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.

Fortunately, unfortunately...

Yesterday was the occasion of my birthday - a nicely symmetrical if not entirely welcome 44 (I know! I don't think I look it either!) - and I had great plans for the day. After tearing open my presents and refusing to share them with my children (well, they did the same to me at Christmas), top of the list was to photograph some nearby Waxwings with a new Canon 7D camera for which I have been saving for months.

Common Sandpiper, Holes Bay

Unfortunately, the first part of this plan - saving for months - went horribly wrong, forcing me to bide my time and wait for an interest free credit deal to come along. Fortunately, as my birthday approached, I remembered that I was impatient and feckless so resolved to buy one on my credit card. Unfortunately, no sooner had I resolved this than I lost my wallet on the train (special thanks to whoever picked it up somewhere between Dorchester and Weymouth and forgot to hand it in. I'm sure you meant to, and it spared me from an expensive impulse buy).

Grey Wagtail, Holes Bay

Fortunately, by the end of the week my new card had arrived, and a leading national camera retailer also had an interest free credit offer on. Just after Christmas the 7D also came down to a respectable price in their January sale. Unfortunately, the leading national camera retailer was Jessops and they went into administration just as I was about to lift the straw which broke the camel's back.


Spotted Redshank, Holes Bay

Fortunately, my trusty 40D is still in good working order, and, feeling guilty for flirting with the idea of replacing it, on Sunday morning - with the first blue skies for days - I locked and loaded it to a 400mm lens. Unfortunately, no-one told the Waxwings who had had enough of Landers Reach, Lime Kiln Road, Turbetts Close, Ramsay Street, Brookside Close, Rodeo Drive and every other thouroughfare I searched in Lytchett Matravers, where they had spent several days plundering suburban hedgerows for berries. Fortunately, I can now get a job as a taxi driver there - I've done the 'knowledge' - and can start saving for that camera all over again.

Little Egret, Holes Bay

Even more fortunately, Holes Bay was nearby and the tide was on the turn, so some quality time with its wintering birds and the family still made my day. Happy Birthday, me. I deserve it.