Some Recent Bird Photos

193. Mallard
194. Eider (I did a review of my years list and found I had left these two off!!!)

Peregrine's Birding Facts: Over 180,000 birds of 200 species have been ringed at the Portland Bird Observatory



The first two were shot this morning. I had left work in absolute rage because my car had been ticketed and I was furious that none of the staff had got a parking ticket for it as I was delivering sandwiches in the town. When I returned there was this b---dy ticket on my windshield. I left without even looking at any of the staff foregoing a coffee I always take with me after work and drove to the Belfast Harbour Reserve to calm down. I spent an hour in the central hide and watched a couple of Common Sandpiper which were most obliging. When the cloud came over I decided that was my photography for the day. I got back to the car ripped the ticket from the car and opened it to see how much the fine was. It was a very authentic fake saying that I had been ticketed for having a Naff Car. I had been had well and truly. The anger evaporated into laughter. You can get them here.




I also shot these arguing Redshank at the same time as the Sandpipers.


I am really pleased with this photo. I had seen this Kestrel out at Killard dive onto something so I approached it slowly and whenever I got within fifty or so yards it would fly on with its prey a hundred yards. This continued about five times before I decided to cut inland and try and cut it off. Which I did successfully. The prey was a young Starling of which there are a great many at the moment.


I went to St Johns Point in the hope that I might get a photo of a Manx Shearwater. Not to be unless you want to see some dots on a blue background! But I did get this Juvenile Kittiwake.


After I had been to St Johns Point I went to Ardglass Harbour to see if there might be any interesting gulls. There were Herring Gull, Common Gull, Kittiwake and Lesser Black Backed Gull. All flying round the harbour. I liked this young Herring Gull screaming after another which had just picked up some food from the water.



This photo was taken from the Castle Island Hide on the Quoile.


The following three were all taken at the RSPB Belfast Harbour Hide. A Black tailed Godwit just about to land. A Ruff and a Peregrine being harrassed by a Herring Gull.