Forever the Optimist

It will not be long now, some bulbs in my garden are already surfacing.

This shot was taken at Upper Halling, along the North Downs trackway last Spring, it's a great walk and the birding can be good.

Everyone's Friend the Robin

Taken in the car park at the Ferry House Inn, Harty, Isle of Sheppey, there was a bitterly cold North wind blowing at the time.

By Harty Church

A Guinea Fowl , several wandering about Harty Church, I think they belong to the adjacent farm

Bill Oddie

Bill Oddie at Oare, Faversham, Kent, last year, in case he misses a bird he has two spotters with him who point him in the right direction.

Heron and Marsh Frog

Red Legged Partridge

An Art Print of Red Legged Partridges from a photograph I took a couple of years ago , and surprisingly they wandered along in front of Wellmarsh Hide, RSPB, Isle of Sheppey.

Raptor Exhibition

A mini exhibition of some pictures of probably my favourite birds, closely followed by waders, this is arrived at because they are the principal species where I am domiciled.

Short Eared Owl

Same as the other, had a look at me and decided to exit stage left.

Kestrel

You have been warned.

Taken at RSPB ELMLEY, Isle of Sheppey, last year.

Kestrel

On the Harty Road, Sheppey last Spring. This and the other bird investigated the possibilities of this site as a home but decided the renovation to time consuming so they moved on. Or perhaps had mortgage problems!!...

Short Eared Owl

Taken at Elmley mid afternoon.

Red Kites

Long Eared Owl

As Below

Long Eared Owl

Taken at Wellmarsh Hide mid-day sitting on the post supporting the screen, the background is water and not sky, will probably never get a better shot of a L.E.O. ever.

Marsh Harriers at Harty.

Red Kites

Red Kites

Kestrel

A not very camera shy Kestrel, taken at RSPB Elmley

Red Kite

The first of my promised Raptor Pictures, this will be ongoing for a few days, as I sort them out.

Snipe

Taken at Oare later part of last year.

Turnstone

Tide coming in at Leysdowne, having fed the Turnstone are now resting.

These are one of my favorite waders.

Kites

These beautiful birds were taken in Wales last year.

Pied Wagtail

This little bird was pictured a couple of years ago at RSPB Elmley in the gents toilet block some of you may have seen it.

Leucistic Red Kite

Taken in Wales, two years ago.

Thanks Warren for the ID,

A LEUCISTIC RED KITE , Mmmm !!would this be, to the uninitiated an Albino Red Kite?

Rufous Cuckoo

This I took at Cliffe my home patch there were in fact two.

Stoat

Stoat guarding its prey

Trumpeter Finch

Taken at Tankerton, Whitstable, Kent, not a brilliant shot of this rare bird but it does as a record.

The bird in my case was about 90 yards distant and I used a 400mm lens, other birders were using all sorts of tactics to get a better shot with no thoughts about distressing the bird.

An Obliging Heron

Taken at RSPB Elmley 17-11 for the first time ever for me there was not one bird on Wellmarsh scrape at 12-30pm for an hour until four Mallard flew in, then a pretty Pied Wagtail performed for us in front of the hide.

Four pictures at Elmley.

Elmley last year it was a particular day that produced a large amount of waders there were several raptors that made the birds very skittish Raptors seen were Peregrine, several times, and possibly the same bird, Marsh Harrier,and a Common Buzzard.

They swept around coming very close to Wellmarsh Hide the noise was amazingly loud and the wind pressure from wings coud be felt in the hide a wonderful afternoon.

This was taken today at Allhallows at 13-05pm

This disgusting mess has been dumped in a very pretty little one way lane at Allhallows and is a place I park the car to do a little birding, you are looking east up the Thames, and if this was a panorama the third shot right would depict Southend which was very visible and clear in the sun. In the bay but a little to far for bino's there were a lot of waders on the mud but as to there identity that will remain unknown.

Raptor Exhibition

Hi All, I have decided to have an Exhibition of my Raptor pictures, it should be up and running in about four days so please drop in. Dave

Angle Shades

Thanks Greenie for the ID.

Cabbage White

About to alight.

Avocet Exhibition

Hello all I am guilty of not posting with the regularity that has been my habit in the past, all this has been due to bad health, so, I have gone over my stock of pic's and have decided to have an Avocet exhibition, with some shots of this and last year, I will be posting more, so here's hoping you enjoy this present batch, it certainly cheers me up.