Greylag Goose H6C at Blunham Lake, 31st December 2011. I wonder where it was ringed?
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Common Sandpiper & Magpie - Stewartby Lake
Another photo of the Common Sandpiper taken on the sailing club bank of Stewartby Lake. in slightly better light than I had for the last photos. I just wish it had walked past the car a few minutes earlier when the light was much better as it was for the Magpie. Photos by Martin Green.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Common Sand & Grey Wag - Stewartby Lake
A few photos of the very confiding Common Sandpiper on the sailing club bank of Stewartby Lake. The sandpiper came within 12 feet of Dave Ball's car. Unfortunately, the combination of the poor light and the highly active nature of the bird made it very hard to get both the head and tail in focus at the same time. I'll hopefully get another chance when the light is better... The Grey Wagtail was also on the sailing club bank. Photos by Martin Green.Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Nordic Jackdaw
Monday, December 26, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Hook-tip Gull
This first winter Black-headed Gull was noted in Wardown Park, Luton on 18th December amongst 600 or so of its mates. Maybe a useful adaptation for stealing bits of stale bread from the local Mallards...
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Great Northern Diver - Stewartby Lake
A record shot of the Great Northern Diver taken around 3pm this afternoon from the sailing club bank of Stewartby Lake. The diver was very active most of the day, only staying on the surface for a few seconds at a time, making it hard to get better photographs. Photograph by Martin Green.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Un-American Activities
In case anyone was wondering what was behind the statement on the LROS Bird News page yesterday regarding a reported American Golden Plover at Cossington Meadows, here is a short version of the story.
Basically, the ‘observer’ who reported the plover is known to have claimed a lot of highly unlikely birds in the county recently. I thought Birdguides at least were aware of him, but this one slipped through the net somehow. Unfortunately I didn’t find out who it was until after dark, by which time a lot of people had wasted an afternoon looking for a non-existent bird.
Although I’ve never met him, he has been described to me as a ‘very keen but over-enthusiastic young lad’. I’m not sure how young, but certainly old enough to be able to use a computer and report sightings to Birdguides and LROS. I would also suggest, particularly in view of the fact that he has been warned about reporting fictitious rare birds before, not least by his parents, that he ought to be old enough to realise the possible consequences of his actions.
Before anyone asks, given his previous claims I don't think there is any possibility that he simply ‘made a mistake’ with this bird. It’s not certain that he was even at Cossington Meadows yesterday as about ten later ‘updates’ on the bird in the afternoon all appeared to have been sent from a home computer, along with a later report of a White-billed Diver at the site and a Red-flanked Bluetail & 2 Black-necked Grebes at Priory Water around the same time. And that wasn’t his first Red-flanked Bluetail in the county this autumn.
Over-enthusiasm is one thing, but this seems to be crossing the line into out and out fabrication. All very unfortunate, and sadly symptomatic of our modern rarity-obsessed birding culture. As John Hague pointed out, when we were that age (whatever age he is) we wouldn’t have even heard of birds like Red-flanked Bluetail, let alone thought that we might see one. We can only hope that he will grow out of this and go on to become a proper birder, although I’m afraid it will be a long time before anyone believes anything he reports!
Basically, the ‘observer’ who reported the plover is known to have claimed a lot of highly unlikely birds in the county recently. I thought Birdguides at least were aware of him, but this one slipped through the net somehow. Unfortunately I didn’t find out who it was until after dark, by which time a lot of people had wasted an afternoon looking for a non-existent bird.
Although I’ve never met him, he has been described to me as a ‘very keen but over-enthusiastic young lad’. I’m not sure how young, but certainly old enough to be able to use a computer and report sightings to Birdguides and LROS. I would also suggest, particularly in view of the fact that he has been warned about reporting fictitious rare birds before, not least by his parents, that he ought to be old enough to realise the possible consequences of his actions.
Before anyone asks, given his previous claims I don't think there is any possibility that he simply ‘made a mistake’ with this bird. It’s not certain that he was even at Cossington Meadows yesterday as about ten later ‘updates’ on the bird in the afternoon all appeared to have been sent from a home computer, along with a later report of a White-billed Diver at the site and a Red-flanked Bluetail & 2 Black-necked Grebes at Priory Water around the same time. And that wasn’t his first Red-flanked Bluetail in the county this autumn.
Over-enthusiasm is one thing, but this seems to be crossing the line into out and out fabrication. All very unfortunate, and sadly symptomatic of our modern rarity-obsessed birding culture. As John Hague pointed out, when we were that age (whatever age he is) we wouldn’t have even heard of birds like Red-flanked Bluetail, let alone thought that we might see one. We can only hope that he will grow out of this and go on to become a proper birder, although I’m afraid it will be a long time before anyone believes anything he reports!
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