2 out of 3 aint bad, but 3/3 is Excellent!

Date: 18/01/2017

Location: Somerset Coast

Weather: Grey, Cloudy

Species Highlights: 
Dartford Warbler, Stonechat, Reed Bunting, Eider, Curlew, 
Redshank, Oystercatcher, Short Eared Owl.

Observation:
Decided to go coastal today and found this great Stonechat first.

Then at this spot I knew a Dartford Warbler was about and sure enough while sat watching the Stonechat and pushing away the dogs of which there were many!
He popped up.

Not once but many times probably wondering while I was sat on the wet grass in front of his bush!

Got love them such little beauties!

Even posed for a close up!

I left him munching the Sea Buckthorn Berries.

After spending a while with him headed round to Weston Super Mare where a female Eider had been, at Marina Lake which I knew well, spent many a summer as a kid swimming and getting sunburn there. On arriving spotted her almost instantly, it was the only thing apart from 4 Gulls on the Lake.

The over shoulder pose.

Took far too many photos, light was pretty bad at this point so trying all the setting to improve shots.

She was catching Limpets, seemed to be quite happy and looked in good health.

Walked around the Lake trying different angles.

When the Eider swam towards me, got out had a stretch, too close then skidded down muddy wall and swam out to sea!

So with that I headed to my next destination. My plan today was Dartford Warbler, Eider then Short Eared Owls. So with the Meat Loaf song playing in my head, headed to final place along coast.
Redshank, Oystercatcher,Shelduck, Curlew, Meadow Pipit but no SEO, oh well I thought, time to go home. 

On walking back spotted a Short Eared Owl! 

Light pretty poor but SEO!
 I was very happy!

Then 2..

Best shot of the day 7D MK2, 100-400mm MK2 and 1.4 converter working very well.

Whoo hoo! They seem to be hunting in a larger area than I've seen before but stood still and waited for one of them to come closer.

It did and sat on Branch, landed while i was looking at other one!

Then a Fox appeared don't see many foxes in Newton St Loe so a welcome sight.
My camo working well me thinks!

Didn't see them catch, but both owls were fighting plus Herring Gulls were following them round at times.
It landed while I was looking the other way! But so nice to see them. I shall return!

Thanks For Looking! 

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Iceland Trip!

Date spotted: 24th-27th February 2014 - All Day 

Location: Iceland - Reykjavik - Hafnarfjörður

Observation: Visited Iceland for a few days on a family holiday, in the hope to see the Northern Lights (and of course some new birds!). We were lucky enough to see both! Northern Lights didn't show well the first night so we tried again the next night, it showed but not seen through the naked eye, on our way back to Reykjavik, the coach stopped and we seen it 'dancing' through our own eyes and even better through the camera! Amazing to finally see!! Shame we returned to the UK and that night, it was visible on our doorstop! Lets just say we brought it home for all our friends to see! The next day we visited the sights in Reykjavik and got a few new birds including the Icelandic Redpoll, Snow Bunting, Common Eider, Red-Breasted Merganser and Wigeon, mostly at Tjornin Pond and the harbor. Lugging our lenses around in -10 weather and for hours proved worth it! The

next day we done the Golden Circle tour, breathtaking landscapes and a bonus was loads of ravens, and a close-range Ptarmigan, we only had our 135mm lens but we got within feet of it so not a problem! Overall we had an amazing trip, took hundreds of photo's and seen the Northern Lights! Iceland is an amazing peaceful country and defiantly worth a visit !

Weather: Blue Sky, Very Cold, Sunny

Other Species: Raven, Crow, Snow Bunting, Black-Headed Gull, Whooper Swan, Wigeon, Mallard, Common Eider, Red-Breasted Merganser, Icelandic Redpoll, Greylag Goose, Tufted Duck, Starling, Feral Pigeon, Ptarmigan