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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

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  1. pstraughan

    Just off the plane - birding without trying

    This thread is inspired by the fact that I'm off to Florida next month. I've been once before but wasn't interested in birds then. We all go looking to build bird lists but what birds do people see in their own countries without really trying? A friend said that they had spoken to a man in...
  2. pstraughan

    Alternative Book and Software Recommendations

    Bill Pranty's book is currently out of stock on Amazon. There are second hand copies available but they are expensive and/or would need to be shipped from the US. Does anyone have alternative suggestions - I want to buy now, before I go on holiday. Also, can anyone recommend relevant Florida...
  3. pstraughan

    RSPB Titchwell, Cley and Welney WWT November 2011

    The unseasonally mild weather continues and we had a weekend in Norfolk with glorious blue skies and bright sunshine. Saturday 19 November saw us at Titchwell and later Cley. We liked the controversial new hide at Titchwell and I think that the window opening system is brilliant. There were...
  4. pstraughan

    Goose and Ducks ID, Kent UK

    Any suggestions for these please? The Goose (same bird in both pics) seems to have elements of Greylag and Canada. It was the same size as a Greylag and was associating with them rather than with the Canadas. Is Duck4 pic an eclipse Wigeon? Duck and Duck2 are the same bird. All seen at a...
  5. pstraughan

    Brown Seabirds, Cape Town SA - bad photo warning

    Seeing Skuas for the first time in the UK last week reminded me that I didn't get these birds identified. It was a very windy day in March 2009, not unlike the day we had at Dungeness last week. Numbers 2 and 3 I'm pretty sure are Cormorants, but what about 1 and 4? No. 4 was, I recall, a very...
  6. pstraughan

    Le Marquenterre Picardie and Normandy September 2011

    We stayed at Saint Valery sur Somme for 3 nights from 31 August. This is about half an hour's drive from Le Marquenterre and is a pleasant place to spend a few days. The tide comes in and goes out very fast and there were hundreds of gulls, although surprisingly few waders. It had already...
  7. pstraughan

    Day out at Dungeness, Kent - 4 (or 5) lifers

    My bird group always has a Dungeness trip in late August/early September. 8 September was the day chosen this year, although the optimum Dungeness day is apparently 3 October on average. In previous years we have been lucky enough to see a few rare birds - Wryneck, Great Egret, Red-backed...
  8. pstraughan

    Waders and Wildfowl Le Marquenterre N France

    As usual, an apology for the quality. If they were better, I might not need help! All taken on 1 September 2011. My personal thoughts are: 1. Dunlin 2. Moulting Curlew Sandpiper 3. Some sort of Red Crested Pochard cross or in eclipse. The bill really was that colour and isn't a trick...
  9. pstraughan

    ID of Willowchiff by behaviour, UK

    My RSPB book says that Willow Warblers catch flies in the air. It does not ascribe this behaviour to Chiffchaffs and my Collins guide ascribes it to neither. Is this behaviour a reliable form of ID? I had one in the garden this morning that was frequently launching itself into the air and...
  10. pstraughan

    Young garden bird Kent UK

    This bird was sitting out in the open, apparently quite unafraid. I initially thought it was injured as the two wings did not seem to be symmetrical. When I moved it into cover it fluttered rather than flew away. Later it was hopping about on the grass and then flew off for a short distance...
  11. pstraughan

    Le Marquenterre, France

    A few quick questions, which a search through the Forums don't quite answer. 1) Has anyone been in the last couple of months and what did they see? 2) What could I expect definitely/almost definitely expect to see in early September? 3) Do you need to book to get into the reserve? The...
  12. pstraughan

    Fishing Crows

    I forgot to put this in my holiday report from Norfolk. While on the boat I saw, on 3 separate occasions, a Carrion Crow dipping down to the surface of the water. They were rather like giant, clumsy Terns! The last time, I'm pretty sure the bird came up with a small fish and flew off on to...
  13. pstraughan

