For anybody who is kind enough to read this blog and have enjoyed the content, I would like to introduce you to a new blog I will be writing in the future - link below.
http://thecowboybirder.com/
If you take a look at this new blog there is a brief explanation and the reason behind the new idea - I hope you enjoy my new alter ego!
My plan is to continue to write about nature conservation and environmental issues and topics on here, with 'the cowboy birder' aimed more at my birding exploits and the birding scene in general.
All comments welcome.
Friday 22 June 2012
Sunday 17 June 2012
'Ickle Bittern'
After writing about my first steps into digiscoping in my last post, the perfect chance came about this week to use the new equipment and finally get some decent photos on this blog, with the news of a Little Bittern near Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire on the river Colne, apparently giving very close views.
My first attempt to see this small Mediterranean cousin of our Bittern came on Wednesday evening after work, but this ended in failure as the Little Bittern was playing hard to get, having last been seen in flight around 3pm. I stayed until 8.30pm looking for the bird up and down the river but eventually had to give up and headed back to the car, where I found I was lucky not to have my car locked in the car park overnight, as a park warden was locking the gates for the day!
With no further news on Thursday or Friday, I thought the bird had moved on or had possibly been predated but then on Saturday morning I heard it had reappeared back on the same stretch of river apparently giving exceptional views. A quick check with Mrs Brown and I was off! Forty-five minutes later I was watching the bird catching and feeding on stickle-backs, less than twenty metres away from me - what a little stunner! And fully justifying its name, although 'Ickle' Bittern would be a more appropriate, standing less than 40 cm tall, half the size of a Bittern!
Here now was my opportunity to get some great photographs, good light conditions, barely a breeze and with a willing subject I quickly set up my tripod and scope, I fumbled through my bag feeling for my camera and adaptor ready for some amazing digiscoped images, pulling the camera from the bag I realised in my haste to get away I had left my adaptor at home!! I think b*llocks was the word I muttered under my breath as I was surrounded by long lenses and the sound of clicking cameras - once again left green with envy I would just have to enjoy everyone else's amazing photo's on their blogs!
Although a lesson learned in terms of 'less haste more speed' when exiting quickly to see a bird, the most important thing on the day was that I did see the bird, not at a distance, briefly or deep within cover, but excellent, close up and obliging views, which surely is the primary objective whenever you go birding.
You can enjoy many good photographs of the Little Bittern on any of the blogs I follow but if 'nice' scenery is more your thing, here's a photo of the River Colne!!
My first attempt to see this small Mediterranean cousin of our Bittern came on Wednesday evening after work, but this ended in failure as the Little Bittern was playing hard to get, having last been seen in flight around 3pm. I stayed until 8.30pm looking for the bird up and down the river but eventually had to give up and headed back to the car, where I found I was lucky not to have my car locked in the car park overnight, as a park warden was locking the gates for the day!
 |
| Nice man unlocking the gates - Sorry! |
With no further news on Thursday or Friday, I thought the bird had moved on or had possibly been predated but then on Saturday morning I heard it had reappeared back on the same stretch of river apparently giving exceptional views. A quick check with Mrs Brown and I was off! Forty-five minutes later I was watching the bird catching and feeding on stickle-backs, less than twenty metres away from me - what a little stunner! And fully justifying its name, although 'Ickle' Bittern would be a more appropriate, standing less than 40 cm tall, half the size of a Bittern!
Here now was my opportunity to get some great photographs, good light conditions, barely a breeze and with a willing subject I quickly set up my tripod and scope, I fumbled through my bag feeling for my camera and adaptor ready for some amazing digiscoped images, pulling the camera from the bag I realised in my haste to get away I had left my adaptor at home!! I think b*llocks was the word I muttered under my breath as I was surrounded by long lenses and the sound of clicking cameras - once again left green with envy I would just have to enjoy everyone else's amazing photo's on their blogs!
Although a lesson learned in terms of 'less haste more speed' when exiting quickly to see a bird, the most important thing on the day was that I did see the bird, not at a distance, briefly or deep within cover, but excellent, close up and obliging views, which surely is the primary objective whenever you go birding.
