Sunday, September 20, 2009

SLRS Sept 09

Something happened to SLRS in the summer. It lost all its water, and has become grown over. I don't know whether this is temporary or some permanent change. But without the water, there's not much reason to come here.

Today just a couple of parties of long-tailed tits, 3 Willow Chiffs, a few Yellowhammers, 2 Jays, and c50 Carrion Crows, one of which had white wing feathers.




Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Hobbies at home

Its 6:15 and I'm walking up the road to the house and there's this screeching that's probably falcons but is so incessant it may be a car alarm. So I stop and have a look around and over the house they come, 4 hobbies. I dash inside, get my camera plus lens, and take some photos. Modern photography is easy with only a couple of things that can go wrong, but under pressure I do indeed get them wrong, and before I can correct them the party is off east over the village. I phone Kevin who lives a quarter of a mile away, and by chance he is standing outside his door key in hand, and he looks up and yes there they are, hobbies, heading for the river.

Here's all I could salvage



Edit 10 Sept
. Standing on Sawbridgeworth Station platform at 6:50 a.m. and there's a familiar screeching from behind me. The hobbies had roosted in the Poplars near the Station (which is right by the river).

Great Grey Shrike

Nine years ago when I gave up working I went to see a Great Grey Shrike at Grimes Graves. It was easy to find, showed well, all round very ...