Cramming

Despite having emptied the brownie point jar, and then pawned the jar itself, to dip on a partridge of dubious parentage on 2nd Jan, my family took pity and allowed me to cram as much birding as possible in to the last weekend of the Christmas holiday before I had to return to work this week. Of light, there was none; of birds, there were plenty. That's my excuse anyway for a large collection of not very good photos of a diversity of species below.

Sanderling, Sandbanks

Sanderling Sandbanks

Two Spoonbills still close in to the end of the PC World drain in Holes Bay

Spoonbill, Holes Bay

Spotted Redshank near the Spoonbill

Leaving no stone unturned

I gather young Joe Mitchell is doing a photo year list for 2015 and, needing an additional incentive to get out myself at the moment, I'm thinking of following suit. If I don't get out as much as I hope, it could all end in frustration and I'll pretend I never tried. But if all goes well, it will be interesting to see how I get on. So apologies if a larger than usual amount of trash starts appearing in this portal over the coming months. Usual rules for photo lists are that the photo doesn't have to be great but the species does have to be identifiable, so while I will aspire to doing better than just identifiable, there will be times when I will probably settle for it. Like now. 14 already posted this year, plus 3 above, so the numbering starts here at #18.

Shag, Sandbanks #18

Bar-tailed Godwit, Shore Road #19

Curlew, Shore Road #20

Little Egret, Holes Bay #21

Meadow Pipit, Studland #22

Rock Pipit, Sandbanks #23 - 4th pipit photographed this year. Only Tree, Water, Tawny, Olive-backed, Buff-bellied, Red-throated and Pechora to go...

Sorry to end on a sour note (have you not read this blog before?) but I was reminded of one of the perils of wildlife photography when taking one of these pictures: getting low to the ground to photograph Sanderlings at Sandbanks, I discovered to my dismay that I had been lying in dog waste. This wasn't innocently lost in the sand stuff either, it was at the end of one of the fancy flat-topped groynes about which I wrote in December. Come on people, bag it and bin it, it's gross.


Black-necked Grebe, Studland #24

Red-necked Grebe, Studland #25

A redhead Smew was a surprise bird in Holes Bay - here sandwiched between two female Goldeneye #26

Smart bird, the Smew

Drake Wigeon in Holes Bay - one of over 300 present on Sunday #27

Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Studland #28

No Sanderlings on Studland Beach. Can't think why.