We spent Sunday night camping near Oshamanbe................
On the way we stopped at Yakumo. Not many waders around, just a few Grey-tailed Tattler and Ruddy Turnstone.
There were a group of birds feeding on the abundant flies buzzing around stinking drying fishing nets.............
Red-cheeked Starlings were the commonest.
This Chestnut-eared Bunting put in an appearance...............
As did this Common Sandpiper...............
All these shots are at 700mm and taken out of the car window. I had to bin 95% of them, the backgrounds were terrible and I guess camera shake and too narrow a DOF didn't help either.
Other stuff at Yakumo included my first Black-browed Reed Warbler of the year, Wryneck and Eastern Marsh Harrier. Up at Oshamanbe there were lots more Tattlers around as well as Ruddy Turnstone, Dunlin and Sanderling.
Just before the sun went down I heard this bird in the trees next to the campsite..............
A crappy record shot of a Northern Hawk Cuckoo. One of 3 cuckoo species we could hear (the others were Common and Oriental). This one has the craziest call for sure. I'd only ever seen one before this individual (about 14 years ago and I have to admit I may have been wrong as I saw it only very briefly and it wasn't calling).
I wouldn't have referred to the cuckoo as a crappy shot. Nice composition and light. You do well with the waders too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Russell............
DeleteGreat variety of birds. This Chestnut-eared Bunting is very attractive. I don't envy you the stench of the fishing nets, however!
ReplyDeleteAll the worst smells of decomposition and excretion mixed together!
DeleteThat Chesnut-eared Bunting would create quite a stir here. So would the Red-cheeked Starling.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the former has been found in the UK, you never know one may turn up in your mist nets one day Phil............
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