Birders' Nest

[Iota]

Bogglement, eh?

*Thanks to Archimedes, we understand why ducks can float on water. Thread duty.*

Yes indeed. Electricity between the past and the present is a powerful thing.

*Thanks to Archimedes, we understand why ducks can float on water. Thread duty.*

And if thread duty is becoming a thing here, my rather pathetic attempt to adhere (but at least has a duck-ly connection with your learned example) is that I discovered the colour teal is named after the Eurasian Teal which has a similarly coloured stripe on its head.

[Iota]

This morning, just as I was making coffee, the starling gang charged in with their flick-knives and winklepickers.
My camera was close to hand (you have to give me points for this, #owlice) and so I was able to record the event. They are handsome, of course - but in their own 'watch it or I'll stab you in the eye' manner.

Teddy Boys. Bird Sharks.

Brilliant, pics, ER! The character that looks to me like the gang leader in the top pic, cuts a very impressive figure!

[Elgarian Redux]

Yes indeed. Electricity between the past and the present is a powerful thing.

And if thread duty is becoming a thing here, my rather pathetic attempt to adhere (but at least has a duck-ly connection with your learned example) is that I discovered the colour teal is named after the Eurasian Teal which has a similarly coloured stripe on its head.

A brilliant intervention of thread-duty! The mods should give you a medal!

Answer me this, anybody. Where else can one find a net thrown so wide as to encompass ancient artefacts, birds in profusion, Archimedes, the manner of the floating of ducks with illustration, the origin of the colour teal, and the idea of electrical flow between past and present? Where? Here, boys and girls! That's where.

[Iota]

Answer me this, anybody. Where else can one find a net thrown so wide as to encompass ancient artefacts, birds in profusion, Archimedes, the manner of the floating of ducks with illustration, the origin of the colour teal, and the idea of electrical flow between past and present? Where? Here, boys and girls! That's where.

.

[Elgarian Redux]

Back to Morecambe promenade yesterday, and a walk along the stone jetty. From here you see the whole of Morecambe Bay - a renowned birding location (but not especially in Morecambe itself). And in truth we did see birds, and here are some poor photographs of them. Many were at a distance, so the photos stretched the limits of my camera.

There are bird sculptures scattered around the jetty, like those below, and some real birds too, like this herring gull, and a common gull on the beach below. Also oystercatchers, but too far away to get a crisp photo.

[Elgarian Redux]

[Continuing the expedition into darkest Morecambe.]

Lots of redshanks poking about in the mud (I think they are all redshanks, but if someone knows better please tell me). The first shot shows the context, and the second gets as close to the birds as I can go.

[Elgarian Redux]

And finally, penetrating where only millions have penetrated before, we spotted a lesser black-backed gull. (At least, I think that's what it was - it was some distance away and there was no context by which to judge its size.)

And finally finally, a context shot across the bay, looking north.

[Elgarian Redux]

There was a goldfinch on one of the feeders in the garden this lunchtime which was remarkable for two reasons:
1. He was more of a borb (I hope I'm using the term correctly) than any goldfinch I've ever seen before. They are normally stocky birds, but never cuddly round bundles.
2. He was settled for good, it seemed. He sat there patiently while I fiddled with the camera, dipping into the feeder for a snack every once in a while. (I wonder if he is a perpetually-snacking goldfinch, and maybe that explains his borblike form?)

Anyway, here he is, below:

[Iota]

What a dainty gait!

There was a goldfinch on one of the feeders in the garden this lunchtime which was remarkable for two reasons:
1. He was more of a borb (I hope I'm using the term correctly) than any goldfinch I've ever seen before. They are normally stocky birds, but never cuddly round bundles.
2. He was settled for good, it seemed. He sat there patiently while I fiddled with the camera, dipping into the feeder for a snack every once in a while. (I wonder if he is a perpetually-snacking goldfinch, and maybe that explains his borblike form?)

Anyway, here he is, below:

Haha, looks unequivocally borb-like to me! Rather strikingly fluffy too!

[Elgarian Redux]

What a dainty gait!

In the early 19th century he'd have been a dandy.

[Elgarian Redux]

Woke up this morning to torrential non-stop rain, and decided to go to the Midland Hotel for coffee regardless, to watch the rain falling on the sea. We got there, and out of the blue it stopped raining so we were able to go out along the jetty for a walk.

From the end of the jetty we saw a bird behaving like a diver, and couldn't identify it. Smallish, mostly grey-brown, with a clear white throat. Grebe of some sort? It didn't look recognisable. But back home, looking at the bird guide, there it was: a Little Grebe but in winter plumage. Sure enough, little grebes are common in Morecambe Bay.

'Where's the photo,' you will ask? Well you see, it was raining so hard this morning, and the forecast was hopeless, so I left the camera at home.

[Iota]

In the early 19th century he'd have been a dandy.

