Autumn Light

Did I say nice light last weekend? Beautiful light this weekend.

Larger versions here: www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

Kowa TSN-883 Prominar Scope

I've upgraded my field 'scope after nine years using the Kowa 821 (and still working just fine). Now with the Kowa 883 I need a pair of shades before looking into the eyepiece!! The image is incredible - superb clarity and sharpness thanks to the fluorite crystal glass. Testing it out at lunchtime yesterday in Regent's Park - exciting opportunities there, I know - I tried hand holding my compact camera (Canon Powershot A640) to get an idea of what this combination can do should the need arise. Best examples below...

London WWT

Nice light this afternoon...

Grey Heron Study

Immature Grey Heron on the Longwater in Central London...

More Kensington

SHP Vis Mig

Friday 12th
Visible migration this morning over Sunny Hill Park (TQ227900), North London, 0745-0845h:
Very little... Skylark (1) & Redwing (2).
Blackcap in subsong at Hendon Central tube station.
Weather: overcast, fog, drizzle, no wind.

Thursday 11th
Vis mig this morning over SHP, 0730-0830h:
Redwing (74), Meadow Pipit (46), Chaffinch (44), Greenfinch (20), Jackdaw (4), Fieldfare (4), Skylark (1) & Grey Wagtail (1).
Weather: clear sky overhead, thick fog to the north & very light SW wind.

Rooking for Crows

I've just finished reading Crow Country by Mark Cocker and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates traditional natural history writing. After a couple of chapters I wanted to go out and look at Rooks afresh. This wasn't possible, living in north London, but it reminded me of Rooks, rookeries and their roosts while growing up in Scotland and how they would occasionally pass over the garden in their hundreds after dark. Mark Cocker writes of a personal journey into the world of the Rook, from his discovery of the spectacular dusk movements of 40000 birds in the Norfolk’s Yare valley, to exploratory trips throughout the British Isles as his fascination deepened. He deftly blends observation, theory, science and intuition, which draws the reader into a new understanding of this relatively ignored species. His writing is at times, quite poetic without becoming sentimental. This book also reveals as much about the landscapes and people who have shared them with the Rook as the British countryside has changed over the centuries. I think most people who read this book will begin to look at our common birds in a new way.

China Stamps

Thanks to Ningning for these stamps from China depicting White Wagtail (looks like the race leucopsis - sometimes called Amur Wagtail), White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Northern Shoveler.