Grey Phalarope on a Grey Day

The crowds were out today viewing this confiding Grey Phalarope at Tolcarne Beach. It is a pity the light wasn't better as the weather was dull with a biting easterly wind cutting across Mounts Bay. What a bird though, such a small wader that overwinters in the Atlantic.

Black Cap Like Apples

What a tongue.

Odds and Ends

Golden Plover Curlew

Blackbirds love Blueberries

The Feisty Fieldfare

I think I am a bit OCD with photography as Christmas day I could not resist a few images of a Fieldfare in the garden. These feisty little thrushes defend every bit of food they find. They love apples and defended them against all other incomers.

Good Ol' Santa, Waxwing In The Garden

Panic photography grabbed me by the throat when I arrived home from work tonight, as I walked into the house calling for Lisa I was told to keep quiet as there were two Bohemian Waxwing in the garden and I had just walked past them (Waxwing in the garden on christmas, eve, WOW!!!). They were feeding on some apples I had put out for the thrushes. I grabbed the camera and captured what I could in the dusky light. Unfortunately I had to use the in built flash due to the low light, this didn't phase them at all as they were feeding voraciously. They look like first winter Waxwing as the wing stripes are rather pale. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

More From The Marsh

Ironically the one bird I have been trying to nail is the Water Pipit, a difficult species ( for me) to identify. Generally there is an overwintering Water Pipit at Marazion, so when I am there I photograph every Pipit I find, in the hope that I capture one on camera. I have seen them fleetingly but on this occasion this one momentarily landed reasonably close for average photography. Again I missed the Bittern but this image more than compensates for that. The Water Pipit is a Eurpean species and a short distance migrant. Overwintering birds are normally found in the South and South Western regions of England.

Water Pipit

Water Rail

Bitternless Wednesday

My sad attempt to photograph the Bittern was a failure but the Snipe were close.

Siberian Chiff Chaff ?

I found this Chiff Chaff over a week ago at the sewerage works at Kenidjack, or lets call it a re-find as I think it was found by others a few days before me. The Chiff Chaff in question shows characteristics of the Siberian type species. I have included in the images a poor shot of the subject because the image shows the usual olive green type overwintering Chiff Chaff and the Eastern type bird together. However to be certain of identification of this species the call and plumage must be used in combination.

Carbis Bay Part 2

A few more images from Carbis Bay.

Frozen Fingers and Sea Birds

Carbis Bay has been full of bait fish, probably Sprats,bringing in numerous species of birds including thousands of Gulls. Seeing Gulls feeding in their natural environment was a spectacular sight. The juvenile 1st winter Kittiwake ( Cornish Sabine Gull) has been a target species for me as I particularly like their plumage. Above all was nailing some average shots of the Balearic Shearwater.

Wasp Spider

I photographed this Wasp Spider ( Argiope bruennichi ) on Tenerife, a mediterranean species that has sucessfully spread Northwards. These can be found in Cornwall and are known to exist on The Lizard

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Tough Times

While everyone was enjoying the snow and cold, Lisa and I have been toughing it out on Sangria and sunshine. I didn't take the DSLR I only the compact camera, however I managed to grab a couple of shots of overwintering Whimbrel and this Little Egret in the Canaries.

Black Neck Grebes

I have been out of circulation for a couple of days, however I visited Drift Reservoir to photograph the two Black Necked Grebe overwintering there. They spent some time in the reserve section at the rear of the dam but patience paid of and they eventually passed close to the hide allowing reasonable photography, although with the cloud cover it meant pushing the ISO to 1000 again.

Stormy Weather

The Coal Tit in the garden was battling against the wind today, it looks like it will overwinter here.

It was low water at Sennen Cove today when I captured the sea images, imagine the scene if it was high tide, you will notice that the shag had to take evasive action to avoid the rough sea.

Your Cornishman Needs You

Hi Folks, I have entered a photo competition on Steve Rogers http://www.swopticsphoto.com/ so visit his site and make your choice.

In the far West of Cornwall we are "starvin down ere" so if oi do win oi am hopin that first prize is a Turkey drum stick, or even a nut roast for Christmas.

Spoonbill At Walmsley

Here are a couple of shots of the Spoonbill at the Walmsley Sanctuary, Wadebridge, Cornwall.