Ilkestone followed by a Red Rumped Swallow and some naff place deep in hill billy land....

Back to Leicestershire, The birds come to easy in derby so was time for something a bit more of a challenge.
Lets go get a bird that has not been reported for a week, Great idea! Well should of been a shit idea of course not to mention it was raining but we were Beacon hill bound all the same!

Out the car park "well the verg on the road" a quick sniff round soon put me on another lifer a very splendid Tree Pipit indeed! The rest of the story gets a bit hazy and bit rubbish after that but to cut a long story very short. We walked and we Walked and bloody yea you guessed it walked! Then after hearing a very promising sound we bid are time and nailed the swine! Lifer No. 4 for the day superb!

Ryder

Stupid Bird In Question.

2010-05-29T01:33:00.000-07:00

Purple No Grey No.Err What The F**k Is It Then!

2010-05-29T01:29:00.000-07:00

Hysteria and maybe even little history was created last weekend, The story go'es a little like this.

So there we were me and the Shrew at the infamous and even less notorious Kelham Bridge. The Shrew spotted something, Something unusual a bloody great orange beak hanging out from the island hide, Just as he moved the scope the bird took to the air. Dam it looked good for a purple heron real good!

Ok so the game was on there was no way were leaving without better views of the bird, To cut a very long story short a lot of people got very excited followed by a little anger a little disappointment and no doubt a lot of F+B's. So we any closer to finding out exactly what the bird is with that huge orange conk! Don't be bloody silly but theres plenty of people who pretend to know!.

Cheers and all.

Ryder

Pretty poor photos!

2010-04-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

I make no apologies for butchering your eyes with these photos, No emails if they bleed please.

Cracking night!

2010-04-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Arrived home from work to find a friend of mine waiting for me, He had good news he had spotted a Redstart at Brascote Pits! Game on!
Upon arriving we quickly re found the bird, Could kick me self for not taking the camera. Best i could manage was some shady half arsed phone scope pictures.
It did not end there though, We also got common sand which is a lifer for me not bad for a Thursday evening after work.

Ryder

Brascote sucked, Not to mention Thornton!

2010-04-20T12:52:00.000-07:00

Busy day at work building my self up for some very promising bird watching weather!

Was not to be got down to Brascote pit and there pumping water in, I understand they always do around this time but it killed it for me!

2 oyster catchers 4 little ringed plovers bah.

Thornton was not much better! No sign of the Redstart needless to say, Did have fantastic numbers of House martins and Swallows which is always pleasing!

No yellow wags darn.

Back to working and dreaming lol.

Ryder

Been a while back with new intentions!

2010-04-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hello and yes it's been a while.....

I had a house move with a new garden to tend feeders to set, Amongst that lot car troubles and internet issues kept me away!

Enough of the excuses I'm back with new intentions to cover my local areas, Which are and Include: Brascote Pits, Barlestone, Market Bosworth and surrounding areas!

So whats been happening, Brascote has been red hot I have been down there most days not surprisingly I dipped the Whimbrel down there Saturday morning lol, Also dipped the Redstart at Thornton Res despite going Thursday and Friday evening!

I have managed some good times though, Picked up Redshank at Brascote pits Little Owl and Yellow hammer were the highlights! oh and not to forget the white wag.

This is my first migration as a birder so let the good times roll!

Ryder

Another day another tick!

2010-01-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

Yay always a good feeling Knocked tree creeper off the life list today!
As for photos though it turned out to be yet anther B word bird lol, Nasty habit they bloody have of moving when ya checking them out.

Feel a little like teenager in the red light district at the moment my birding career being so young theres so much to see and do and more importantly more information to leech than a barrel full of monkeys anyhow!
The garden was hot again today after leeching a tip of apples for the thrushes i cut one and placed on the lawn 10 minutes later bam fieldfare! Smashing new garden tick and highlight of my day..

Ryder

2010-01-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

Ok back in Business!

Sorry i have some personal problems which are now hopefully largely resolved !
First off let me wish you all a happy new year and the best of regards for the coming future, Now onto business a early trip to kick start my first full birding year was in order!

I set off on icy roads to Thornton res with 1 mission in mind to tick Scaup start the new year with a new tick, This all seemed a little to easy as after pulling in the car park and snapping a couple Long-tailed tit shots i bumped in to local resident at expert "hope ya don't mind me saying that" Andy smith, A quick chat and i was straight on the bird which off what turned out to be a super day!

Scaup ticked it was time to head over to stoke golding to pick up me new camera bag a Lowerpro slingshot 300AW all i can say is what superb bit of kit!
After smoosing the missus with all the usual B i was back at the resser and had a march on, Managed to tick a healthy amount of specie for a first day get a couple of new specie and get a couple of shots which i will leave you with now!

Thanks again to Andy for this one!

Andy put me on this superb showing rail and well worth a look more Info found on his blog.

Happy new year!

2009-12-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Finally at last got chance to see a little day light and go out and do a little birding.
Work up around 7am had the usual 15 cups of tea watching the birds dart around me garden whilst contemplating were to go and what i may see.
2 Digestives later and me mind was set Brascote pits Near Newbold Verdon was gonna be the venue of choice it's my local patch if I have to pick and a cracking place with some real potential to turn up a good un 3.

This place has some cracking "new" scenery and just being there breathing the cold fresh air that bites at the back of your throat like nettles is more than enough!