You can enjoy many good photographs of the Little Bittern on any of the blogs I follow but if 'nice' scenery is more your thing, here's a photo of the River Colne!!
 |
| Picturesque - But not a Little Bittern! |
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Digiscoping - first steps
My first foray into digiscoping (apart from some pretty awful iPhone scoped images) occurred over the weekend. A family weekend away to the North Norfolk coast was the perfect excuse to try out a recently purchased Swarovski UCA (Universal Camera Adaptor) attached to my scope, in order to photograph waders on the foreshore.
The two photographs below of Sanderling in their summer breeding plumage, wading in a shallow salt pool left by the lowering tide were taken on Holme beach and were probably the best of a fairly mediocre cluster of photographs I took on the day. To be fair, the light conditions were poor with overcast skies and a stiff westerly breeze to contend with, which shook the tripod causing vibrations to the camera and made focusing on a moving subject quite difficult - this was probably not the best day to choose for trying to get acclimatised with the new digiscope set up!
On the positive side, I was pleased with my first efforts (you can identify the birds and they are almost in focus!) and the digiscope set up worked how I had hoped. Setting up the equipment was quick and straight forward and I liked having the option to switch between a standard digital camera or a digital SLR if I wished to. A balance rail attached to the tripod, particularly if using an SLR camera, would be a necessity to prevent all the weight being at one end, whilst also increasing stability. With time, practice and better weather conditions I hope to improve on my initial efforts, only time will tell!
The two photographs below of Sanderling in their summer breeding plumage, wading in a shallow salt pool left by the lowering tide were taken on Holme beach and were probably the best of a fairly mediocre cluster of photographs I took on the day. To be fair, the light conditions were poor with overcast skies and a stiff westerly breeze to contend with, which shook the tripod causing vibrations to the camera and made focusing on a moving subject quite difficult - this was probably not the best day to choose for trying to get acclimatised with the new digiscope set up!
On the positive side, I was pleased with my first efforts (you can identify the birds and they are almost in focus!) and the digiscope set up worked how I had hoped. Setting up the equipment was quick and straight forward and I liked having the option to switch between a standard digital camera or a digital SLR if I wished to. A balance rail attached to the tripod, particularly if using an SLR camera, would be a necessity to prevent all the weight being at one end, whilst also increasing stability. With time, practice and better weather conditions I hope to improve on my initial efforts, only time will tell!
Set up:
- Swarovski HD 80mm scope
- 25-50x wide angle lens
- Sony Cyber-shot 13.6 mega pixel camera
Apart from the opportunity to test the digiscope, I was also aware that something of interest could potentially turn up while I was in Norfolk, and I didn't have to wait too long before I received news (thanks Hawky) of a Blyth's Reed Warbler (basically a Reed Warbler with a better song) at Warham Greens. This is probably not the best looking of birds and had it not have been so close to where we were staying I may have given this bird a miss, but I'm glad I didn't, as listening to its song alone was worth the short trip.
Brief and distant scope views of a Black-winged Stilt at Cley NNT reserve, viewed from high up at the visitors centre overlooking the marsh was also good to see, it was just a shame this bird was so elusive as this would have made a great subject for digiscoping...maybe next time!
Wednesday 6 June 2012
Diamond Jubilee weekend
The four days of Jubilee celebrations have come to an end and I've hugely enjoyed sharing the occasion with family, neighbours, old friends and new friends! And despite the rather disappointing weather for the time of year, nothing could dampen the spirits of all involved and everybody I spoke with seem to have had a jolly good time - with large amounts of cake, burgers, sausages and alcohol consumed, leaving a lot of people including myself feeling a little jaded and in the need of a good detox.
Taking advantage of the additional time off, I was up early on Saturday morning and heading towards Rainham RSPB reserve and Wennington Mound (affectionately known as Serin Mound to the regular birders) to try and see the Marsh Warbler which had been singing from this location the previous day. Arriving shortly after 6am with already half a dozen birders on site, I didn't have to wait long before I heard the Marsh Warbler break into its incredible mimicking song.
