Kumlien's Gull ~ 1st. W ~ Littlehampton, W. Sussex - 23.02.14

It was well overdue for a visit to Littlehampton in West Sussex for the Kumlien's Gull which is staying faithful to the river mouth at West Beach ..

The bird found by Harry Ramm is a stunner and was on show from the moment we turned up, giving great views and performed well for the camera ..

From midday it was overcast, which rendered the birds eye dull and difficult to get a catchlight, still settings were not to bad ..

 1/1600 ~ F5 ~ iso 640

  By mid-afternoon the light had improved and the settings were now much better ..

1/2000 ~ F8 ~ iso 640

Although the light was fairly stable, settings varied for most of the afternoon ..  

Im pleased with the selection of images taken during the afternoon ..

Kumlien's Gull ~ 1st. W

A great afternoon ...

With a nice bird ...

Hardly anyone else there ...

In reasonable light ...

It doesn't get much better

Glaucous Gull ~ 2nd. W ~ Littlehampton, West Sussex - 23.02.14

~~ Top Secret Mission ~~

To infiltrate the West Sussex coastline, sneak in behind enemy lines at West Beach, Littlehampton ...

Two targets need smashing kumlieni & hyperboreus, care must be taken as the enemy lead by General Ramm are armed with 60x scopes, if spotted abort mission ....

I took my 500L weapon but the hyperboreus target was way to close, most of the time ..

Glaucous Gull ~ 2nd. W

We retreated from the beach undetected but the Hyperboreus target escape total smashing ...

Where was Harry ?

Yellow-legged Gull ~ 2nd. W ~ Dartford, Kent - 21.02.14

I've seen this bird quite a few times, during the last week or two, but always to distant even for a record shot its been mainly on the flood at Bob Dunn Way, Dartford ..

I first observed this Yellow-legged gull alongside The Jolly Farmers last year and its returned to over-winter in the area again ..

Yellow-legged Gull ~ 2nd. W

Last year ~ 06.02.13

Last year ~ 01.01.13

Caspian Gull ~ 1st. W ~ Bob Dunn Way, Dartford - 12.02.14

This is now the regular bird known as Bird No: 2

I've seen it most days on the flood viewed from the first lay-by on Bob Dunn Way, Dartford, also on the large lake viewed from the lay-by just over the creek, On the opposite side of the road at Thames Water on the flood there and at Viridor recycling ...

Caspian Gull ~ 1st. W

Morocco ~ February '14

Flew in to Marrakech with Easyjet and Jono was waiting with a 4x4, next stop Guelmin 5 1/2 hrs south ...

Our base for two nights was Chambres d' Hotes Nomades and at £7 a night was fantastic ...

Next morning out to km22 post (as per Gosney) armed with 2-way radio's we went separate ways, until some confiding Thick-billed pulled us all back together for the first session ...

Thick-billed Lark

 

At the same area alongside a cultivated strip a Temminck's joined the fun ..

Temminck's Lark

We drove a track in north-west from the km22 post and stopped at any possible areas worth checking ...

Great Grey Shrike

Desert Wheatear

Crossing a wadi in the 4x4, and virtually about to drive over a Quail reversing back out and then approached on foot ..

Quail

We came out and joined the road leading towards Echatea Ei Abied, birding here under cloud cover. Looking east seemed clear skies so headed in land ..

Black Wheatear

Red-rumped Wheatear

Day 3 - we went out to the Tan Tan km100 post and walked for over 5k ..

On a mission to find Courser or another confiding bird.

Desert Wheatear

On my return to the car, a flat stoney area just devoid of anything else except larks and this is where my " Image of the Trip " came from ..

Temminck's Lark

 500 + 1.4x ~ 1/1250 ~ F7.1 ~ iso 640 

We then drove north again across desert which is great in the 4x4 ..

11:00 was a deadline to head to the Massa but we got held up when after eventually  finding two birds ...

Cream-coloured Courser

  

A 2 1/2hr drive north towards Agadir, to the southern end of the Oued Massa. Around the many fields were plenty of birds ...

Black-crowned Tchagra

That evening was spent at Camping Wassey in Hobbit style chalets ..

Day 4 - We had a guide who gave us close up views of Bald Ibis but they just don't do it for me and just watched them rather than take images ..

Next was Stone Curlew but the want to take images had gone ..

Next was Barbary Partridge at the river mouth of the Oued Massa, first was a walk out on the beach scanning the gulls, finding many ringed birds Lbb's & Audouin's ..

Flight views of the partridges were gained on the hillsides but the beach is where i should of stayed ..

The Ford that crosses the river ( 3 in Gosney) had both martin's ...

Crag Martin

Once the light had gone we then drove north of Agadir and stayed the night.

Day 5 - The morning was a Anza fish factories with 1000's of gulls lbb's & ylg's.

From here we tried birding the old road back to Marrakech with no photo opportunities ..

Time go's so quick until it runs out then its back to the airport ..

I love Morocco ...