Photos:
Juvenile Grey Phalarope and adult Sabine's Gull at Grafham Water
19th September
HGF early doors yielded a drake Wigeon – the first returning bird of the year. Otherwise pretty much same as last time. A quick check of the feeding station and 16 Tree Sparrows were present but no sign of the House Sparrow flock. Then off to Birmingham to continue the daily slog.
20th September
Back from Brum this evening. A quick pit stop at Moat Lane pools confirmed that Mute Swan JP4 is back from his wanderings. Nothing much else about.
HGF late on was not much different. The sole returned Wigeon is still around. In the stubble field opposite the kennels was a loose covey of 42 Grey Partridges. This split with 10 birds breaking off and flying over towards Myddleton Farm. Another covey, numbers unknown, was skulking in undergrowth near Midhops.
21st September
HGF early on was one of those enjoyable visits. It was a sunnier and more cheery day and there were plenty of birds kicking around. The covey of 32 Grey Partridges was in the south field along with four Skylarks and 21 Meadow Pipits. On the wires were 71 Collared Doves and a few Swallows and a House Martin flew through. The long-staying Teal was back (I wonder where she goes when she disappears?), still just the single Wigeon and an increase in Tufties with 48 birds present. A couple of Canada Geese were new in and the first autumn flock of Lapwings appeared with 31 birds wheeling over the pool this morning.
On the way into Burtonwood this morning I noticed 21 Common Gulls on the rugby pitch with the Black-headed Gulls. Curiously 20-30 of these birds will typically spend most of the winter here. A sizeable flock of Canada Geese flew over. At the feeding station were 34 House Sparrows and 6 Tree Sparrows.
Mid afternoon I passed within striking distance of Frodsham. I had only a brief stop at No. 6 tank. Most of the birds were on the far side and the glare of the sun made viewing virtually impossible. Another birder came passed – he had apparently just seen a Great White Egret in flight down the ship canal! Plenty of House Martins over the water, Sparrowhawk, Kestrels and Buzzard seen plus a Raven and a flock of Goldfinches. Unfortunately I didn’t have time for proper birding.
22nd September
Working away again but somewhere different to Birmingham for a change. After work I visited Grafham Water which was about 20 mins from where I was working. I spent two hours gazing at an adult Sabine’s Gull and a Grey Phalarope which were both showing ridiculously well on the dam. Oh and I did see three Yellow Wagtails!
Writing this much later I find that I have inadvertently made the news in Bird Watching Magazine. In an article Mike Weedon comments on the furore in Cambridgeshire at the apparently appalling behaviour of two photographers who walked onto the lower dam wall at Grafham. Weedon’s article is fair and explores the rationale behind trying to get closer views of birds and makes the point that maybe it is not just about the photography. Being one of the two “photographers” pilloried by the locals in Cambridgeshire I feel I need to discuss this topic.
I was completely unaware of the discussions that I and another birder had provoked and the general allegations were that we climbed over the dam wall, tried to get point blank photos, were inconsiderate and flushed the birds and placed the future of the reserve at risk (slightly bizarre one that last allegation).
This is what really happened. Firstly fishermen regularly walk along the lower dam wall and several did so. The birds reaction was to simply fly around the fishermen and drop down onto the dam wall behind them. We watched this carefully and the first photographer (never got his name) decided to go onto the lower dam wall – I decided to follow suit. We didn’t climb over the wall as many claimed – there is a path to the lower wall! How else do the fishermen get there?
We didn’t go for point blank shots – we both sat back at least 30 feet from the water edge where the birds were. We sat out in sight so that the birds could see us and let the birds come to us, which the phalarope did. The photos I got from this position were frankly crap and the ones I use were all digiscoped from the upper dam wall. Maybe to reinforce the point that Weedon was trying to make in this article – I really enjoyed seeing the bird from a different perspective. It was only within photographing range for perhaps 10 seconds, however it was in view through the bins as it approached and went past for at least 10 minutes. A cracking bird and the views are what I remember! PS – the birds didn’t flush and the world didn’t end.
I think that they are a suspicious bunch are many birders. It is always someone trying to flush the bird, it always leaves because it was hassled (never because it simply wants to) and anyone doing something to get better, closer views or take a photograph is out of order. Funny too how birders with a camera are always labelled as “photographers”, never birders! I do accept that there some birders trying to take photographs who do step over the line. Likewise I have seen well known and respected birders trample over all sorts of breeding habitat to flush a rare bird (in the north west) that wasn’t showing when they wanted it to. I decided to assess the risk and for me it paid off. One last point – the only other birder present at the time we were there (and therefore the only person who could have raised this issue publicly) was shown by me where the birds were and spent quite a bit just chatting to us!
