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Peter's Big Year 2017


PeterHG

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Well I'm lagging behind as many fellow-birders have already made an impressive start here, so it's about time I joined. The main reason for the delay is that I have just returned from a rather long stay in South Africa (being retired has its advantages) and that I have a long way to go before all my photographs have been approved or binned. But let's do this chronologically, by showing some shots of the first seven days of the year. I left the country on 8th of January. I'll try and do a trip report later on, but that is a daunting task, as I will have to do it from memory (and a little help from the Dutch blog I wrote on the road). So here we go, all taken from 1-7 January:

 

1. Hawfinch (Soest, Netherlands). Not at all common, and a long time since I'd seen one, so off to a good start

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Edited by PeterHG
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2. Siskin (Soest, Netherlands) Category EBC....

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3. Red Crossbil, (Soest Netherlands) Very much the same category as before, but also one I don't see every year, so happy with the sighting

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4. Goosander, male (Arkemheen, Netherlands). There are still a few around, but not for much longer.

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5. Mute Swan (Arkemheen, Netherlands). Always impressive in flight'

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6. Herring Gull (Arkemheen, Netherlands)

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7. Grey Heron (Arkemheen, Netherlands)

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8. Eurasian Wigeon (Arkemheen, Netherlands)

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9. Black-backed Gull (Amersfoort, Netherlands). Caught flying over a local frozen lake.

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10. Jackdaw (Amersfoort, Netherlands).

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11. Eurasian Coot (Amersfoort, Netherlands). On the same frozen lake.

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12. Lesser Black-backed Gull (Amersfoort, Netherlands). This concludes the photo collection of the first week here.

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@@PeterHG

Great to see you involved again. Beautiful photos to start us off. I am sure a long trip means a ot of bird photos :)

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Peter Connan

A beautiful start Peter!

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The next batch were all taken in/near Hermanus, South Africa between 8th and 11th January this year.

13. Black Oystercatcher. A lifer for me and what a beautiful bird!

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14. Kelp Gull. Very common along the coast, but a lifer for me all the same.

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15. A distant Caspian Gull. The only one of the trip,

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16. Little Swift. Pretty hard to get a shot of,

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17. Cape Robin Chat.

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18. Pin-tailed Whydah. Not a very pretty setting for this beautiful bird, but it was the only chance I got.

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19. European Starling. What a familiar sight in the garden of our SA B&B...

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20, Cape Sugarbird. Another lifer, this spectacular bird

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@@PeterHG - great to see that you're off to such a strong start. Beautiful images including of some that I missed on my trip - my favourite is the Cape Sugarbird.

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@@PeterHG

I agree that the Cape Sugarbird is a beautiful photo (and a beautiful bird), but so is the Starling.

I am not an expert on gulls (I find them very difficult to identify and I know nothing about those found in South Africa!) - but your Caspian Gull looks very tern-like to me.What do you think?

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@@PeterHG

I agree that the Cape Sugarbird is a beautiful photo (and a beautiful bird), but so is the Starling.

I am not an expert on gulls (I find them very difficult to identify and I know nothing about those found in South Africa!) - but your Caspian Gull looks very tern-like to me.What do you think?

You are absolutely right! @@TonyQ! I have no idea why I typed Gull.....age probably ;)
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