    Windy Week in the Norfolk Broads

    I've posted a trip report in the Vacational section as I struggled to find any general information about the Norfolk Broads there. We had a very enjoyable and fun week. Although windy, we only had a couple of very light showers. Here are a few pics. Pat
  14. pstraughan

    Windy Week in the Norfolk Broads

    This was something we had been meaning to do for years. My husband likes boats and I like wildlife, so a week on the Norfolk Broads kept us both happy. We started our trip from Horning on the river Bure on 17 May and spent the first night at Ranworth Broad, where the moorings are situated...
  15. pstraughan

    3 from Norfolk

    Can anyone help with IDs on these please, all taken in Norfolk in the last few days? I realise that one of them is a dragonfly! ID1 was actually inside our boat. Thanks Pat (fairly newbie to moths and butterflies)
  16. pstraughan

    Happy Days in North Wales and the Peak District

    I have to be very careful to make the most of days out with my family and remember that they are not as mad about birds as me! We spent Easter Sunday at Betws-y-Coed on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. It was very busy with tourists but not unpleasant, and we had a lovely walk along...
  17. pstraughan

    Recommendations for North Wales - Easter weekend

    I am hoping to have a day out from Manchester, where I will be visiting, either Easter Sunday or Easter Monday. Any suggestions for North Wales please? I've been to RSPB Conwy before, which I really enjoyed. Not fussed about which birds I might see, coastal or inland are both fine. I will...
  18. pstraughan

    RSPB Marshside and Mere Sands Woods

    Two new venues for me on a day out from visiting our son in Manchester (Mother's Day treat). We did not go down to the sea. High tide had been and gone and the sea was already well in retreat. However, there was plenty to see on the pools, especially from the two excellent hides. I've never...
  19. pstraughan

    Small BOP Kent UK - no pic

    Bird was about 30 feet up in a roadside tree next to farmland. Orangey breast, white/creamy throat, dark grey back with rufous nape. Dark tail with darker terminal band, possibly had other bands. Yellow/orange feet. Didn't seem bothered by me under the tree. No other birds in tree and was...
  20. pstraughan

    Recommendation for NW England 3.4.11

    I will be staying in Manchester this coming weekend and, as my Mother's Day treat, would like to do some birding on Sunday. Suggestions please? We have a car and won't mind up to 1.5 hours travelling each way. I've been to Leighton Moss, Martin Mere, RSPB Conwy and the Wirral. I don't mind...
  21. pstraughan

    Chiffchaffs

    I was out on my local patch yesterday and thought I heard a Chiffchaff but it was far away and very faint, so I decided that I imagined it. This morning I met a local birdwatching postman who has heard them and his friend has seen one. I went on to a local reserve and there were several...
  22. pstraughan

    Possibly the worst designed product in the world

    Having a big squirrel problem, I bought a Gardman squirrel-proof peanut feeder, the one with the metal tube and mesh. Great for keeping squirrels off, hopeless to try and fill. Once you have taken it down to fill, getting it back up is a nightmare. How can you line the slots up and twist the...
  23. pstraughan

    Caption Comp #4

    Thanks Val. It looks like we are running out of steam already. Lots of viewers, so it would be great if a few more participated. Your photo doesn't need to be of a bird. We have had some funny animals in the past. Let's see what you make of this Burchell's Coucal from South Africa. Pat
  24. pstraughan

    Info on Norfolk Broads required please

    We are planning a week on the Norfolk Broads, either mid-May or mid-June. Can anyone advise on the best routes to take to maximise birdwatching opportunities? Are there any good sites where you can tie up a boat and walk (within 1-2 miles)? What can I expect to see? Thanks Pat
  25. pstraughan

    The one that got away 2011

    Has any bird eluded you so far in 2011? Did you hear something but didn't see it? Did you go looking for a particular bird that someone told you was there but couldn't find it? Did you catch a glimpse of something interesting that you couldn't positively ID? Feel free to post throughout...
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