Reed Bunting (Cannop Ponds)

Thanks to Kay (Brightside Birders) and Tom (Bird Snapping) who have joined the useful links.

Black-headed Gull (Lydney boating lake)

This time of year, a few have gained their mantle. It's quite extraordinary how they have gone changes, when all of the others are still without theirs.

Magpie (Lydney old waste ground)

It was another bad day, cloudy, and not good for the photographers. Still, I have a few pictures to show.

Mute Swan (Cannop Ponds)

It was a miserable day and I went to the local recycling dump, to drop off my cardboard waste. Then, I went to Cannop, and stopped while eating my sandwich, and take some photographs.

Hawfinch (New Fancy View)

I was back at New Fancy, and met with Brian Davis and Mike Smith. The large amount of walkers were also there, filling the car park. They took a long time to get ready, but they started walking. When they had gone, the Hawfinch appeared. It is on its own, I don't know why, its something I will find out.

There was no birdwatching or nature watching, it was my sons 18th birthday. And, it took priority. He was delighted with the trip to have a meal at the Rising Sun at Moseley Green. The food was really good, and I said, compliments to the chef. The beer was good, though I didn't drink more than half pint. My son, he likes to become a musical or producing that sort thing. He is very good, which coming from me is perfection. He likes Neil Young, say no more!!!!!!!!

Meadow Pipit (The Marshes, Lydney)

The Meadow Pipit was a long distance to get a photo, but I attempted, though it was reasonably bad, I thought about it, so I let it go anyway. There were Redwings, Fieldfares, Common Redpolls and Lesser Redpolls.

Marsh Tit (New Fancy View)

I heard through bird guides, that a Great Grey Shrike was up here at the same time I was here, how could I have miss it????????????????

Flowers on a London Bus (Lydney)

I had to show you this one, how bizarre!

Green Woodpecker at New Fancy View

Apart from the Green Woodpecker, there was a Hawfinch, it came near enough to get some shots, and pretty good they are, with my humble camera and lens.

Do you recognize it?

Goosander at Cannop Ponds

There were 16 Goosanders, male and female. They stayed for a bit, then off they went. Maybe they will come back. 16 of them, is the most I have seen. Later that in the afternoon, there were two of them at Lydney boating lake.

Coal Tit at New Fancy View

I think that a new pair of glasses are needed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holly in the sun

I caught this one when we were in sunlight, there wasn't any more.

Blue Tit at Cannop Ponds

What a nice morning, a bit noisy though. Kids, dogs and parents playing, I can only say, that I once was a parent, I still am. So, I will stop this grumbling on, and say, keep on playing.

Here is a bad piece of news, please could you pass it on.

Hello All,

The following is a translation of a blog I was alerted to yesterday, it describes hunters on the Danube Delta shooting Dalmatian Pelicans and other birds. Please distribute to your networks.

Although I came to live in nature, a biosphere natural reserve, I cannot sleep any more. It's like living in war zone.Shootings began again this morning at 4 AM. Hundreds of them could be heard, some of them far away, some right next to our pontoon, less than 100 meters from Uzlina village. Now it's already 11 AM and shootings can be heard all around us. I wonder if there are enough birds in the Danube Delta for all the shootings I hear…I wish a long life in health (like the life of the pelicans shot the other day at Uzlina) to the four PSD (Social-Democratic Party) parliamentarians who did what they were good at – cheating law, make abuse of their position and voted in favour of Hunting Law in Danube Delta. May they be happy – just about as happy as the birds they have chased these days. Soon after the frost came, a flock of 30-40 dalmatian pelicans came each morning near the pontoon. It was quite a show. Then shootings began and the flock started to grow smaller and smaller. At first we thought they got scared and flew away, but right after the year turn we discovered the place they went to – a better world perhaps. We found two of them – juveniles - shot on the Uzlina channel, right next to the village. One of them was still alive – we captured it and handed it over to ARBDD (Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration). The other one, a more tragic situation, had its bill broken and the lower mandible torn off, but it was still able to fly and we couldn't capture it to offer some help. There were a few hundred more – a contact from ARBDD told me that in spring 2008 counted about 200. While some people struggle to save the Dalmatian Pelican from extinction (www.dalmatianpelican.com), others just shoot them. It's a country of idiots and mentally ill people !! From now on everybody can relax, tourists no longer need to stare up to the sky or to the waters for these majestic birds, they will simply find pictures at the museums. The fish farmers will live happily ever after, since no one will eat their investment. Enemy has been annihilated !And there's more to it. Along with the wounded pelican we handed over to ARBDD a juvenile swan injured by the hunters – that's another strictly protected species. We found pygmy cormorants shot down, a strictly protected species too. We also found coots and swans shot down and abandoned on the ice. It's the pleasure that matters after all, isn't it ? It's about killing, not about the prey itself. Today no pelicans came to the pontoon any more… Photos were taken in January 2009 on Uzlina channel and lake together with Mircea Bezergheanu, Despinel Dragomir (Asociatia "Una e Natura") and Costas Dumitrescu. Many thanks for their help.