The list of birds which the Marsh Warbler incorporates into its song is truly amazing and one of the few birds I was happy not to see very well, as its song definitely makes up for its rather drab Reed Warbler like appearance. In the 3 hours I stood on the Mound listening, I tried to note the number of other birds songs/calls I could recognise amongst its broad repertoire:
House Sparrow
Swallow
Blackbird - A random alarm call mid song
Nightingale
Skylark
Blue Tit
Starling
Linnet
Yellow Wagtail
Greenfinch
Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler
Blackcap
Great Tit
And in addition I've heard other accounts of the bird giving the calls of Cetti's Warbler, Bee-eater, Little Tern and Quail.
The link below is from the Rainham Marshes RSPB website which has an excellent recording of the Marsh Warbler in full song - have a listen and see how many birds songs/calls you can identify?
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/rainhammarshes/b/rainhammarshes-blog/archive/2012/06/02/who-shall-i-be-today.aspx
If you plan to visit the Rainham RSPB reserve to listen to the Marsh Warbler, please respect the bird by keeping your distance and do not attempt to get any closer than the arranged viewing point. The Marsh Warbler is a very rare breeding bird in the UK with estimates suggesting there are possibly only between 5 - 10 pairs in the UK and any unnecessary disturbance will scupper the slim chance of this bird finding a mate and potentially breeding on the reserve - if Marsh Warbler's were to breed at Rainham this would be a great success story for the RSPB and this east London site.
Other birds of note whilst overlooking the marsh at Wennington Mound were at least 3 Cuckoo's, a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, Hobby and a distant singing Corn Bunting. Thanks also to Dominic Mitchell who got me onto a second summer Yellow-Legged Gull which would have been easily overlooked.
 |
| Jubilee street party in full swing |
Taking advantage of the additional time off, I was up early on Saturday morning and heading towards Rainham RSPB reserve and Wennington Mound (affectionately known as Serin Mound to the regular birders) to try and see the Marsh Warbler which had been singing from this location the previous day. Arriving shortly after 6am with already half a dozen birders on site, I didn't have to wait long before I heard the Marsh Warbler break into its incredible mimicking song.
The list of birds which the Marsh Warbler incorporates into its song is truly amazing and one of the few birds I was happy not to see very well, as its song definitely makes up for its rather drab Reed Warbler like appearance. In the 3 hours I stood on the Mound listening, I tried to note the number of other birds songs/calls I could recognise amongst its broad repertoire:
House Sparrow
Swallow
Blackbird - A random alarm call mid song
Nightingale
Skylark
Blue Tit
Starling
Linnet
Yellow Wagtail
Greenfinch
Whitethroat
Sedge Warbler
Blackcap
Great Tit
And in addition I've heard other accounts of the bird giving the calls of Cetti's Warbler, Bee-eater, Little Tern and Quail.
The link below is from the Rainham Marshes RSPB website which has an excellent recording of the Marsh Warbler in full song - have a listen and see how many birds songs/calls you can identify?
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/rainhammarshes/b/rainhammarshes-blog/archive/2012/06/02/who-shall-i-be-today.aspx
If you plan to visit the Rainham RSPB reserve to listen to the Marsh Warbler, please respect the bird by keeping your distance and do not attempt to get any closer than the arranged viewing point. The Marsh Warbler is a very rare breeding bird in the UK with estimates suggesting there are possibly only between 5 - 10 pairs in the UK and any unnecessary disturbance will scupper the slim chance of this bird finding a mate and potentially breeding on the reserve - if Marsh Warbler's were to breed at Rainham this would be a great success story for the RSPB and this east London site.
Other birds of note whilst overlooking the marsh at Wennington Mound were at least 3 Cuckoo's, a reeling Grasshopper Warbler, Hobby and a distant singing Corn Bunting. Thanks also to Dominic Mitchell who got me onto a second summer Yellow-Legged Gull which would have been easily overlooked.
