Quantity v quality

Well my 2015 photo year list finally ended on 240 species, the final addition being some colourful Crossbills in Wareham Forest photographed on 29th December. While I never set a target exactly, I said earlier in the year that I would be disappointed not to get to 200 and delighted to get to 250; so just short of delighted will have to do. 250 was definitely within reach, but would have meant doing things like going to Hampshire for Ferruginous and Ring-necked Ducks, and to be honest I wasn't that committed! The real value of the exercise was undoubtedly the extra impetus it provided to get out and about, and it certainly helped achieve that when motivation was lacking.

The down side of the photo yearlist was the compulsion to post even lower quality pictures than normal, and I haven't exactly been too precious about photographic quality over the years! Even so, I don't think I'll try to repeat the exercise in 2016, and will try to raise the quality of the offerings above last year's level. Starting with a few subjects from the first days of 2016 around the north shore of Poole Harbour. In the effort to raise quality over quantity, some light would help, but there hasn't been much of that yet this year in Dorset, so high ISO ratings have had to come to the rescue.

A pair of Purple Sandpipers bathing in the surf at North Haven this afternoon

As long as you are patient and don't mind risking wet feet, close views can be had

This Great Northern Diver was very close in off Baiter Park on New Year's Day

Water off a diver's back

Brent Geese have also been feeding close to the Baiter Park car park

Bad weather suppressed the disturbance from dog walkers yesterday but they were back out in force today

Rock Pipit on the beach at Baiter

The same bird on the flooded playing fields

The distinctive wing pattern of Turnstone in flight

Turnstone feeding on the beach at Baiter