TonyQ's Year (A beginner's tale)

[TonyQ]

65. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

(m) Upton Warren, Worcestershire 17.04.2016

(f) Upton Warren, Worcestershire 17.04.2016

(m) Upton Warren, Worcestershire 17.04.2016

[TonyQ]

66. Redshank Tringa totanus

Marsh Lane, nr Solihull 30.04.2016

Marsh Lane, nr Solihull 01.04.2016

Marsh Lane, nr Solihull 30.04.2016

[TonyQ]

67. Green Woodpecker Picus viridis

(m) Upton Warren, Worcestershire 27.04.2016

 

Although they are Woodpeckers, they come down to the ground to dig for ants

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 27.04.2016

(f+m) Upton Warren, Worcestershire 27.04.2016

The male has red patches on its throat, either side of the beak, the female has black patches

[michael-ibk]

Some very cool birds - never seen a Redwing so far. Love the Green Woodpeckers. One is coming to the feeders at my father´s house from time to time - never when I´m there of course.

[xelas]

@@TonyQ

 

Thanks, duly noted! But the operative word is "sometimes" ... while the urban legend is saying "all the times" .

 

More lovely birds photos. You have enticed me to search tje local forums for where to get more species; darn, within the LBB family there are so many different ones! And to my surprise and delight, it seems that we have also a couple of spots where the bee-eaters are nesting!!

[elefromoz]

@@TonyQ, wow the Redshank is lovely, and those legs should make it easy to identify. The "waders" will be my downfall, often just the subtlest of differences. Ah, so it does rain sometimes, not all blue skies and Bluebells.

[TonyQ]

@@michael-ibk

Thank you - that Redwing is the only one I have seen

@@xelas

Thank you - bee-eaters would be great!

@@elefromoz

Yes - even I can identify a Redshank! Those Bluebells do need water

[TonyQ]

68. Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 20.04.2016

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 20.04.2016

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 20.04.2016

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 20.04.2016

 

 

The Christopher Cadbury Wetland Reserve at Upton Warren is a fine reserve which in addition to fresh water pools, unusually also has saline pools. These were created by land subsidence resulting from local brine extraction and create an interesting environment so far from the sea.

 

A friendly birder I met at Sandwell Valley told me about the reserve, and mentioned that a number of Avocet (around 30) live there. We were delighted to be able to see this beautiful bird – and only a 30 minute drive from home.

[TonyQ]

69. Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Brandon Marsh, nr Coventry 10.04.2016

[TonyQ]

70. Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 17.04.2016

Sandwell Valley, West Midlands 17.03.2016

Marsh Lane, nr Solihull 30.04.2016

[TonyQ]

71. Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Marsh Lane, nr Solihull 01.04.2016

Marsh Lane, nr Solihull 01.04.2016

[TonyQ]

72. Japanese Pheasant Phasianus versicolor

(m) Middleton Lakes, Warwickshire 04.05.2016

(f) Middleton Lakes, Warwickshire 04.05.2016

Portrait, Middleton Lakes, Warwickshire 04.05.2016

[Tdgraves]

@@TonyQ you were very lucky with the green woodpecker. There are some around us and I hear them calling on most days (I say that they are laughing at me!!), but in 3 1/2 years I have seen one twice and not with a photographic opportunity

[TonyQ]

@@Tdgraves

We were very lucky - we had just entered a hide and saw this bird on the grass right in front of the hide. It was also a bird that MrsQ really wanted to see so we were very pleased to get such a good sighting! I think I have only seen one once before and that was quite a few years ago.

[TonyQ]

As it is a special time of year, a few pictures that don't increase my score at all...

Mallard

Mallard

Coot

Canada Goose

Grey Heron

Black-Headed Gull

Lapwing

(With the exception of the Mallard and Canada Goose, all are taken from a distance so as not to cause disturbance, and then heavily cropped)

Edited May 10, 2016 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

73 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Our garden, Birmingham 05.04.2016

[TonyQ]

74 Sand Martin Riparia riparia

Brandon Marsh, nr Coventry 10.04.2016

Brandon Marsh, nr Coventry 10.04.2016

Middleton Lakes, Warwickshire 04.05.2016

[TonyQ]

75 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 20.04.2016

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 20.04.2016

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 20.04.2016

[michael-ibk]

They might not increase your score, but well worth posting - very cute!

[TonyQ]

76. Common Tern Sterna hirundo

Marsh Lane, nr Solihull 30.04.2016

 

I don’t think I have seen a Tern before – I loved watching them in flight

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 03.05.2016

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 03.05.2016

Middleton Lakes, Warwickshire 04.05.2016

With fish, Earlswood,nr Birmingham 06.05.2016

[TonyQ]

77. Black Tern Chlidonias niger

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 07.05.2016

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 07.05.2016

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 07.05.2016

 

When looking closely at a number of the many rejected photos of this bird in flight I saw something that I did not see in real-time.

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 07.05.2016

I found it fascinating to see the gymnastics going on during high speed flight!

[TonyQ]

78. Goldcrest Regulus regulus

Moseley Bog, Birmingham 31.03.2016

Wootton Wawen, Warwickshire 23.04.2016

Collecting food, Earlswood,nr Birmingham 08.05.2016

 

This the UK’s smallest bird (5-7g, 9cm)

[TonyQ]

79. Whitethroat Sylvia communis

Middleton Lakes, Warwickshire 04.05.2016

Middleton Lakes, Warwickshire 04.05.2016

[TonyQ]

80. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus

Upton Warren, Worcestershire 20.04.2016

With fish, Upton Warren, Worcestershire 20.04.2016

Marsh Lane, nr Solihull 30.04.2016

[michael-ibk]

I love the Goldcrest - a bird that is eluding me, they do occur here.