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

Northern Ireland Local Patch (1 Viewer)

Derek thanks for the info re NIBA monthly email. I've started the process.

I was at the annual awards for photographers at NIOC last night. There were 3 categories...and Tully won his category for both individual photograph and portfolio!! Well done Tully. The pictures were really excellent and obviously required lots of patience and a good eye.
Your photo of the peregrine will be in next year's portfolio I'm sure.

Norma
 
Thanks for the comments Norma and for the newsletters Derek. My PC is in hospital at present so access to the pics is a bit of a problem. I'll put them up when I get properly on line again
Cheers for now
 
Hi Roger.Was up at Culmore today again and got really good views of the Kumliens Gull as well as 10Iceland and 3 Glaucous.My server is still not working properly but i will send you pics as soon as i am up and running.
All the best
Derek
 
Hello Everyone.I had a bit of a frustrateing couple of days.Yesterday i went for the Green Winged Teal at Larne.Despite it being seen on Friday once again i did not see it.I went to Carrick to look for the Ring Billed Gull but he was on his holidays too and i saw nothing out of the ordinary at Whitehouse.
I decided for a change to try the reservoirs at Stoneyford and Leathemstown but just Great Crested Grebes and Tufted Ducks.I finished the day looking for Geese around Antrim but couldn't find a sausage there either!
This morning i set off for Newcastle because of the calm conditions but the scoters where very far off shore but at least Murlough is a beautiful setting.
We went round to the boating lake to look for the first winter Ring Billed Gull but alas he was absent to! We even had a look look for the Mandarin Ducks but you have guessed what.Yes of course no sign.So we headed for Dundrum and after a bit of searching found the Spotted Redshank,consorting with Redshank and Greenshank.We ended up with excellent views but because of the sun photos were poor.Then it was on to Killough to look for Black Redstart but no luck and round to the corner were a desperate search produced just one first winter Glaucous Gull.
We ended up at the RSPB reserve at Belfast.What a splendid place that place is.We were of course looking for the reported Yellow Legged Gull but you have guessed the answer already! One first winter Iceland Gull ,2 Ruff and fantastic views of all the other waders and ducks.Got some fantastic photos of a male Teal.{contact me privately if you want to see them}
Bought a chinease meal on the way home and they gave me the wrong meal.Sums up the weekend.Eat it anyway.It was lovely!
All the best
Derek
 
Seems you've had a frustrating day. I've been given the run around by a buzzard near home. He was sitting in a tree close to the road as I went to church this morning (late) so I could not stop. As I headed out this afternoon, I found him close to the same spot but he flew off before I could get the camera out.
I went down to Portmore and found
Whoopers
Tufted Duck, Ruddy duck, G C Grebes, Widgeon, Greylags, Cormorant, Snipe.
While watching the whoopers at one end of the lake, a couple got up and I stood up to get the camera, in case they flew my way. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a heron rise. He must have been right in front of the hide and all I could get is this shot as he flew away. I've been waiting for a closeup of a heron for quite a while.
PC still in doc so hope these work.
 

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Del Charles said:
Hello Everyone.I had a bit of a frustrateing couple of days...
Click to expand...


Derek,

I know the feeling!!!
Saturday morning I headed off to Culmore Point for an hour or so but got a puncture on the way; had just got there when I had to leave to pick up my daughter. When I got back in the afternoon both the tide and the wind were up. This meant that the gulls, a huge raft, were all on the water but the water was very choppy, and so impossible to get good views. Was able to pick out 2 Glaucous and one Iceland gulls but dipped on the Kumlien's.

Because of where the gulls were located, i drove to Culmore Point and while I was slightly closer to them, still no Kumliens and no extra Northern gulls spotted.

Culmore point did, however, turn up 4 Red Throated Divers, sheltering in the bay upstream of the point.

Roger

p.s. nice shot of the spotted red Derek

Nice shots Tully
 
Del Charles said:
Hello Everyone.I had a bit of a frustrateing couple of days.Derek
Click to expand...

