Through a glass darkly

Marshsidebirders.com ~ and beyond

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) on Luing

Snapped this whilst researching a music project on the island of Luing in mid-August.

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe)

September 5, 2010 Posted by Simon Glinn | Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Hungry Woodpecker!

A bit of videoscoping on Old Fisherman’s Path on Whit Monday.

June 5, 2010 Posted by Simon Glinn | Merseyside, Video | Leave a Comment

Camargue, March 2010



Mediterranean Gulls, originally uploaded by simonglinn.

I had a couple of days in the Camargue early last week before going on to a conference in Marseille (European Capital of Culture 2013). I was yomping about more than digiscoping but got a few frames, including some ok video of Slender-billed Gulls and Black Kites.

Lifers for me included Great Spotted Eagle, Kentish Plover, Dartford Warbler, Tawny Pipit, the Slender-billed Gulls, Moustached Warbler, and a Blue-headed Wagtail flava (even if it’s still lumped in as a Yellow Wag). Other great birds included Greater Flamingo, Temmincks and Little Stints, Bonelli’s Eagle, Sub-Alpine Warbler …

March 31, 2010 Posted by Simon Glinn | Trip Reports | Leave a Comment

Bittern at Crossens Outer

It was a foggy day today when I finally had chance to catch up with the Bittern on Crossens Outer. A couple of Short-Eared Owls were around too, and several times I had the Bittern, the shorties and Little Egrets all in the same view in ‘scope and bins. A great day following a similarly fine day at Anfield yesterday. Very bad light for photography of course, but this video captures the jizz of the Bittern well: it’s showing very clearly here in North Merseyside, for such a normally secretive bird.

February 7, 2010 Posted by Simon Glinn | Marshside, Merseyside, Video | Leave a Comment

Our Day Out Across The Pennines …

John A, Bones, Jason, Little Chris and I ventured across to the dark side of the country today before first light. Jason got the pic of the day with the portrait of the Black-throated Thrush in the branches at Newholm, near Whitby.

My own best effort of it feeding on the ground was ruined by some intervening vegetation :

Black-throated Thrush

There’s still a fair bit of snow on t’other side of T’Pennines …

Bones and John at Horcum's Hole

We caught up with this Ring-necked Duck at Pugsey Country Park, near Wakefield ~

Ring-necked Duck

Ring-necked Duck

… and then with this Smew very nearby, on the lagoons beyond The Swan and Cygnet pub …

Smew

Jason

Jason got that shot of the Smew and this Goldeneye …

Closer to home, judging by his Flickr stream Phil Boardman went to Marton Mere to see if the American Bittern could be confirmed. It wasn’t, but he has a great shot of two Bitterns in flight, as well as Cetti’s Warbler and other stuff on his tream – here’s a Long-eared Owl to whet your appetite.

January 17, 2010 Posted by Simon Glinn | Yorkshire | Leave a Comment

Fieldfares at Freshfield



Fieldfares at Freshfield, originally uploaded by simonglinn.

There were, literally, thousands of Fieldfares and hundreds of Redwings feeding amongst the Sea-buckthorn at the end of Fisherman’s Path today. My frozen hands and shutter cable made digiscoping a chore and so for the most part I just enjoyed being surrounded by them. Well camouflaged, they were almost landing on me. This presumably is some desperate hunger; but they were finding food, so let’s hope the majority make it to the thaw.

Fieldfare at Freshfield

11 Great Crested Grebes off shore too, and a Woodcock from the path. Plenty of Goldcrests around too.

Here’s a few oldies …

Great White Egret, Crossens Outer, 13 December 2009

Shorelark at Ainsdale, 9th November 2009

January 10, 2010 Posted by Simon Glinn | Merseyside | , , , | 1 Comment

Mediterranean Gull in Walton

Jason’s local patch, Walton Park in Liverpool, often turns up good numbers of Med Gulls for him. These were found today.

Med Gulls in Walton Park

Med Gulls, Walton

Plenty more on Jason’s flickr stream

Meanwhile, check this from Phil Boardman:

Kingfishers by Phil Boardman

Plenty more on Phil’s flickr stream

August 2, 2009 Posted by Simon Glinn | Merseyside | , , | Leave a Comment

Jason & Rosy

Jason proved himself to be the god of Merseyside digiscoping today, with these brilliant images of the Roseate Tern at Seaforth. There are more on his flickr stream, of course.

June 14, 2009 Posted by Simon Glinn | Merseyside | , , | Leave a Comment

A Mere Sunday

Jason, Bones & I spent Sunday at Martin Mere, where the American Wigeon was not seen ~ unlike Saturday and Monday! The pix are Jason’s as he got round to flickring them first. Bird of the day was this Green Sandpiper, digiscoped through the glass of the Raines Observatory.

This juvenile Tree Sparrow was one of a dozen or more at the Janet Kear Hide ~

The Oystercatcher and Whooper Swan were seen from the Ron Barker Hide ~

Can anyone tell me why, on the one day each week that the bus link from Burscough Bridge to Martin Mere doesn’t function, trains also do not stop at New Lane, which is just a short stroll from the Mere? More bonkersness. But a cab turned out to be just £3.60 – 01704 892000 for cabs in Burscough. And had we not gone back to Burscough we wouldn’t have bumped into Graham outside a pub by the station, so no real complaints …

Meanwhile, Neill took this Greenfinch portrait at Marshside yesterday ~

Elsewhere, the Paddyfield Warbler was seen again at Hilbre yesterday, and if you haven’t yet looked at the photos on the Hilbre blog, do so now, it’s a great bird!

June 10, 2009 Posted by Simon Glinn | Lancashire | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Chaffinch and Corn Bunting



Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), originally uploaded by simonglinn.

The Chaffinch was by a bridge over the Douglas last weekend; the Corn Bunting was at Pool Hey Lane and Wyke Road junction today.

May 31, 2009 Posted by Simon Glinn | Lancashire | , , , | Leave a Comment

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