Monday, March 5, 2012

Reddening Black-tailed Godwit!

This Black-tailed Godwit is beginning to gain its summer plumage and, at this moment in time, it stands out in the midst of the rest of the flock. In 'Birds Britannica' Mark Cocker describes the breeding plumage of the 'Blackwit' as 'a striking chequerwork of black, white and brick-red, and dense pre-migration flocks can form sumptuous pools of colour against the lush spring vegetation.' With a large flock wintering just down the road from where I live, here's one person who's hoping to witness some 'sumptuous pools of colour' over the coming weeks!!

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful birds steve. We saw lots last week near the railway station on the ponds, but not as dark as the one on your vid.
    Do you make a list of all your sightings?

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  2. Hi Dave,
    I couldn't believe how close it was possible to get to these birds when I first arrived. In Bedfordshire I was used to looking at 2s and 3s from time to time hundreds of metres away in a gravel pit! :-)
    I made a list of all the sightings on spreadsheets last year but, this year, I'm putting the main stuff down in an A4 page a day diary, which I prefer in terms of remembering what I saw...I'll pass on any interesting stuff to the local recorder (like a Green Sandpiper on the Western Yar a few days ago and a Marsh Harrier flying overhead).
    Best wishes,
    Steve.

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  3. Great footage. What were you shooting with?

    Dani @ ONNO Organic Clothing

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  4. Hi Dani,
    Thanks for the encouragement. I'm a rank amateur but the camer's - a Panasonic HDC-SD90 is brilliant. It's got a 40x zoom which is pretty impressive. I just wish I'd have had something like this to record some of the amazing wildlife scenes that I've seen in the UK over the years.
    Best wishes,
    Steve.

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