PeterHG's year

[PeterHG]

I hadn't been on any birding/photography outing over the last six weeks, due to the grey weather and the fact that July is a quiet birding month anyway. But the sun was out last Monday, so a took a trip to a wetland area in the north (Lauwersmeer), armed with telescope, binoculars and camera. Definitely a good day, though from a photographer's perspective many birds are just a little too far. But I had great views of large numbers of waders, like Ruff, Avocet, Little Stint, Golden Plover, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Curlew, Whimbrel and Greenshank. A distant White-tailed Eagle and Caspian Tern showed briefly and among the waders were a few rarities: Red-Necked Phalarope and Pectoral Sandpiper. I even managed to get some acceptable shots of both of them and some shots of Common Snipe and Shelduck I was quite happy with in the evening light. Migration seems to be on its way again. A little too early, perhaps after such a grey summer.

 

209. Pectoral Sandpiper

 

210. Red-Necked Phalarope

 

Common Snipe (not counting, since I've posted it before)

 

Common Shelduck (not counting)

Edited August 19, 2016 by PeterHG

[michael-ibk]

Love the Phalarope and the Snipe, Peter.

[xelas]

Nice water-wading birds, @@PeterHG ! Luckily these months are a bit slow for birding as I will need your expertise soon!

[PeterHG]

Nice water-wading birds, @@PeterHG ! Luckily these months are a bit slow for birding as I will need your expertise soon!

Ah, back from Sri Lanka @@xelas? I hope you both had a wonderful trip!

[PeterHG]

211. Dotterel (Lauwersmeer, Netherlands). Far off, among the Golden Plovers. Attempted a shot with the iPhone through the telescope. Well, it's there, isn't it...?

[PeterHG]

212. White-tailed Eagle.(Lauwersmeer, Netherlands). We saw the eagle a few times that day, always announced by panic among all the waders. Never close, unfortunately, but quite a spectacle all the same. The White tailed Eagle made its come-back to our country in 2005 and now there are some 5 or six nesting sites, all heavily protected.

 

[PeterHG]

At the end of the day I spent a few hours at a wetland about an hour's drive from where I live. My main target was to try and see some elusive reed-dwelling birds, like the Spotted Crake and the Water Rail. I was lucky enough to see both, though photography was hard, having to shoot in and often into the light of the setting sun.
212. Spotted Crake

Edited September 1, 2016 by PeterHG

[PeterHG]

213. Water Rail

[PeterHG]

A few other waders were also present, like this:

214. Green Sandpiper

[PeterHG]

And on the way back a:

215. White Stork

[TonyQ]

@@PeterHG

I am still enjoying your lovely photos. I particularly like the Green Sandpiper.

[PeterHG]

216 - Eurasian Jay (Overijssel september)

[PeterHG]

I spent an hour at a lake, waiting for an Osprey to show up (which it didn't), but still enjoyed watching the interaction of two pairs of Mute Swans. They're already in the count, but I can't resist showing these...

Here the male was trying to impress the intruding pair

 

 

But more action was needed.

 

 

And celebrating victory together. I've darkened the (already pretty dark) background even more to make the swans stand out.

 

[PeterHG]

217 - Grey Plover (Lauwersmeer, Netherlands)

[PeterHG]

218 - Little Stint (Lauwersmeer, Netherlands)

[PeterHG]

219 - Red Knot (Lauwersmeer, Netherlands)

 

[PeterHG]

In the Lauwersmeer area in the North of Holland, where I spent a day in the company of many waders, a rarity had been spotted and a lifer for me. Too far of for a decent photo, but still a record shot.

 

220 - Baird's Sandpiper

[PeterHG]

In the beginning of this week I spent a few days on the Isle of Texel. Fewer species than I had hoped for, but still a few for the yearlist

 

221 - Spotted Redshank

 

[PeterHG]

222 - Greenshank

 

[PeterHG]

This time I did see an Osprey, but, again, far away.

 

[PeterHG]

224 - Golden Plover

 

[PeterHG]

225 - Bar-tailed Godwit

 

[TonyQ]

@@PeterHG

Lovely photos again. As the year progresses, I find that I am liking waders more and more - they are beautiful.

[michael-ibk]

Lovely series of the mute Swans - especially like the third one. And a Golden Plover, very cool - how close was that?

[Treepol]

@@PeterHG beautiful photos and from so many impessive locations. I especially liked the bee-eaters, kingfishers, hornbills and rollers from Sri Lanka and the Bullfinch and Rosefinch from the European birds.

 

If you could choose 3-4 prime birding sites in Sri Lanka, what would they be?