Norwich Starling Murmuration

As far as I know, and I'm happy to be corrected, this winter's Starling murmuration in the centre of Norwich is finished.  Hopefull they'll return next year as it was a magical spectacle which enthralled birders and non-birders alike.  There were too few to be able to muster themselves into any of the shapes that are seen in the larger murmurations, but that didn't detract from the event in any way.

Here are a few of the images I took over the course of the weeks.

Fox pics and links

My Mum wants pictures of a Fox to look at and some interweb links.  Y'all might enjoy them too...

Website here

Flickr here

Facebook here

Weekly highlights - er, a dead Auk?

Last week was pretty quiet.  The camera didn't come out very much, and neither did the birds. The 'Lazy Fox' picture...

....was the EDP Reader Picture Of The Day on Monday.  They don't pay, but with a circulation of 40,000+ I'm not grumbling.

Later in the week, as if to illustrate my earlier point, an Auk turned up in the patch.

Still no Wheatears.

But a consolation of a showy Ringed Plover.

Weekly highlights - winter clings on but spring is sprunging

The Starling murmuration in Norwich continues. Certain vantage points in the city produce some pretty epic views.  

The Heron that has made numerous appearances on this channel and others to which I subscribe was also very obliging during the week...

...so much so that I had to take photos of it's reflection.

The Fox that I have been generously sharing on the interweb recently was also very obliging, although that is a bit of an understatement considering that this image is barely cropped!

Indicators of spring this week. Rock Pipit looking not quite as dull as normal, Linnets singing, Pied Wagtails doing a lot of chasing around at breakneck speed, Black Redstarts, summer plumage Gulls.

And Wheatears.  In the country, the county but not yet in the patch.  But I am ready...

Weekly highlights - Lots of rufous tones and redness.

Started the week looking for Foxes.  Found a Stonechat and utterly forgot all about Foxes.  This is normal, especially with a male bird that is occassionally breaking into song.

Stonechat

Stonechat having a sing

Stonechat looking rather splendid

Looked for Foxes on another day, but instead found that the pair of Ringed Plovers had returned to the Patch. They will nest and produce food for the Foxes soon.

Ringed Plover photos just must have a reflection in the eye

Later in the week I found a Fox that was sleeping in the sun.

A Fox, sleeping.

It woke up. And did lots of scratching and stretching.

A Fox looking like it had just been sleeping

A Fox, stretching

A Fox that has been scratching

On Friday, whilst fruitlessly looking for a fox I saw a Black Redstart in the distance.  It was kind enough to come closer before retreating into the distance again!

Thank you very much!

Later on Friday I got pooped on by a murmuration.

Norwich Starling Murmuration

Halvergate

I went to Halvergate earlier in the year to see a Rough-legged Buzzard.  It may have left as there was a sad face against it on BirdGuides this evening.

Rough-legged Buzzard but like ages ago

I went to Halvergate last week to see a Short-eared Owl.  Which I did.

Bloody Hell.

I went to Halvergate on Saturday to see a Short Eared Owl. Which I didn't.   But I saw this.

Blimey

And some of this too.

Mute and Bewicks with Nelson's Column in the distance

Halvergate.  It's alright.  Sometimes.

That Heron again...

This bird has been very kind to me over the last year, sitting on various bits of metal that point into the sky and things like that.  It has posed, preened, fluffed and flown in various light conditions that have appeared on various online outlets.  Here are the latest two to be processed.

Ninja Heron

Get your freak on

Breakin' the rules with a Fox

If you follow the rules, you don't take this shot.

400mm lens at 400mm.  

1/8s f5.6 ISO640.  

Sort of hand held.

Sort of works.

Fox having a yawn at camera talk