Anyway as i arrived at the spot were you leave the car ya can't call it parking by any stretch of the imagination, I noticed there was an awful lot of birds on the first pool there not normally a good sign! But one has to plod on and absorb such splendid surroundings, Passing through the gate and entering the complex i was met by a dog walker also a bad sign lol.

So things were not going non to well Plan B clime the 5 bar gate and go round the side of the complex less dog walkers that way hehe, As I strolled ears pert and eyes streaming from the sharp sun rays i saw and heard very little:(

Not all is Lost i did manage to capture a Spawk (sparrow hawk) Bathing who really din't seem to give a toss about my presence, Almost choked dropped to me knees scuffled through me bag for me camera and started snapping.

I felt like a seedy old man peeping at teenager as i watched this fine bird take a bath, I am in no doubt he new I was there he just din't seem to care and who am i to disturb his fun!
Although peeping at him felt wrong as he went his business i could not help but be captivated by his antics and found it hard to believe this guy was a fearsome predator!

After the hawk things picked up slightly as I made my way back to the car, Bullfinches male and female. Long-tailed tits chaffinch and possible Brambling but it was a fleeting view.

Cheers

Ryder

A couple of days since posting last..

2009-12-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

Hey,

Been a few days since I posted last, Time is short and the lack of daylight don't help matters much if your a birdwatcher alright if ya a star gazer i guess!!

Anyhow what ever has been happening in me garden I missed most of it Doh. I have managed to capture a couple of shots over the last couple of days of some Blue tits which are a regular and brave visitor my garden nowdays.
A more splendid looking bird ya could not wish to find and a firm favorite of mine along with most of the Tit family there just such gorgeous little creatures and fly with such fineness, Without further ado here is a couple of snaps i made earlier of birds in bush ready to approach my fat feeders or just generally frolicking in the bush in front of em!

Work work and more work!

2009-12-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

Due to lack of day light "dam winter" and work commitments it's difficult to do anything:(

I did manage a quick squint on my dinner break though usual moving through the garden.

Dunnock

Greenfinch

Blue Tit

Great tit etc.

Looking out into the field behind my my garden i was pleased to some Fieldfare not massive numbers by any stretch of the imagination but a good 20.

Ryder

Busy day

2009-12-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

Been a tad busy today got some garden watching done with little to no photos:(
In the garden i put out some more home made fat balls that consisted of black and white sunflower seeds, Peanuts, Meal worms some mixed seed and blubberys. The starlings ravished these like they were not gonna get fed again lol.

These are old photos but give a good example of how hectic it is when they get going!

On another note i seem to have attracted some mice well i have had them in the house from time to time which have to be humanely trapped I won't share me cornflakes with just anyone you know!
The mice snaffling a free feed from under me feeders are welcome enough though and guess this is pretty much norm for bird lovers with a garden.

On a off topic we bought our first fake Christmas today we have had real ones before but din't fancy it this year, This is something i always look forward too decorating a xmas tree with a 3 yr old is something everyone should try at least once!

Hectic Trying and dam right fun are 3 words that spring to mind lol!

Regards

Ryder

Got up a little later than norm

2009-12-06T03:18:00.000-08:00

Hi people
I dragged me self with a little encouragement from my daughter a little later than I should of done to be honest just gone 8am Gmt.
I like to rise a little earlier simply so I can drink tea scoff toast and watch a tad of news before i go feeder watching, As things go the garden has been a bit so so at the moment the bird have seemed a little spooky.
This is no doubt down to me thumbing around the garden and shed! I have indeed managed a couple of shots of my garden visitors in true peeping tom fashion from the open back door of me shed lol.

2009-12-05T14:07:00.000-08:00

Anyhow just realized i have started this and have no idea were I'm heading with it how much time I free up for this and have pretty much no idea what i'm doing!:)

But apart from that right now i ams sitting drinking a tin or 3 the missus has gone bed the little un has been in bed for what seems like an age and all is good and tranquil.
Roll on tomorrow and what it brings in the way of birds and shopping for xmas trees lol.

Kindest of Regards

Ryder

2009-12-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hello and if ya reading this welcome to my blog!

This seems the thing to be doing so hey I'm gonna give it a try, I have little to blog about but what the hell!
Ok so here go'es firstly why bword birder well...... The b word is one i seem to say a lot when I'm birdwatching.
You know how it happens it's all a terrible accident to be honest ya see something of interest in your garden or in the wilds and it moves.............

Of course it don't always happen like that ya sometimes catch the sucker.

But hey what do i know i have only had me camera for a couple of weeks nikon d50 with 70-300mm nikon nikkor ed lens which serves me well:)

So whats been happening and what have i been doing?
I got in to bird watching a few months ago as an extension to fishing an almost addon if ya like, To say i have become hooked is an understatement I'm blown away by my new hobby and the people that come and go through my life because of it.
Apart from bird watching in general i have become addicted to the birds in my garden also, And what better place to bird watch than your own back garden!

Don't expect any mega rares but ya never know and while ya wait for em bet ya will have a few of them robins to keep you company and make you smile!

As for bird watching outside the comfort of my garden shed i made a trip to Scotland yesterday had to deliver a car for me boss which was great because i got visit a new nature reserve Leighton Moss click me.
The birds there are just so bloody obliging its amazing it's like they come to greet you LOL.
And tonight 05 December 2009 i went to cop a look at short eared owl but they did not want to play typical lol the yobs did though and hailed a little abuse:).

anyhow enough bull for know

Ryder