Farlington Fantastica!!

First trip to Farlington Marshes today and now I've realise it is so close I'am sure I will be going more often...especially after today!!

Main target was the wryneck and it had been seen today...so finders were crossed! When we arrived it had just gone out of site and was not seen again for some time.

Feeling depressed especially as it seemed little bird life at all was there I practised with my lense on an abiding robin before I was told the wryneck had been relocated further along the sea wall...thanks to Dave Wallace for the heads up! Waiting only a few seconds there it was on a post about 20 feet away, not really expecting to see it I didnt have my camera set up (lesson to be learnt) but who cares, my first wryneck!! Get in!! Enjoyed prolonged views of it on and off for several hours with other goodies keeping us all entertained when it was rummaging around for ants out of site.

Few pics of the wryneck:

Whilst waiting for the wryneck to re-appear we had good views of merlin hunting small passerines and a distant view of an osprey eating a fish across Langstone Harbour. Lots of other goodies too and, after a very slow start, it turned out to be a fantastic days birding! Few other photos from the trip:
Heron:

Dragonfly sp..not sure which..?:

Brief New Forest walk

Was abit of a 'finch-fest' in the New Forest today as well as there being lots of goldcrest.


One flock landed in the trees above us and it contain chaffinch, redpole and siskin. When this flock had moved on a group of 3 crossbill flew over one landing in tree a fair distance away (too far for photos) but still good views.

Also noticed a few chiffchaff knocking about.





Watching from acres down we had great views of common buzzard fighting. Also had fly overs of several jay and a bullfinch.





Managed to get few ok shots with the new lense:

Jackdaw:

Long-tailed tit:

Blackbird:

The new lense..

Finally got a telephoto lense (canon 300mm f4). Had a quick go with it in my VERY small student accomodation back garden in bad light, this was the result:

Wren:

House sparrow:

More Hong Kong

A few photos of a dragonfly seen in HK, it is an Orthetrum pruinosum... I think.

One final cose up of it..

Hong Kong

Had a great two weeks in Hong Kong, lots of wildlife and here are a few of the photos from out there.

Not sure what species this is but a great little fella.

As soon as you travel anywhere with more plant cover nephila spiders can been seen everywhere. Some where huge and the much smaller males could be seen trying their luck!

My favourite birds of the holiday where the black kites that could be seen everywhere soaring around the high rise buildings. Unfortunatly I did not get a good picture of these. Here is a few pics of some black-naped terns which were following our boat when traveling back from peng chau.

Finally the brightest bird I have ever seen, and the image colour has not been altered believe it or not! fantastic colours of the black-capped lory:

This is the boat we used to get across to the island where the common terns and black headed gulls are nesting. Also there are good numbers of tufty nests and one lesser black backed gull nest. The boat only takes 3 at a time and has one oar which made it fun in the wind today!!
Myself with one of the common tern chicks, we were colour and metal (BTO ring) ringing the tern chicks. Around 10 we caught today and 15 before.
A very mature tern chick still without a ring which was a good find on the island and a good catch as it can likely fly at this stage!!
The sky at broom near the sand martin roost, very impressive and a great end to an enjoyable evening.

Tern/Gull ringing at Broom GP

Nice evening ringing at Broom, with lots of common terns and black headed gull chicks to be rung. Also the sand martin roost there this evening was huge with many birds circuling over head and into to willow saplings. Was a good opportunity to try the new camera and get some pics of the action, nothing spectacular but only have a 'kit' lense for now!