The original posting (in Romanian) can be found here:
http://ddguide.fotonatura.ro/?p=147

It contains pics of some injured birds.

Mike
-- http://www.PetitionOnline.com/srebarna/petition.htmlMike and Jerry Black Srebarna Birding Field Station Pelican Lake Guesthouse Petko Simov 16Srebarna 7587BulgariaTel: 00359 8677 322 Mob: 00359 885671058 Skype: pelicanlakeguesthouse www.srebarnabirding.com www.srebarnabirding.blogspot.comBulgarian coordinators for www.proact-campaigns.net

Song Thrush at Cyril Hart Arboretum

This bird comes to log quite a lot, it's becoming a regular. Elsewhere, its definitely scarce, which is bad news.

Mandarin Duck at Cannop Ponds

There were 8 Mandarin Ducks, swimming about and it looks like they are enjoying it. Occasoinally, they would come out and start eating the seeds, that someone had kindly given to them. Maybe its for somebody else's, but they will not mind.

Kestrel at Lydney

This is an archives rendition. I think?????????????

Grey Wagtail at Cyril Hart Aboretum

This is a lovely bird, gradually moving in between the others. It normally lives near to the river, but it has managed to succeed up here.

Long-tailed Tit at Cyril Hart Arboretum

I shot these birds (photographic term), on the Friday 10th this month. It was cold, as you can see, all bunched up. Today, it was raining, 25mm, which is a lot of water. Thus, I didn't go out, I am a bit of coward.

Tree Creeper climbing on a tree stump

The TC is here again, I do love her/him.

Hawfinch at New Fancy View

Its a Hawfinch, unless you didn't know. Its been ages since it started to come here, and has numerous birders, all with photograph equipment or not. Their equipment is really good, far exceeds mine, still it is good for them.

Blue Tit on the feeders at Cannop Ponds

What a sad, bad and mournful morning. I was disheartened about how it became. Now, I was a little bit happier, I went to the dentists, and about 3 minutes, he said there was nothing to be done. But, I gave up the birding.

Black-headed Gull (juvenile)

It's not long before it becomes an older species, black mantle and are looking for a mate. Go for it.

Dunnock at Parkend

It was freeeeeeeeeeeeezinggggggggggg, -5°c below. And, it kinda plays havoc with my photographs. At least, I say that.

Chaffinch at New Fancy View

The female Chaffinch in the snow, well it was sort of snow.

Hawfinch at New Fancy View

This one is in the deep cold winter, -5.1°c. It was murky and freezing. I know what I said, no more Hawfinches, but, she was freezing as well.

Greenfinch at New Fancy View

There was nothing that really matters, in the world of birds. There was a Hawfinch of course. She seems to like our New Fancy View, but it was too many to put up on this blog. So, I put up the Greenfinch, a lovely bird.

Blackbird

It may come to us the sunshine, or so the weather people would us believe. About time it started. This afternoon it was sunny, let's hope for it to come in the morning. 

A Waxwing not long ago

It was another day without sun, on New Year day as well. But I have collected a lot of the Waxwings, so I thought I'd show one more, at least for the moment.