Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll & other Norwegian garden birds during March 2020

March is a time when our wintering garden birds begin to leave and early migrants arrive for brief refuelling visits. During early March this year we were visited by many Common (Mealy) Redpolls Arcanthis flammea flammea and Eurasian Siskins Spinus spinus devouring all eatable food put out for them. With them was an Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll / Polarsisik Arcanthis hornemanni on the 4th, which was a new species for the garden list but only discovered while processing the images taken earlier. We also had several short visits of several Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus flocks of up to ca.60 birds devouring the remaining berries before they quickly moved on again. However, during January & February these flocks could total up to 200 birds. On the 26th a second year male Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, our first this year, visited for a couple og hours and found some remaining apple morsels to eat.

Photographing birds through closed windows so as not to disturb them, does not always result in good images, but it is always nice to capture images for future reference. In the case of the Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll it was absolutely necessary, as this bird would probably not have been identified and certainly not confirmed by the photos taken.

Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll - second year male showing pale and loose (fluffy) plumage

Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll - second year male showing pale unmarked rump

Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll - second year male showing pale unmarked rump

Hoary (Arctic) Redpoll - second year male showing pale unmarked rump

Common (Mealy) Redpoll C.f. flammea - compared to Hoary Redpoll, generally darker and less loose plumage, 

heavier streaking on flanks, streaking on rump and larger and longer bill.

Eurasian Siskin - male

Bohemian Waxwing - part of a flock of 200 from February

Bohemian Waxwing - closer view of a flock of 200 from February

Eurasian Blackcap - second year male

Eurasian Blackcap - second year male

Eurasian Blackcap - second year male

Ring-necked Duck – adult male at Gjennestadvannet, Vestfold & Telemark, Norway on 17th March 2020

On 15th March a visiting birder was lucky to find this adult male Ring-necked Duck / Ringand Aythya collaris in a flock of newly arrived Tufted Ducks. The species is rare in Norway only the 5th individual recorded in this county. This bird has proved very popular with local and visiting birders, although photographing it well has not been particularly easy due to the long distance and often poor light conditions, as was during my visit on 17th March. However this North American species is also popular in waterfowl collections in Europe, so as with all observations of 'rare waterfowl’, the question of spontaneous occurrence will always be asked. The species gets its name from the bird's reddish-brown neck-ring, which is often difficult to see except at close range and in good light.

Holmestrand, Vestfold & Telemark, Norway 20th & 22nd January 2020

When studying the images of Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula taken at Holmestrand harbour it was possible to separate adult females from a second year female and a second year male by head pattern. Most bird guides refer to plumage differences in the wing coverts to age female plumaged individuals, which may be difficult to observe in the field.

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Adult female: Typical round head form, bright eye and dark bill with yellow tip

Second year female: Smaller slightly less rounded head, dark eye and dark bill with paler tip.

Second year male: Pointed head shape, dark eye and all dark bill. 

In addition, some paler feathers beginning to appear behind bill

Adult male.

Spotted Sandpiper / Flekksnipe Actitis macularius – second year at Hvaler, Østfold, Norway on 9th January 2020

Waders have always been a sought-after photo subject, and the rarer the species, the more desirable it becomes. To photograph this cool bird was no exception and well worth the trip to Ørekroken on Kirkøy in Østfold. Although very rare in Norway, Spotted Sandpiper’s occur annually in Europe and most commonly as autumn first year birds. This second-year individual can easily be aged by the upper side and tertiary’s feather barring (dark subterminal band with white outermost).

North India 11th - 28th February 2019

This was a pure birding trip designed to see as many species as possible and included visits to the  standard places a first time birder may choose to this amazing country. We started in Delhi but soon moved on to Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve followed by Bharatpur and the amazing Keoladeo Ghana Nature Park. Of course a visit to India without visiting the Taj Mahal at Agra would be incomplete and our visit was also combined with a boat trip on the Chambal River. Returning to Delhi we took an overnight train to Kathgodham and then by safari jeep to Jim Corbett National Park area for the next few days. Next on the itinerary was Nainital, Sattal and Pangot areas with views to the Himalayas in the distance. In all our group identified just over 400 bird species and many of these were photographed although bird photography was not a priority unfortunately. We also saw some amazing mammals including a female tiger with two young. The following images are a very small selection from this superb birding trip.          

Agra - Taj Mahal

Female Tiger - Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve

Gharial - Chambal River 

Kalij Pheasant male (hamiltonii subspecies) - Jim Corbett National Park

River Lapwing - Chambal River

Black-winged Kite - Jim Corbett National Park

Crested Serpent-Eagle - Jim Corbett National Park

Steppe Eagle (second year) - Keoladeo Ghana National Park

Imperial Eagle - Keoladeo Ghana National Park

Brown Fish-Owl - Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve

Long-tailed Shrike (caniceps subspecies) - Jim Corbett National Park

Bay-backed Shrike - Sultanpur National Park

Common Green-Magpie wet from a rain shower - Nainital

Rufous Treepie (vagabunda/bristoli subspecies) - Ranthambore Tiger Reserve 

Coal Tit / Spot-winged Tit (melanolophus subspecies), with flower pollen in its plumage - Pangot

Himalayan Black-lored Tit - Nainital

Whistler's Warbler - Nainital

Massai Mara, Kenya - 12th-22nd November 2018

During November 2018 we visited the Masai Mara in Kenya to primarily to photograph the predators and their prey that the Mara is famous for. After a one-night stay in Nairobi we took a short flight into the Masai Mara where we stayed 9-days at Oltepesi Tented Safari Camp. Oltepesi is a very small Masai village situated just outside the NP boundary and where we had the exclusive use of a Land Cruiser safari vehicle with driver/guide through out our stay. The vehicle had been specially modified to suit wildlife photographers requirements including low angle photography and battery charging facilities. We also purchased an 'off-road license' which was really necessary to get the most out of a visit and our daily itineraries were arranged to suit what subjects we wanted to photograph.

The amazing Masai Mara and its wildlife must be experienced to be appreciated and staying at Oltepesi Tented Safari Camp in a genuine Masai village made this a perfect and unforgettable visit and which can be thoroughly recommended to all serious wildlife photographers.

Sunrise at Massai Mara

Mating Lions

Female Leopard

Cheetahs at a Wildebeest kill

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Serval

In addition to the mammals, there was plenty of bird species to see and photograph including a few raptor species. However, it was sad to note the lack of vultures which have suffered recently from illegal poisoning.

One pleasant surprise was the numbers of Caspian Plover, an uncommon species I have wanted to see after missing this species in Kasakhstan several years ago. Altogether we saw ca. 50 individuals with a high count of a flock 31 on one occasion. These birds however, were difficult to get close too for good photographic images to be taken.

Grey Crowned Cranes

Caspian Plover - juvenile

Bateleur - juvenile

Secretarybird

Secretarybird - juvenile

Rüppell's Griffon

Lilac-breasted Roller

Little Bee-eater

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