Monday 28 May 2012
Gunpowder Park - Lee Valley
The weekend of the 19th/20th May was one of the BTO wetland bird survey (WeBS) monthly count days and I popped over to Gunpowder Park to count the wetland birds, at the same time I took a few photographs of the habitat on offer, including the wetland areas I will be counting in the coming year. The park is managed and maintained by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority and a lot of the planting is still relatively young in terms of growth as the park was only opened in 2004. In those 8 years the native hedgerows have established well and in time the newly planted trees will also mature, only adding to the changing and developing landscape. More about the nature reserve, including directions and a really useful map can be found on the link below.
http://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/nature/nature-reserve/gunpowder-park/
Just to give you a overview of Gunpowder Park and some of its charm, below is a selection of photos showing the type of habitat and wetland on offer if you were to plan a visit.
The main entrance to Gunpowder Park can be located off the A112 Sewardstone Road, just off the M25 at junction 26.
Although not the best time of year for counting our wetland birds (the winter months are a more important time for the WeBS counts, when the birds are not breeding and are more numerous in number), I did manage to see a small selection of wetland birds which you would expect at this time of year on the water around Osier marsh.
http://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/en/content/cms/nature/nature-reserve/gunpowder-park/
Just to give you a overview of Gunpowder Park and some of its charm, below is a selection of photos showing the type of habitat and wetland on offer if you were to plan a visit.
The main entrance to Gunpowder Park can be located off the A112 Sewardstone Road, just off the M25 at junction 26.
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| Main entrance and car park |
 |
| The view south from the top of the Cob Fields |
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| Open grassland - Skylark country |
 |
| Osier Marsh - main lake |
 |
| Osier Marsh - small lake |
 |
| Cattlegate flood relief channel part of the River Lee |
 |
| Maturing native hedges along a bridle pathway |
- 1 Grey Heron
- 2 Gadwall - (1 male & 1 female)
- 11 Mallard
- 1 Little Grebe
- 3 Moorhen
- 1 Coot
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Cream-coloured Courser - my wait is over
I wasn't going to write about the little bit of twitching I did this week, purely because it was never my intention to fill these column inches with rare birds; this is because when I decided to start writing a blog the concept was more about the environment and conservation, but occasionally there are exceptions to the rules - and this exception was in the form of a Cream-coloured Courser!
This bird and me have previous history...
Just to give you a little bit of background to this tale, where I grew up in Essex - only a stones throw away from the glorious mudflats and creeks of the river Thames in Pitsea, I started my new found interest in birds, joining the YOC (Young Ornithologists Club) and learning the basics of ornithology as a young impressionable teenager. Around this time in 1984 a Cream-coloured Courser was found on Hadleigh Downs (now part of 2012 Olympic mountain bike course) only a 20 minute drive from where I lived. At the time I was far too young and inexperienced to ever appreciate and understand the magnitude of this sighting, let alone have the ability to recognise one of these birds - I was far too busy trying to separate Reed from Sedge Warbler. However, the slightly older birdwatchers I would come to meet and know in the coming years around this part of Essex would always talk about this amazing bird from the deserts of Africa, and from then, the Cream-coloured Courser assumed a somewhat mythical status within me and I kind of grew up hoping but never really believing I would ever see one of these birds grace our shores. That is until Tuesday evening in sunny Herefordshire, on the hills and valleys of England highest golf course at Bradnor, after a drive of almost 4 hours, traveling 180 miles (thanks Jono) and a wait of almost 28 years, there stood before me, giving exceptional views in the most idyllic of settings was a spring adult Cream-coloured Courser....truly astounding!
As I stood watching and enjoying the bird for all its magnificence - almost Egyptian pharaoh like, with the small crowd that had gathered alongside my fellow birding companions for the trip, Jono, Sean and Tim, I felt a sense of closure, having achieved a small goal I had sub-consciously set myself almost three decades ago... it's amazing how birds, animals and wildlife in general can effect and shape our lives in very different ways.
Many thanks to Jonathan Lethbridge (Wanstead Birder) for kind permission to use one of his fine photographs.
