Mealy Redpoll

Great news, the Mealy (Common) Redpoll Carduelis flammea have been visiting the garden for three days now and even better news is the numbers have increased to three , a garden record!

Some ropey images here but with a little luck they will stick around long enough to let me get them in some sunshine .... here's hoping.

Mealy Redpoll and Lesser Redpoll

 

2 Mealy Redpoll (1 Partly Hidden) and a Lesser Redpoll

 

 

2 Mealy Redpoll (showing the white rump very well)

 

A good birding day

A twitch to the Wirral for 2 new birds:

American Buff Bellied Pipit - # 238 UK # 1051 World

Siberian Chiffchaff - # 239 UK #1052 World



And to add the cherry on top Mealy Redpoll has returned to the garden feeders for the first time since April 2011

Part 2 - 2013 in pictures (August to December)

some of my favourite images and not so good images that depict my favourite moments of 2013

A month by month guide part 2: August to December.

Kruger Park - August:
Southern Yellow Billed Hornbill

 

Pearl Spotted Owlet

 

Lilac Breasted Roller

 

Southern Ground Hornbill

 

Hammerkop

 

Cheetah

 

African Fish Eagle

Orange Breasted Bush-shrike

 

Giant Kingfisher

African Elephants

September:

juvenile Dotterel - Great Orme (a twitch with a good friend, Phil)

 

October:

Glossy Ibis- Horwich (another localish twitch with Phil)

 

November:

Parrot crossbill - Holt CP (a long jaunt to Norfolk for this)
(I have had to cadge this image from Phil as mine were poor, cheers Phil)

 

December:

Lesser Redpoll - Winter returns .....Happy Days

 

Baikal Teal -  what no image!
 (however it didnt take away the feeling of euphoria when I got to see this mega rarity)

and (not quite) the last twitch of the year.....
Hoopoe - Abergele.

 

 

the last twitch of the year.... which also included the American Buff Bellied Pipit

Siberian Chiffchaff - Burton

 

 

To all my readers, thank you for dropping by over the course of the year, enjoy your festive season and best wishes for 2014

 

Dave

Part 1 - 2013 in pictures (January - July)

some of my favourite images and not so good images that depict my favourite moments of 2013

A month by month guide January to July.

January:

Hawfinch - Derbyshire

 

 

February:

Waxwing - very local and only a few minutes drive to see 120+

 

 

Twite - Flint Castle

 

 

March:

Black Redstart - Little Neston

 

 

Sparrowhawk - although he is a garden regular this was a close encounter

 

 

April:

Short Eared Owl - Cat and Fiddle

 

 

May:

Red Flanked Bluetail - Finland

 

 

Stellas Eider - Norway

 

 

Siberian Jay - Finland

 

 

Tengmalms Owl - Finland

 

 

 

Pine Grosbeak male - Finland

Pine Grosbeak female - Finland

 

Bluethroat - Finland (a chance find while stopping for a comfort break)

 

June:

was it really that quiet!!!!

 

July:

 My first ever attempt at garden mothing produced this stunner - Buff Tip

 

and this one... Elephant Hawk moth

 

 

and into South Africa and an attempt here to keep it to only 7 images for July
African Penguin

 

Spotted Thicknee

 

Knysna Turaco

 

African Black Oystercatcher

 

Spotted Eagle Owl

 

 

Blue Crane

 

Part 2 to follow soon

Lesser Redpoll - December 2013

Pt 1

They are back in good numbers, 18 today. Hopefully the 40+ will be a daily occurrence as the weather turns colder during the winter.

Makes winter far more bearable with these fellas about the garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

and not to be out done a Blue Tit got in on todays photo shoot