PeterHG's year

[PeterHG]

163. - Peregrine (26-5-2016, Zeeland, Netherlands) Not a great photo, but certainly a good moment! This Peregrine just caught a Common Tern, causing panic in the tern colony. The Peregrine has made a good comeback in the Netherlands, fortunately (well not for the Terns, perhaps....)

Edited May 29, 2016 by PeterHG

[PeterHG]

164. Rosefinch (28-5-2016 Zeeland, Netherlands). A lifer for me, this beautiful Finch.

[Soukous]

what a fantastic collection @@PeterHG

I've never been to Sri Lanka but it has moved right up my list. Thanks

[michael-ibk]

Wow, excellent stuff, Peter, really impressive. Loved the Sri Lanka collection, especially the Pitta, Malkoha, Blue Magpie and Coppersmith Barbet (heard them a lot in India but never had a photo opportunity). And the Bee-Eaters, obviously. And your shots from back home are equally beautiful, Goldcrest, Woodlar, Bluethroat, Bearded Reedling and Oystercatches are the standouts for me. Looking forward to more!

 

Sorry for not "liking", but I had already reached my limit for the day when going through this thread.

Edited June 3, 2016 by michael-ibk

[PeterHG]

Well I've just returned from a few weeks in France and Spain. I saw a fair number of species, but photo opportunities were not always as good as I had hoped. Even so, I collected another set of pictures for the Big Year, so let's go.

 

165. Hoopoe. One of my favorite birds in the south of Europe.

 

[PeterHG]

166. Slender-billed Gull. I'd seen them there before, but not often with that beautiful pink sheen of the breeding season

[PeterHG]

167. Tawny Pipit

 

[PeterHG]

168. Eurasian Hobby

 

[PeterHG]

169. Greater Flamingo. Ah I forgot to mention: the last few pictures were all taken in The Camargue, south of France. And this is the bird that attracts all the tourists to the region.They also come for the bulls and 'wild' horses of course, but I won't show them here....

 

[PeterHG]

170. Nightingale. Not a very good picture, but it rarely showed itself. Their song however was a constant soundtrack during the past few weeks. Wonderful!

 

[xelas]

Welcome back in the race, @@PeterHG ! Lovely photos, as always. The background on the Nightingale is so creamy !

[PeterHG]

171. Kentish Plover (female). Camargue, France. In our country numbers have diminished greatly over the last decades, so always happy to see them.

 

Edited June 29, 2016 by PeterHG

[PeterHG]

172. Zitting Cisticola (fan-tailed Warbler). I've heard and seen them quite a lot during their song flights (well, song.... ), but they alway land in the thickets and reeds. This one chose a tree for a change. They're tiny!

 

Edited June 29, 2016 by PeterHG

[PeterHG]

172. Yellow-legged Gull. Camargue, France. Formerly a subspecies of the Herring Gull and it's easy to see why.

 

[PeterHG]

173. Cuckoo. Camargue, France. A long way off, so a heavy crop, but still recognizable.

 

Edited June 29, 2016 by PeterHG

[PeterHG]

174. Cetti's Warbler. Camargue., France. Not a good photo at all, but, in spite of their loud and unmistakable song, they rarely show, so you take what you can get...

 

[PeterHG]

175. Tawny Pipit. Camargue, France. Dull conditions, unfortunately. Still, I don't see them a lot, so a nice sighting.

 

[PeterHG]

176. Thekla Lark. Camargue, France. Difficult to tell from the Crested Lark, but shorter bill, streaked ear coverts and stony habitat make this a thekla lark, at least to me. The crest is not noticeable in flight.

 

[PeterHG]

177. Crested Lark. Lleida, Spain. As a comparison: here's the Crested Lark. Longer bill, a little hooked at the tip, plain, unstressed ear coverts.

 

[PeterHG]

178. Black-crowned Nigh Heron. Ebro Delta, Spain. Pretty common over there.

 

 

On a side note: there was a narrow canal running beside the wetland, with a concrete embankment. Several female mallards with ducklings were swimming along this canal to reach open water. On the embankment, two Night Herons, A Purple Heron and a Grey Heron were patiently waiting for the little snacks to come into reach. Occasionally one of them would launch an attack, but the mothers fiercely defended their off-spring and we did not see one successful catch by the Herons. The ducklings still had a long way to go, though, so I don't know if they all made it.

 

 

[PeterHG]

179. Western Orphan Warbler. Cap de Creus peninsula, Spain. Not much good as a photo, but a lifer for me, so I was very happy to get even e record shot.

 

[PeterHG]

180. Griffon Vulture. Pyrenees, Spain. No close-up views this year, but even at a distance they are impressive

 

[PeterHG]

181. Chough. Pyrenees, Spain.

 

[PeterHG]

182. Rock Thrush. Pyrenees, Spain. I had not seen this beautiful bird for many years. Not the most attractive perch, but, at least, you can still see some of the paint, they used for its breast....

 

[dlo]

Some real stand outs here @@PeterHG especially the rosefinch and hoopoe.