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

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  1. Ben M

    Gadwall hybrid?, Nottingham, UK

    Can anyone help with this duck on my local patch (30th Dec 2011)? Image quality is quite poor due to distance and conditions. The typical Gadwall breast patterning was obvious in the field. The dark crown running below the eye and pale buff tones on the face and back are confusing me. 1. Is...
  2. Ben M

    Mealy Redpoll? Nottingham, UK

    Appreciate any comments on this bird as I believe it's a Mealy, but have no prior experience. Stood out from other Lesser Redpolls it was with because it was a) Noticably bigger than others b) Very white/grey in appearance all over (including UTCs) I have checked the separation details as per...
  3. Ben M

    Beginner's Gull ID, Nottinghamshire, UK

    Can anyone give me some pointers with this one? Both images are of the same bird, both were cropped and lightened by the same amounts as RAW images because the originals were too dark. Using Collins for reference, my initial thoughts are either Herring or LBB, and juv. or 2nd-w. The second...
  4. Ben M

    Common or Jack Snipe ID, Notts, UK

    Whilst reviewing some photos I came across one of several Common Snipe, with what looks to be a smaller Snipe on the right-hand side. I've cropped and resized the original photo, but inserted a non-resized crop of the bird in question. In Collins, the two main pictures of Common and Jack Snipe...
  5. Ben M

    Treecreeper ssp. ID - Nottinghamshire, UK

    Can anyone point out the features that would determine whether this Treecreeper is Certhia familiaris britannica or C. f. familiaris? Thanks.
  6. Ben M

    Leucistic Eurasian Nuthatch

    I recently came across a Nuthatch that lacked any obvious sign of black eye stripes. A Google search produced this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fred76/2942505176/in/photostream/ How common/unusual is this for Nuthatches in the UK? Thanks in advance.
  7. Ben M

    Stonechat or Whinchat ID, Notts, UK

    I have little (if any) experience with either species, but both species were recorded at this site (even the same area) yesterday by a reliable observer. Earlier that morning, I saw a male Stonechat at sunrise, then this bird 20 minutes later. Through the bins I saw a bird that resembled a...
  8. Ben M

    Pfefferfliess, Nuthe Nieplitz(Berlin/Brandenburg)

    Discussion thread for Pfefferfliess, Nuthe Nieplitz(Berlin/Brandenburg). I'm flagging this to be fixed by someone with better bird knowledge than myself. Several of the species mentioned in the entry are not present in the birds database. I suspect that the incorrect naming is used in most...
  9. Ben M

    Template/format for all locations

    To save trawling through the whole thread I've pasted in the basic headings for the Location Template below, just copy/paste into your new article: {{stub}} OR {{incompletelocation}} ==Overview== ''To do'' ==Birds== ===Notable Species=== ''To do'' ===Rarities=== ''To do'' ===Check-list===...
  10. Ben M

    Possible Linnet, Nottingham, UK

    I saw this out of my window at the end of the garden this morning. I first thought it was a Dunnock, as a pair are nesting in the conifer hedge it's on, but when it sang I took more interest. I don't recall the song enough to describe it, only that it didn't sound like the Dunnock song I've been...
  11. Ben M

    Attenborough,near beeston,nottinghamshire.(Attenborough Nature Reserve)

    This site entry and thread should be deleted. It's was a duplicate entry for: http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Attenborough_Nature_Reserve and only contained an old link, which not longer exists.
  12. Ben M

    Waxwing from the bedroom window

    Around 3pm today I had a look out of the window with my bins and was pretty sure I saw a Waxwing in a distant tree with a group of Starlings. Ten seconds later it was gone. A single bird was at our local supermarket for over a week, but the last sighting was Monday, so there was a reasonable...
  13. Ben M

    Ben M's 2007 Patch List

    My local patch is Bestwood Country Park on the north edge of Nottingham. I've been actively birding (and watching this patch) since September 2006 - I'm a beginner. The more experienced birders who cover this patch seem to record 100+ species in the year, but most include some nearby lakes...
  14. Ben M

