Sunday 11 December 2011

Eclipse moonrise, and colours at Restharrow

Got myself organised to go to the beach at Walmer to see the eclipse, which I did in company with Grandchildren who also came to watch. Suprisingly no-one else there for a look at an unusual spectacle. Somewhat delayed by low cloud, nevertheless it eventually appeared - the pics speak for themselves





On Tuesday I was at Restharrow scrape for a half-hour, playing (unsuccessfully) at spot the Jack Snipe - no it's not among these





The colours in these male Teal were irresistible, too - if they were rare we'd happily go a long way to see one



Monday 5 December 2011

A man's-eye view of a bird, and a Great Nothing Diver

 We walked round to Hope Point and back Sunday morning on the basis that it is always a pleasant walk, and also on Sunday morning it was perhaps better to be out in the gloom getting some exercise and fresh air, than to be at home looking out at it. In the event there was little to see, 'though I did play spot the Little Egret down on the rocks, and enjoyed 3 Stonechats which wouldn't pose for the camera





 At the far end of the POW pier there was a Turnstone 


and this Guillemot, a different one from that photographed by Mr Smith


Then there was a movement and a bird in the sunlit water, yippee
 Ooops, it was only a Cormorant, and so it appears the Diver had stooged off somewhere invisible, most likely round in the North and South, so this is my photo of it.
To see Phil's excellent pictures of the bird, this is his blog - http://mrphil-kearsneybirder.blogspot.com/


There was a little suprise waiting in the Wellington Dock, one of the Moorhens that occasionally spends time there