Urban Blackbird singing in Kensington Gardens

A Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) singing mid-afternoon in Kensington Gardens in London. 



 

New ambient track

Ayrshire Bird Report 2011

The 2011 edition of the Ayrshire Bird Report is now available. Essential reading for anyone visiting the county, it contains the most important bird sightings recorded in 2011 as well as informative articles on Ayrshire's avifauna. It is published by the Ayrshire Branch of the SOC (Scottish Ornithologists' Club). Details: 128 pages with eight full-colour inner pages of photographs, plus 16 pieces of artwork and 14 black and white photos. Please visit the Ayrshire Birding website for details of how to obtain your copy or e-mail me.

Fraser Simpson (Compiler & Editor)

Contents: 
Editorial by Fraser Simpson 
Pallid Harrier in Ayrshire by Gordon McAdam 
The Kestrel in Ayrshire 2011 by Gordon Riddle 
Sparrowhawk Breeding Details 2011 by Ian Todd 
River Ayr Dippers – Breeding Details 2011 by Ian Todd 
Chronological Summary by Angus Hogg 
Systematic List compiled by Fraser Simpson 
Recent Rarities & Scarcities in Ayrshire by Dave Grant, Pete McEwan, Angus Hogg 
Gazetteer of Sites in Ayrshire compiled by Fraser Simpson 
Checklist of Ayrshire Birds compiled by Angus Hogg & Fraser Simpson

Sounds of breeding egrets

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) with nesting material

Earlier this month I was on a field trip based around Zahara de los Atunes in south west Spain. One morning before breakfast I was able to visit a growing heronry/rookery with an estimated 400 pairs of Cattle Egrets, 10's of pairs of Little Egret, and around 10 pairs of Glossy Ibis, all busy incubating or nest-building. A number of Black-crowned Night Herons are probably breeding there too though are a lot more elusive and crepuscular. Spoonbills were also observed flying low over this breeding colony. I had my short/slow lens with me but managed some records shots (the light is great this far south!). I also made some sound recordings of both Cattle and Little Egrets. These are normally fairly silent birds - that is until you hear them en masse at a breeding colony!

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Goldeneye drawing

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)
More at: www.fssbirding.org.uk/sketches.htm

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House Sparrow drawing

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
More at: www.fssbirding.org.uk/sketches.htm

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Sanderling drawing

Sanderling (Calidris alba)
More at: www.fssbirding.org.uk/sketches.htm

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Kestrel drawing

Here is another  drawing from the weekend - Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Click for a larger version.

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Goosander drawing

Goosander (Mergus merganser) wing-stretching.

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Nuthatch drawing

Eurasian/Wood Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

More of my sketches can be found on the main website at:

www.fssbirding.org.uk/sketches.htm

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Mallard drawing

Drake Mallard (Anas platyrynchos) preening. 

Click for a larger version.

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Great Tit drawing

Another drawing for the forthcoming Ayrshire Bird Report. This time a Great Tit (Parus major). 

Remember, click for a larger version.

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Cormorant drawing

I've been drawing again recently in order to illustrate the forthcoming Ayrshire Bird Report. Here is the head of a Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). Click for a larger version.

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Gallery of my favourite bird photographs

I've uploaded a new 'Favourites' gallery page on my bird photography site with around 70 images, many of which have featured on this blog over the past few years. 

www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com/fave.htm

Analysing the types of photographs shows that birds in flight account for 29% of images; photos involving pairs, groups, or flocks make up 41%; those showing at least some water account for 32%; images featuring members of the family Ardeidae account for 16%; Eurasian or Sandhill Cranes feature in 22%; 57% of images were taken in the British Isles; and silhouettes are depicted in 13% of my favourites.

Another Grey Heron in flight

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), London. 

© Fraser Simpson www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

No image on this blog or related sites may be used, copied, or re-posted without permission or payment.

Bright Wings

Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), London. 

© Fraser Simpson www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

No image on this blog or related sites may be used, copied, or re-posted without permission or payment.

Blow Dry Moorhen

Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), London. 

© Fraser Simpson www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

No image on this blog or related sites may be used, copied, or re-posted without permission or payment.

Threat Posture

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), London. 

© Fraser Simpson www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

No image on this blog or related sites may be used, copied, or re-posted without permission or payment.

Nest-building Herons

Grey Herons in London are busy building and repairing nests at the moment. Much of the time it seems to be the male doing the gathering and on returning to the nest, the female does the re-arranging of twigs and small branches. 

More herons: 

www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

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Vermiculations

Gadwall (Anas strepera), Kensington Gardens, London. 

© Fraser Simpson www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

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Eye-to-eye with a Moorhen

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), Kensington Gardens, London. 

© Fraser Simpson www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

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London Herons in Breeding Plumage

Male Grey Herons are looking quite stunning at this time in late January - notice the blue lores and peachy-orange base to the beak.

More herons at:
www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

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Knot at Brent Reservoir

Sunday 20 January 2012
A trip to Brent Reservoir produced 58 species including Bearded Tit, Pintail (3), Fieldfare (17), Water Rail (2), and Jackdaw (89). The big surprise was a Knot flying around briefly in the East Marsh before moving on. Other observers picked up Turnstone and Dunlin and many recorded various wader movements around the city this weekend, no doubt all weather-related.

Egyptian Geese in the snow

Egyptian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus), Regent's Park, London. 

© Fraser Simpson www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

More: 

www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

No image on this blog or related sites may be used, copied, or re-posted without permission or payment.

Bearded Tits in Hyde Park

Surprising news surfaced via the Birdwatch office (read Dominic Mitchell's blog) and the London Birders yahoo email group on 11 January that two Bearded Tits (or Bearded Reedlings, Panurus biarmicus) had been seen in Hyde Park one month previous. Alan Gibson had reported them in a tiny reedbed on the Serpentine lake, right next to a busy path at the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain (between the Isis statue and the Lido). Park regular Ralph Hancock was sure he had heard them the previous day so Des McKenzie was on site at dawn the next morning and quickly located them. 

Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus), Hyde Park, London, 13/01/13

This was the first record for both Hyde Park and the Inner London recording area and throughout Friday many local birders nipped to the park in their lunch breaks to see them feeding away on the Phragmites, right beside the path, and just over one kilometre away from Oxford Street! I spent about 10 hours standing in the cold attempting to get some nice images over the weekend. Finally on Sunday afternoon the sun appeared and the birds performed very well. All previous images in the overcast and windy conditions of Saturday were forgotten. Hundreds of people stopped to glimpse them over the weekend - but most were not birders. Passing tourists and park regulars formed the bulk of the admirers, following their initial curiosity at the huddle of watchers and optics. 

Both these females are ringed and some detective work by various London birders and photographers has enabled a complete numerical sequence to be read and then traced by the BTO. Details have now been published on the BTO ringing 'Demog Blog' revealing that they were ringed in November 2012 at Rye Meads in Hertfordshire. 

One thing that struck me is how habitat creation of even the smallest reedbed really is worthwhile!

Photographing Inner London's first Bearded Tits (not posed by a model)

This image shows just how close the birds were to a path used by hundreds

www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

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