Hi all,
Sorry to hear your various sundays were frustrated. I suppose from now on we will see fewer birds about...when do they start flying out?
Tully your photos make our local species look so exotic - what with the blue skies..and the bright colours.

I went to Mount Charles and Killybegs at the weekend. As you predicted I saw 5 red throated and one great northern diver from the pier near Mount Charles. There were also small parties of Brent geese, plenty of oystercatchers and a single greenshank. The water on Sunday was like a mirror because it was so calm.
I hoped to see some northern gulls at Killybegs but they were so far away on the shore that I couldn't see much. Plenty of herring gulls and greater black backs and not many black headed gulls seemed to be the order of the day. Also saw wigeon, teal and plenty of curlews.

Norma
 
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Hello Norma,glad you got a lovely day for Donegal.On cold windy days it can feel like the coldest place on earth! Nice to see you got some divers.On calm flat days the Black Throated Divers at Mountcharles seem to sit over near the sandbar and it takes a powerful telescope and some experience to pick them up.I have often seen Long Tailed Ducks from the pier as well.
Killybegs can be a very frustrateing place to watch gulls.The gulls often sit on roofs of the factories or in adjoining bays and can be very hard to see.The best place to see them is down at the pier when they are offloading fish from the boats.Nearby Mervagh is very good for scoters with records of both Surf and Velvet Scoters.
All the best
Derek
 
Not been able to get out in this nice weather has been annoying. Work is an unfortunate necessity. Restricted to looking at photos. Finally found my competition entries for NIOC competition. The Swan was the winner and the Goldfinch was 2nd

Whoops Goldie too big. will post later
 

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Tully said:
The Swan was the winner and the Goldfinch was 2nd
Click to expand...
Tully your picture of the swan is really super. I've printed it out to sit on my desk. Well done :t:

Norma
 
Hi Tully,
I just do not know how the judges decided which one came first! I think they are both outstanding :clap: :clap:
All the best
Derek
 
Hi everybody,
got to Culmore tip this morning, Friday, and got what I was after.

Glaucous gull - 3 1Winter
Iceland Gull - 2 1Winter, 1 2Winter, 1 Adult
Kumlien's Gull - 1 1Winter o:)

No doubt about the Kumlien's, good clear views perching at the edge of a large mixed flock and then in flight, hanging in the wind, as a truck put the flock up.

Rgds Roger
 
Bull Island and Sandycove

Hi Folks,
A small group from my bird class went southwards today starting at Bull Island in Dublin Bay. We slightly missed the incoming tide but nevertheless saw Brent geese, mallard, wigeon, teal, snipe, golden plover, larks, grey plover (60+), black and bar tailed godwits, knot, dunlin and little egrets.The tide was really too full to see much more so we went to Sandycove (the Forty Footer) and saw really superb views of first and second winter med gulls plus adults in fine plumage...almost full breeding feathers; black guillemot, 2 purple sandpiper and a few adult humans! with purple skin getting changed in the open air after their regular but chilly swimming session in the sea...brr!

Back to Bull Island as the tide was dropping ...close by the road between the main bridge and the rickety bridge you get good views of close birds. Greenshank and little egrets and the odd rat. Knot and dunlin were at the waters edge.

I spotted a bird with a long thickish bill and speckled back, pale supercillium, grey neck and speckled under the wing. In flight - white extending up the back but not on the tail. The bird was poking in the mud and then it drilled away at the same spot in the mud before moving on. Just the way I used to sew on buttons using the sewing machine.
Do you want to make a guess at what it was?...don't read on..



Norma




Tom identified it as a shortbilled dowitcher...a rare find indeed! It has been well twitched but it presented itself very nicely to us near the road. Here's one in similar plumage
 
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Hello Norma,i am so jealous! I have been thinking of going for this bird for a while now but its movements are very erratic and it is very hard to pin down.But i will go at Easter if it is still there.
Are you in Tom Ennis class?
All the best
Derek
 
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