Haha yes, perfect description.

winter plumage.

Yes, I wondered if the goldfinch's particular fluffiness might be something to do with winter plumage, and indeed the approach of winter a possible trigger for its 'perpetual snacking'.

[Elgarian Redux]

Yes, I wondered if the goldfinch's particular fluffiness might be something to do with winter plumage, and indeed the approach of winter a possible trigger for its 'perpetual snacking'.

I hadn't thought of that. I couldn't decide whether he'd put on weight, or was just fluffed up. However, I've now discovered that there's a parasitic disease called Trichomonosis, to which finches are prone, and which causes them to fluff up and become ill. (To confuse matters further, it seems that many birds fluff up simply to keep out the cold.)

Our borb didn't seem to be ill - he took off perfectly well after a few minutes - no trouble flying. But clearly we need to monitor the situation carefully.

[Elgarian Redux]

We had a pheasantosaur invasion this morning, and I was able to get some good shots of one of them because she hung around for a while:

[Elgarian Redux]

I've been trying to get a decent shot of a bird shark, sorry, starling - and maybe this is the best I've got so far, though not quite so crisp as I'd like.

[Elgarian Redux]

Great excitement this morning: a treecreeper on the pine tree in the garden. Grabbed the camera. Click click click click click. Gone. No time for careful composition - it was all hit and miss. Only one of the shots was any use at all, and here it is below.

We see treecreepers in the garden (always on the scots pine tree) maybe once, twice a year, and that's all. So it's a thrill to see one back here. The treecreeper, I find, is one of those birds, like the dunnock, which is instantly recognisable for its 'jizz', long before any detail of plumage is seen. You just see it move, and you know what it is.

[owlice]

Oh, the places I've been, the things I've seen, and the tasks I've done! All boring and of no interest, but time-consuming, tiring, and a few still on-going.

But I have GOT to get rid of some of my tabs, so here are a couple of photos I wanted to post but why I wanted to post them, I don't remember so please conjecture however you'd like and I'll go along with it.

Here's a baby Southern White Rhinoceros from last month's Kenya excursion:


And here's a Grey Heron from a couple of years ago, one of my (rare) BIF pics that came out okay (bet the bird had a headwind; that usually helps with BIF pics!):


Back into the maw; things should be (had better be!) more normal next week.

[Iota]

Great excitement this morning: a treecreeper on the pine tree in the garden. Grabbed the camera. Click click click click click. Gone. No time for careful composition - it was all hit and miss. Only one of the shots was any use at all, and here it is below.

We see treecreepers in the garden (always on the scots pine tree) maybe once, twice a year, and that's all. So it's a thrill to see one back here. The treecreeper, I find, is one of those birds, like the dunnock, which is instantly recognisable for its 'jizz', long before any detail of plumage is seen. You just see it move, and you know what it is.

Yes I can imagine that must be a wonderfully life-enhancing feeling seeing such a rare visitor back again. Lucky you!

Oh, the places I've been, the things I've seen, and the tasks I've done! All boring and of no interest, but time-consuming, tiring, and a few still on-going.

But I have GOT to get rid of some of my tabs, so here are a couple of photos I wanted to post but why I wanted to post them, I don't remember so please conjecture however you'd like and I'll go along with it.

Here's a baby Southern White Rhinoceros from last month's Kenya excursion:


And here's a Grey Heron from a couple of years ago, one of my (rare) BIF pics that came out okay (bet the bird had a headwind; that usually helps with BIF pics!):


Back into the maw; things should be (had better be!) more normal next week.

Your opening sentence sounds like the beginning of a blues song .. hope things aren't too tough. Good luck out there in the wicked world.
You come bearing rich gifts as ever though. That baby White Rhinoceros is an almost impossibly cute sight to behold! And the Heron in flight a brilliant shot! (You had been talking about how, good as your camera is, you struggle to get satisfactory shots of BIF with it, so perhaps that's what prompted the posting of that one?) Both photos that are pretty life-enhancing too!

 

[Elgarian Redux]

Oh, the places I've been, the things I've seen, and the tasks I've done! All boring and of no interest, but time-consuming, tiring, and a few still on-going.

So boring were the things I've done.
And all the tedious things I've seen.
Turgid places I have been,
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah.
Ohhh yeah.

But I have GOT to get rid of some of my tabs, so here are a couple of photos I wanted to post but why I wanted to post them, I don't remember so please conjecture however you'd like and I'll go along with it.

Here's a baby Southern White Rhinoceros from last month's Kenya excursion:

You brought him home with you, right?

And here's a Grey Heron from a couple of years ago, one of my (rare) BIF pics that came out okay (bet the bird had a headwind; that usually helps with BIF pics!):

Kerpow! That is a blisteringly fine Heron-in-Flight! Such grace. Such magisterial ease.

Back into the maw; things should be (had better be!) more normal next week.

Our fingers are crossed.