HGF early doors yielded a drake Wigeon – the first returning bird of the year. Otherwise pretty much same as last time. A quick check of the feeding station and 16 Tree Sparrows were present but no sign of the House Sparrow flock. Then off to Birmingham to continue the daily slog.
20th September
Back from Brum this evening. A quick pit stop at Moat Lane pools confirmed that Mute Swan JP4 is back from his wanderings. Nothing much else about.
HGF late on was not much different. The sole returned Wigeon is still around. In the stubble field opposite the kennels was a loose covey of 42 Grey Partridges. This split with 10 birds breaking off and flying over towards Myddleton Farm. Another covey, numbers unknown, was skulking in undergrowth near Midhops.
21st September
HGF early on was one of those enjoyable visits. It was a sunnier and more cheery day and there were plenty of birds kicking around. The covey of 32 Grey Partridges was in the south field along with four Skylarks and 21 Meadow Pipits. On the wires were 71 Collared Doves and a few Swallows and a House Martin flew through. The long-staying Teal was back (I wonder where she goes when she disappears?), still just the single Wigeon and an increase in Tufties with 48 birds present. A couple of Canada Geese were new in and the first autumn flock of Lapwings appeared with 31 birds wheeling over the pool this morning.
On the way into Burtonwood this morning I noticed 21 Common Gulls on the rugby pitch with the Black-headed Gulls. Curiously 20-30 of these birds will typically spend most of the winter here. A sizeable flock of Canada Geese flew over. At the feeding station were 34 House Sparrows and 6 Tree Sparrows.
Mid afternoon I passed within striking distance of Frodsham. I had only a brief stop at No. 6 tank. Most of the birds were on the far side and the glare of the sun made viewing virtually impossible. Another birder came passed – he had apparently just seen a Great White Egret in flight down the ship canal! Plenty of House Martins over the water, Sparrowhawk, Kestrels and Buzzard seen plus a Raven and a flock of Goldfinches. Unfortunately I didn’t have time for proper birding.
22nd September
Working away again but somewhere different to Birmingham for a change. After work I visited Grafham Water which was about 20 mins from where I was working. I spent two hours gazing at an adult Sabine’s Gull and a Grey Phalarope which were both showing ridiculously well on the dam. Oh and I did see three Yellow Wagtails!
Writing this much later I find that I have inadvertently made the news in Bird Watching Magazine. In an article Mike Weedon comments on the furore in Cambridgeshire at the apparently appalling behaviour of two photographers who walked onto the lower dam wall at Grafham. Weedon’s article is fair and explores the rationale behind trying to get closer views of birds and makes the point that maybe it is not just about the photography. Being one of the two “photographers” pilloried by the locals in Cambridgeshire I feel I need to discuss this topic.
I was completely unaware of the discussions that I and another birder had provoked and the general allegations were that we climbed over the dam wall, tried to get point blank photos, were inconsiderate and flushed the birds and placed the future of the reserve at risk (slightly bizarre one that last allegation).
This is what really happened. Firstly fishermen regularly walk along the lower dam wall and several did so. The birds reaction was to simply fly around the fishermen and drop down onto the dam wall behind them. We watched this carefully and the first photographer (never got his name) decided to go onto the lower dam wall – I decided to follow suit. We didn’t climb over the wall as many claimed – there is a path to the lower wall! How else do the fishermen get there?
We didn’t go for point blank shots – we both sat back at least 30 feet from the water edge where the birds were. We sat out in sight so that the birds could see us and let the birds come to us, which the phalarope did. The photos I got from this position were frankly crap and the ones I use were all digiscoped from the upper dam wall. Maybe to reinforce the point that Weedon was trying to make in this article – I really enjoyed seeing the bird from a different perspective. It was only within photographing range for perhaps 10 seconds, however it was in view through the bins as it approached and went past for at least 10 minutes. A cracking bird and the views are what I remember! PS – the birds didn’t flush and the world didn’t end.
I think that they are a suspicious bunch are many birders. It is always someone trying to flush the bird, it always leaves because it was hassled (never because it simply wants to) and anyone doing something to get better, closer views or take a photograph is out of order. Funny too how birders with a camera are always labelled as “photographers”, never birders! I do accept that there some birders trying to take photographs who do step over the line. Likewise I have seen well known and respected birders trample over all sorts of breeding habitat to flush a rare bird (in the north west) that wasn’t showing when they wanted it to. I decided to assess the risk and for me it paid off. One last point – the only other birder present at the time we were there (and therefore the only person who could have raised this issue publicly) was shown by me where the birds were and spent quite a bit just chatting to us!
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