Monday 24 March 2008

Allscot - Ring necked cracker!

An afternoon session began rather 'quiet' shall we say at VP, so I thought I'd go in search of Corn Buntings in the Allscott area. It wasn't long before I found one luckily - sat up on a telephone wire.....








Now telephone wires are not the most photogenic or easiest of places to expose correctly and as luck would have it - a nearby hedge provided a brief perch before the predictable disappearing act into the distance. Never mind - another great moment recorded!








I was pushing my luck to the limit, searching in vain for a Grey Partridge when my mobile became somwhat animated and so was Andy Latham on the other end..... Ring-necked Duck - a stunning drake no less - settling pools at Allscot.

I was just a few minutes away and then a 'few minutes' later comes the tricky bit - to get the record shot without spooking the flock of Tufties it was associating with. I'd got within 20 metres of Ringed-necks on Vancouver Island, here it felt like 100 was pushing my luck! But the records shot(s) were got without a single bird being disturbed - nice one Andy!










With the Little Gull still on the Mire Lake - a useful excuse (do I need one?) to upload a few more shots of this little beauty!