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An individual, of no great importance, who is unable to see the natural world as a place for competition. I catch fish, watch birds, derive immense pleasure from simply looking at butterflies, moths, bumble-bees, etc - without the need for rules! I am Dylan and this is my blog - if my opinions offend? Don't bother logging on again - simple!

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Wednesday 6 September 2017

Gift from the birding gods?

It was just around 18.00 hrs, this evening, when I was made aware of a passing raptor by the raucous noise from a group of Rose-ringed Parakeets which had taken umbrage with the intruder. Luckily I was standing in the kitchen doorway and had my optics and camera gear close to hand. A quick scan through the bins revealed an Osprey - F**K - grab the camera!

An Osprey being invited to leave Newlands air space by a bunch of parakeets
I rattled off a few shots as it disappeared towards Westward Cross; not the normal direction for overflying birds of prey. Obviously my images are less than perfect, but do provide a record of the event - only my second patch/garden record in seventeen years. A Common Whitethroat was in the garden over the weekend, a very poor image obtained in the half light of a dingy Sunday morning. A few more fish have graced the landing net, all from the club carp puddle, and have included my PB Ide (all 2 lbs 8 oz of it - weighed not guessed) and a very pretty fully scaled Mirror taken off the surface.

Garden Whitethroat in the gloom

A pretty little fish which took a cube of wholemeal bread - dumb schmuck!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Dyl. there's been several Ospreys passing through this last week or so but a garden tick is a bit special. Good to see the familiar face back on the header again.

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    1. Cheers Derek, it was the time of the sighting which was most unusual. Raptors generally pass over Thanet between 10.30 and 14.00 hrs (although this is not tablets of stone) so to have this bird fly over, at 18.00 hrs, in very overcast conditions was totally unexpected.
      As for the new header photo - I just fancied a change! All the best Dyl

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