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

Recent content by hornet

  1. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    Finally got to Grandborough this morning to see the shrike, sadly no show from the merlin by the time my toes had had enough (still pretty cold despite the thaw). I had already popped by to see the bewick's off the A428 (16 there at 8am), so headed on to Draycote - a drake smew, great northern...
  2. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    IT was minus five when I got to Draycote this morning - I'm not too sure that an open top bus would have had many takers. I couldn't find the smew - it's now turning into a real bogey bird (haven't seen a drake for five years). But I did find a female common scoter off Draycote Bank, and the...
  3. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    One good sighting there at least Gareth - I've been going to Napton Res and Ufton Fields for more than five years, and have never seen a water rail at either! I'm choosing to believe it's all down to bad luck.
  4. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    I don't think the fisherman who wandered in front of the hide at 11am this morning was affected by the wind direction. I think he just completely ignored the conservation area and strolled along the entire shoreline from one side to the other in order to save himself a five minute walk via the...
  5. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    It wasn't :-C Still, I'm not going to dwell on a missing Osprey - Draycote's Pectoral Sandpiper was indeed a splendid bird, and so was the Bar-tailed Godwit over at Rainbow Corner. This county listing lark is starting to appeal again. Did someone mention a Spotted Crake...
  6. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    Oh come on guys, stop the good birds. I missed the 2006 Osprey, but I'll get slaughtered at home if I head off to Brandon after a full morning at Draycote. Might be worth it though ;)
  7. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    Thanks John. I don't put the hours in to deserve the luck (funny how the two things often go together), but you never know. Come to think of it, I don't think I've got Ruff in Warwickshire yet (and I'm not sure I've got bar-tailed either!), so I'll happily take any two from that little lot!
  8. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    Thanks. I can't remember the last decent bird that was close enough and lethargic enough to hang around waiting for me! Addendum - a quick scan through my blog suggests it might have been a Great Skua at Draycote, December 2006. I really must get out more.
  9. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    OK, so after failing to add anything to my pathetically small county list for about three years, a long-staying Pec Sandpiper seems like reason enough to set an early alarm tomorrow. Does anyone know if it was still at Draycote today? And can I have those three Curlew Sands back pls?
  10. hornet

    Warwickshire farmer wins prestigious wildlife award

    Absolutely - good work folks. My local patch includes quite a bit of Warwickshire farmland, and I've seen evidence of this kind of work over the last couple of years - wider margins, shaggier hedges and some wetland creation - pools in low lying areas etc. No coincidence then that a couple of...
  11. Dunnock at Brandon Marsh

    Dunnock at Brandon Marsh

    • hornet
    • Media item
    • Comments: 1
    • Category: Britain & Europe
  12. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    Glad you like the photo - apparently it took me four hours sitting under a bush in a cold wet field to get it ;-) Sadly however, we both both know that I've neither the talent nor the patience to get a shot like that. Fortunately Steve Seal has, so credit where credit is due. Thanks to Steve...
  13. hornet

    West Midlands/Warwickshire local patches.

    Made it out this morning for my first birding in ages - thank God that Crane at Cropredy hasn't been in a hurry to move on. What a fabulous bird. Came back via Napton Reservoir - a couple of Sand Martins turned up, a couple of Chiffchaffs were calling (although I heard my first one there nearly...
  14. hornet

    Comment by 'hornet' in media 'Winter Jay 2'

    A nice swansong for the trusty FZ20 - I've always struggled to get a decent Jay shot. I look forward to seeing how the transition to DSLR goes. Who knows - I might be following in your footsteps some time.
    • hornet
    • Gallery comment
  15. hornet

    What are THE best Reverse Porro Compacts?

    Because it is the best of all the models I've tried. I wasn't trying to be definitive, just helpful.
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