September 2009

This black-eared kite was trawling bush crickets disturbed by vegetation clearing along the River Kama-gawa in Kyoto on 15th. Click on the image for the photos and trip report.

black-eared kite

28th - London train. Red kite near Didcot, and a group of ring-necked parakeets between Reading and London.

A three-egret day on the Levels on 27th. The great white egret was on Noah's Lake, and an adult cattle egret was on the drained lagoon at Meare Heath. The two pectoral sandpipers showed well on the lagoon, and a ringed plover was also there.

Some good birds at Chew on 25th. A juvenile long-billed dowitcher arrived on the previous day, and the drake ferruginous duck, the juvenile red-crested pochard, a little stint, a hobby and a kingfisher were seen. Some low quality pictures of the pochard and dowitcher below.

red-crested pochard

long-billed dowitcher

A photogenic little egret fed in front of Villice Bay hide.

little egret

little egret

little egret

A couple of parties of ring-necked parakeets around Heathrow Airport on 20th.

Chew Valley Lake on 6th. Birds included a distant glossy ibis, a wood sandpiper, 5 green sandpipers, 6 common sandipers (all sandpipers in Villice Bay), 2 common terns. I saw two muntjac close the path to Villice hide.

Grey heron in evening light.

grey heron

grey heron

Buzzard eating a dead fish. The bird appeared to have a damaged right eye, and was harassed by crows.

buzzard

buzzard

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