City Cormorants

Cormorants on the Longwater in Kensington Gardens, central London.

Ayrshire Birds

Home to Ayrshire this weekend. I couldn't make up my mind if I should take the 'scope or the lens (luggage limited by coach travel) both of which have different tripods/heads. The forecast was bad but plumped for the camera and lens anyway. Below are a few photos from Irvine Harbour and Barassie. Usual good stuff at Bogside with good numbers of Golden Plover. Also Red-breasted Merganser, Peregrine, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whooper Swan, Short-eared Owl, etc. The Med Gull is from Barassie which more or less flew right into the frame. Waiting on the tide to bring it in towards me (hidden in the low dune) the local psycho decided to scare it off (after having previously seen off some road verge feeding Oystercatchers about half a mile away). Was this guy following me around? The crab-eating female Eider below was in Irvine Harbour.

New Photo Website

As of now my photographs will have a new home on a separate website but this blog will continue as normal.
Please visit www.frasersimpson-birdphotography.com

Ruddy Ducks!

I just searched for 'Ruddy Duck cull' on the RSPB website while looking for the latest information amongst various sources. Here are the results...

Search results
Searched for 'ruddy duck cull'
Results 1 - 2 of about 9.

Did you mean: ruddy duck call

You know, I don't believe I've ever heard one vocalise... apart from the bubbling display of the male which is really mechanically produced. Maybe they do call, just as they are knocked out of the sky. As long the species is kept in wildfowl collections in the UK it is unlikely to ever be completely eradicated. Click here for a nice photo of some ruddies.

Kensington Gardens Gull

A few more pics of the Yellow-legged Gull from the Longwater on Sunday 15th October...

Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens

The Serpentine and the Round Pond can be good for photographing species which are less approachable outside the city. Reflections from the bankside trees also create some nice colours at this time of year.

London Wetland Centre

Quite a few Water Rails around now - none showing well for photographs. Couple of Stonechats in now but no Jack Snipe yet. It's surprising how many people drive here considering the reserve has it's very own bus stop. So much so that there was a traffic jam towards closing time today! Ok, most of this was converging from the nearby sports centre/playing field (obviously not sporty enough to walk there though) but it meant that this delayed anyone waiting on a bus out! The heron below doesn't have a bad eye - I think it just recognises me now...

Website Gallery Updates

I've added some mammal and reptiles photos from Arizona to the main website:

http://www.fssbirding.org.uk/Amphibreptilephotographs.htm

http://www.fssbirding.org.uk/Mammalphotographs.htm

Arizona Trip Report

I've uploaded a trip report for my recent visit to southeast Arizona to my website....

http://www.fssbirding.org.uk/arizona2006trip.htm

Larger versions of bird photographs posted here previously can be found at:

http://www.fssbirding.org.uk/arizonabirdphotos01.htm

http://www.fssbirding.org.uk/arizonabirdphotos02.htm

http://www.fssbirding.org.uk/arizonabirdphotos03.htm

Mus musculus

Photographed this House Mouse along the River Thames near Tower Bridge last Saturday. Just a chance shot while doing touristy things for Lisa's birthday.

When this mouse grows up she wants to be a mouse-astronaut...

See: http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/livingthings/20jan_marsmice.html

Or visit some new friends in Cyprus: http://www.dur.ac.uk/news/newsitem/?itemno=4778