This bird and me have previous history...
Just to give you a little bit of background to this tale, where I grew up in Essex - only a stones throw away from the glorious mudflats and creeks of the river Thames in Pitsea, I started my new found interest in birds, joining the YOC (Young Ornithologists Club) and learning the basics of ornithology as a young impressionable teenager. Around this time in 1984 a Cream-coloured Courser was found on Hadleigh Downs (now part of 2012 Olympic mountain bike course) only a 20 minute drive from where I lived. At the time I was far too young and inexperienced to ever appreciate and understand the magnitude of this sighting, let alone have the ability to recognise one of these birds - I was far too busy trying to separate Reed from Sedge Warbler. However, the slightly older birdwatchers I would come to meet and know in the coming years around this part of Essex would always talk about this amazing bird from the deserts of Africa, and from then, the Cream-coloured Courser assumed a somewhat mythical status within me and I kind of grew up hoping but never really believing I would ever see one of these birds grace our shores. That is until Tuesday evening in sunny Herefordshire, on the hills and valleys of England highest golf course at Bradnor, after a drive of almost 4 hours, traveling 180 miles (thanks Jono) and a wait of almost 28 years, there stood before me, giving exceptional views in the most idyllic of settings was a spring adult Cream-coloured Courser....truly astounding!
As I stood watching and enjoying the bird for all its magnificence - almost Egyptian pharaoh like, with the small crowd that had gathered alongside my fellow birding companions for the trip, Jono, Sean and Tim, I felt a sense of closure, having achieved a small goal I had sub-consciously set myself almost three decades ago... it's amazing how birds, animals and wildlife in general can effect and shape our lives in very different ways.
 |
| The mythical Cream-coloured Courser |
Many thanks to Jonathan Lethbridge (Wanstead Birder) for kind permission to use one of his fine photographs.
Sunday 20 May 2012
East London excites!
I thought I would let the dust settle before writing about this week’s exciting events. On Wednesday morning I received information of a Melodious Warbler having been seen and heard in Leyton (E10 - London), after digesting the news and confirming the sighting was genuine I planned to try and see the bird that evening after work.
A Melodious Warbler is an infrequent visitor to UK, typically seen in the spring or autumn around the usual coastal birdwatching hot-spots like Dungeness, Portland or Languard with around 50 birds recorded most years. But somehow this particular bird on its way to breeding grounds in Central/Western mainland Europe after wintering in Sub-Saharan Africa overshot its usual route and landed in deepest East London! This is only the 8th time a Melodious Warbler has ever been recorded within London’s boundaries.
After a mad dash in the car after work with two young children in tow - my wife had already made plans to go out that evening (typical!), we reached the location at around 6.30pm. Following a short wait with several other birders, somebody picked up the bird in a nearby hedge, alongside the volleyball courts (which are being used as practice courts ahead of this years 2012 Olympics). After brief but good enough views and with the two restless children edging closer and closer to a busy main road, I decided to cut my losses, happy I had seen the bird and headed the short distance home.
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| One of my two children, who enjoyed the adventure. |
What struck me most about seeing the Melodious Warbler wasn't the bird itself (although very nice) was the location in which the bird had chosen to spend a few days. Although nicely fenced off so nobody could walk through the area, this overgrown patch of rough ground was no bigger than a decent sized back garden with long uncut grass, mature hedge plants and a couple of medium sized trees, all squeezed between a row of terraced houses and a tennis court (temporarily a volleyball court) and very close to a main road in the middle of the urban metropolis that is the East End of London - amazing!
I did notice this green but unkempt area seemed to be an absolute haven for midges and insects, which is the perfect diet for this type of bird. This, coupled with the secure fencing which obviously keeps people and other animals out thus reducing the amount of disturbance, must all have contributed to the birds choice of location - but still of all the places for a bird like this to show up! Which only goes to prove how important these small green urban oasis are for our towns and cities, not just for this rare bird but far more importantly for the micro ecology which occurs in all our gardens and parks, supporting not just our birds but the insects, bees, butterflies and wildflowers.
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