The weather has been much more like Spring than Winter over the last four days, this has enabled me to be out and about.
On monday I went to some of my local patches, whilst in the car park of one of my local reserves I got talking to a couple who had travelled down to Tee-side from Newcastle.
One of them was a semi- professional photographer, so again I was able to ask all sorts of questions on how to achieve the best shots!
They were looking for some of the rare and scarce visitors that were frequenting the area. As I knew were the birds had been sighted we spent most of the day travelling around to a numbers of reserves.
We parted company after an excellent day birding and swapped some contact details.
I recieved an email from them on the 03/03/2010 informing me that Waxwings had been sighted in Norton feeding in gardens for the last four days.
This is the village were I was born and bred and 5 minutes down the road from were I live, on wednesday I left the house early to go and Twitch my first bird.
I knew the location and arrived to find a few Twitchers already there! I enquired if the birds were around.
No I was informed, I had already decided that I would stay put and wait! I have only seen one other Waxwing and was relishing the opportunity to see another one in my home village.
Several more Birders and Twitchers arrived some travelling several hundred miles to catch a glimpse of a Waxwing.
After seven hours, all the people that arrived after myself had now gone and everyone kept saying the birds had moved on.
I thought another hour, then I will make a move. I then caught sight of a bird and I knew it was the bird I wanted to see!
( I JUST HOPE THE PHOTO'S STAY PUT!!!!!!!!! )
My patience paid off at the end of nearly an eight hour wait! I was even more lucky the following day as I returned to catch another glimpse of this stunning bird it was feeding again.
I was also fortunate to meet some of the residents who were absolutely magnificent and I couldn't thank them enough for there hospitality!
I returned today with a number of photo's that I gave to them.
Regards Buzzard
Nature Is Amazing - Let Us Keep It That Way
Hi buzzard,
Well done Buzzard! Your photos are amazing lovely shots.Also well done for staying there and being so patient,well worth the wait,lucky you.
Littleowl
Why oh why can everyone else see the pictures today and not me?!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarah
Do you have a Flikr page
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/
OHHHHH, More pictures I can't see, I too shall have to be patient and check back later to see them.
There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.
Your patience really paid off - great photos!
I've never had the pleasure of seeing a Waxwing in reality, even when we had them round the corner! They certainly are an eye catching bird.
bramble67 said: Why oh why can everyone else see the pictures today and not me?!!!!!!!!!!!! Sarah Do you have a Flikr page
Hi Sarah, no I'm afraid I don't use Flikr.
I have just checked little owls reply and the photo's have vanished.
I haven't posted anything for a week or so on the forum as I was getting tired of having to reload photo's.
It's a pointless excercise at the moment and it is really taking all of the enjoyment away!
Buzzard
Oh Buzzard, Absolutely super photographs. Well worth your perseverance. I will be going up to the NW coast in a couple of weeks, where I know they have seen waxwings. Just hope they are still around then.
Yes I agree. I think more of us are using Flikr at the moment for that reason. I would rather just put them on here to share though as when I add them to my Facebook profile most of my friends and family think I'm really sad. That is why I have enjoyed these forums and sharing stories and pics with like minded people.
Hopefully they will reappear.
Yeahhhhhhhh I can see them now, they are lovely pictures, they look too exotic to be over here, I suppose there won't be much chance of seeing see them about for much longer they'll soon be back off home won't they ? can I be cheeky and ask what camera and lense you used, and what sort of distance was the photo's taken at.
Unknown said: I suppose there won't be much chance of seeing see them about for much longer they'll soon be back off home won't they ? can I be cheeky and ask what camera and lense you used, and what sort of distance was the photo's taken at.
I suppose there won't be much chance of seeing see them about for much longer they'll soon be back off home won't they ? can I be cheeky and ask what camera and lense you used, and what sort of distance was the photo's taken at.
Hi BBB, yes you are right about not much chance of seeing them ( a bit like trying to view photo's on the forum )
that was the main reason I stayed put!
The other reason I stayed was the food supply, virtually every tree and shrub bearing berries or fruit in our region has been stripped. This little crab apple tree must have been one of a few left with fruit, so I had a feeling it may return!
The camera is an Olympus e500 and the lense was a Olympus 70-300mm. I was between 10 to 20 feet away.
Thanks ever so much for that Buzzard. I don't suppose they will move far from such a bountifull food supply at the minute, what with the energy there going to have to build up for that journey home, thank goodness for that crabapple tree.