Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor L.), Bishop's Dyke, New Forest

Enjoyed crippling views of the over-wintering great grey shrike at Bishop's Dyke, New Forest this morning. Seen again later at distance, looking south east from Denny Wood, as it hunted along the birch-line. No camera today, will have to make a return visit.

Bird-watching King's Island, Luxor, Egypt 6th October - 12th October 2011

black kite (Milvis migrans)

common bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus)

black-winged stilt (Hoplopterus spinosus)

common sandpiper (Actitus hypoleucos)

black-winged kite (Elanus caeruleus)

crested lark (Galerida cristata)

graceful prinia (Prinia gracilis)

gull-billed tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)

hooded crow (Corvus corone cornix)

hoopoe (Upupa epops)

kestrel (Falco tinunculus)

birding the Nile

little egret (Egretta garzetta)

little green bee eater (Meriops orientalis cleopatra) 

juv. masked shrike (Lanius nubicus)

Nile valley sunbird (Anthreptes metallicus)

pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)

purple heron (Ardea purpurea)

Senegal thick knee (Burhinus senegalensis)

squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides)

red backed shrike (Lanius collurio)

black winged stilt, squacco heron and glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)



black kite feeding at dusk

fan tailed cisticola ANA zitting cisticola (Cisticola juncidus)

white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus)

juv. Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus L. ) Burpham, West Sussex (record shots)

Having successfully "twitched" the juv. pallid harrier yesterday evening, in Burpham, West Sussex and enjoyed crippling views of this stunning bird as it hunted over a game strip; I returned again this evening after work with the camera to capture some passable (?) record shots.

The pallid harrier is a worthy bird to challenge my limited photography skills, being used to capturing birds on the ground only - I had to graduate to shooting a moving and very active bird. The results are necessarily poor.

Other raptor highlights seen in the vicinity today included a single hobby (Falco subbuteo), 2 sparrowhawk (Accipiter nissus), numerous kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), umpteen buzzards (Buteo buteo) and a distant ♂ hen harrier (Circus cyaneus). Whilst yesterday a red kite (Milvus milvus) was also apparent.

woodland "ride" clearance with HCV at Mottisfont

The photograph was taken part way through Day Two of a Hampshire Conservation Volunteers weekend volunteer activity creating 12ft (4m approx) woodland rides alongside the stream and boardwalk (far left) at Mottisfont "duck grounds" Nr Romsey, Hampshire.

N.B. the stream is currently very overgrown and silted requiring future attention. It is situated in the ditch to the left of the boardwalk

The rides will eventually be extended along both sides of  the boardwalk - to create more suitable habitat for dragonflies within the wet woodland.

More information about Hampshire Conservation Volunteers, and the work that they do can be found at:

http://www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/

those blues and more from OWH NNR

chalkhill blue (Lysandra coridon) ♀

chalkhill blue ♂

meadow brown (Maniola jurtina) and chalkhill blue ♂

peacock (Inachis io)

six spot burnet (Zygaena filipendulae)

speckled wood (Parage aegeria)

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)

Ol' Winchester Hill Blues (Reprise) and other favourites

 

chalkhill blue (Lysandra coridon) ♂

chalkhill blue ♀

six-spot burnet (Zygaena  filipendulae)

small heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

 

comma (Polygonia c-album)

chalkhill blue ♂

meadow brown (Maniola jurtina) ♂

gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus)

chalkhill blue ♀

Cf small skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris)

A blue day at Old Winchester Hill NNR

Old Winchester Hill

chalkhill blue (Lysandra coridon) ♂♂



chalkhill blue ♂♂