    Brazil nuts

    Are Brazil nuts safe for wild birds? I sometimes buy packets of mixed nuts from health food shops which are suitable for human consumption, but I'm not so keen on the Brazil nuts and hate to just throw them away. A search on Google shows up loads of sites suggesting Brazil nuts are okay for pet...
  15. Ben M

    Duck IDs, Nottingham, UK

    Spotted two odd ones out in a group of Pochard this afternoon on my local patch. Any ideas on the two ducks to the right of these Pochard? Might not be possible from the quality of the footage, but maybe... My guesses are Wigeon at the back and at the front maybe female Ruddy or female RCP.
  16. Ben M

    Grey Shrike ID, Snowdonia, UK

    On holiday in North Wales last summer I thought I'd seen and caught footage of a Great Grey Shrike. I didn't realise at the time how scarce they are. My ID for Great Grey, rather than Lesser Grey, was mainly based on the lack of black forehead, as it seemed to be an adult. I noted the white...
  17. Ben M

    Willow Tit ID (from audio)

    Some points in the other recent thread on Willow/Marsh ID has prompted me to check the ID I made last weekend. I'm no photographer, but I use my camcorder to try and capture footage of what I see. One of the advantages is that it records the calls too. The visual footage is pretty bad (only good...
  18. Ben M

    Kestrel storing food

    Today I was filming a male kestrel on a fence post as it began eating a shrew. Rather than getting stuck in, it dropped down to the ground and stored it in a hole, then went off looking for more. Is it common for falcons to store food?
  19. Ben M

    UK Midlands: Hobby in mid-November?

    For my own piece of mind, what're the chances of seeing a Hobby at this time of year in Nottinghamshire? Everything I read tells me they're long gone to warmer climates by now. What're the chances of an exception?
  20. Ben M

    Dunnock: Significance of breast colour?

    I see both off white- and dark grey-breasted Dunnocks around my local patch. What's the significance in the breast colour? Is it white=juvenile and grey=adult? Collins seems to show only the darker grey (even the juv. pic looks dark to me), but the Collins Gem book "Birds" shows a much lighter...
  21. Ben M

    ID: Weasel or Stoat?

    Yesterday morning I was out around my local patch (Bestwood Country Park) and spotted my first ever weasel/stoat. At least I hope it was one of the two! It was running about over tree roots in a small wooded area close to a farm. I had my video camera with me at the time, but before I managed...
  22. Ben M

    Gull behaviour: drop, catch, repeat

    We were in the car on the way to Clumber Park today and pulled up at a junction whilst still in the city. There was a gull (probably BHG) flying around above some buildings in front of us, doing something a bit odd (or maybe not so odd?). It had something in its bill (probably a scrap of food)...
  23. Ben M

    Nikon: Sporter 10x36 vs Monarch 10x42

    I need a replacement for my faulty Action EV 10x50, which I discussed in another thread. I thought they were great, except for the fogging and the weight (1020g). My budget is around £100-£200 and I found the Actions for £115. I've narrowed my search to the following, based on some of the...
    • Ben M
    • Thread
    • Replies: 8
    • Forum: Nikon
  24. Ben M

    Nikon Action EX 10x50CF (Porro Fogging)

    I bought these about 2-3 weeks ago and have been very happy with them. Great brightness and I love the general feel. They're supposed to be waterproof and nitrogen filled, so I would assume they shouldn't fog up - not internally, at least. I took them out for a quick walk yesterday morning and...
    • Ben M
    • Thread
    • Replies: 11
    • Forum: Nikon
  25. Ben M

    Kestrel or Merlin? (Hovering behaviour)

    Just over a week ago I saw a falcon hovering on my local patch in the same way a kestrel does by motorways. The light wasn't great, but when I had the bins on it I could clearly make out a slate grey coloured upper with largish black band towards the end of its tail and large black tips to the...
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