Grey Heron, in a Cumbrian field.
Cheers,
Ian
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A Northern Flicker injecting colors on a grey day.
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So, I wasn’t prepared. A small bird flew past me on a Polish beach last week. Hardly time to pick up my camera, let alone focus. What caught my eye was the very long streamer-like tail (like a MotMot). Perplexed what it could be.
Here’s three horrid, out-of-focus shots, shot from the hip. Can any of you experts here shed any light on what it might be ?
It looks like a Bar-tailed Godwit but they don’t have streamers on their tails. Could it be that it had something caught on itself, fishing gear, perhaps?
Cheers,
Ian
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Yeh, that’s the thought of the birding community here.
Fishing line caught in its tail.
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Stellar Jay,Sun Peaks today,was sat having lunch on rock when this chap got very inquisitive.
Have got nicer picture as it got closer,only on phone,but site isn’t letting me upload it .
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Always a brief stop. Always a real pain to photograph !! Experienced it in Costa Rica !
Next time… 
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Yesterday (Friday) I was driving along a minor road overlooking Estwaite Water in the Lake District, round one of the many tight bends & about 3/40m in front, perched on a stone wall, was a Whitetailed Eagle.
I don’t know who was more shocked, needless to say with a few flaps of its huge wings it was gone. As for me, with the camera still on the back seat, all I was left with was the memory & a huge grin.
Anyhowz, PS: Reading up on Whitetails this morning, they are not currently breeding in the Lake District but a tagged female from I.o.W. has been seen wandering around.
A grouped called Cumbrian White-tailed Eagle Project are talking to the various interested parties The main objection to re-introduction is sheep (new born lamb) predation, keeping in mind NW England & Cumbria especially is one of the largest sheep production areas in UK and also many Cumbian flocks are hefted meaning the lambs are born on the fells (hills).
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Great find! White-tailed Eagles are becoming increasingly common in Cumbria now, hopefully only a matter of time until they breed again. If you’re interested you can report your sighting on the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation website as many of the Cumbrian sightings are of birds originally released on the Isle of Wight. Report a White-tailed Eagle sighting - Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation
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One wonders what they find so lacking on the IoW, that makes them go off to the Lakes.
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They like a cold shower, often?
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I guess they were just generally dispersing. If I remember correctly some birds flew north to Norfolk and into Scotland (also visiting Cumbria), some to mainland Europe and some remained on the south coast, later breeding in Dorset & Sussex.
Not forgetting there are also the 150 plus breeding pairs that are resident in Scotland, Mull to Cumbria is just a day trip for these guys.
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Frequent visitors to Daughter#2’s garden in SE Londinium.
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Got me a snake
Upon seeing me, a Blue Heron veers to his left to pick a different landing spot while careful to hold on to the live snake’s head .
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