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The Backward Birder

@backwardbirder.bsky.social

69 followers 49 following 340 posts

Old-fashioned birder. Member of The Irregulars. Lover of Wild places and wildlife. Reliably twenty years behind the times. Also on Twitter {yes, it's still that to me} There's a blog out there somewhere, too...

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · Feb 2

You deserve something to look at, as I once again haven't uploaded my photos yet {This is getting to be a habit}. So perhaps something Special?

One from the Vaults, I hope you like it;
🤩

The Ayatolla of Rock and Roller!!!
Roller. Bere Ferrers, Devon, '22

What. A. Bird.

Yes, the cornish one earlier in the year was prettier, but oh my sweet Goddess, this one showed better. And in Devon.
Twitched at the second attempt, straight from a Night shift, too.

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 2h

Patch today with again nothing astounding to report - though sunshine & strong wind is not exactly helpful weather.! - now that Firecrests are routine {still going 😲 at that}.
Technical issues are sort-of sorted, so here is something new to show;
Lilac Fibrecap!
🍄

{What?!? Fungi are funky. 🙃}

Lilac Fibrecap, which bears a resemblance to Pink Waxcap {which is what I thought it was when I saw it and went 'Oooh, gotta shoot that one!'}, though not a very strong one as PW's cap is pretty much pointed and not at all fibrey.

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 1d

Slight technical issue = no pics.
Slight temporal issue = no Brambling...
😖

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 1d

Patch Patrol this morning & with overnight clear skies there was little moving; handful of standard passerines, best a Stock Dove. H Nose with @shiphaybirder.bsky.social & most notable 10+ C Scoter near the Oysterbeds.
Bishop's Walk had Tit & 'crest bands. Still no Divers on or over the sea... 😕
🦉

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 2d

Nobody likes my waxcaps, don't know what they did that was so bad. 🤷
It's not going to stop me, have a couple more from Emsworthy 😛
🍄

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 2d

And that is another ridiculous view, there...
🎩
You're really on a roll at the moment, aren't you?
👏

{I'm not jealous. No, really I'm not. Not at all. 🤥}

{{Now find us a nice Eyebrowed Thrush or something, eh? 😆}}

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 6d

3/ Gannets were loitering over areas both NE and S of the Ore Stone, but in the sea and weather conditions it is perhaps not surprising that I saw no megafauna.
🤷🦉

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 6d

2/ Watched 0940-1415.
Gannet 472 {306 in 1st hour}
Auks {almost all Razorbill} 838 {742 in 1st hour, 452 in 1st 20 mins!}
Kittiwake 25 {23 in 1st hour}
Sooty 1
Manx 1
Bonxie 1
Puffin 1
C Scoter 1
YL Gull 1
Med Gull 3 {+4 on slick}
LBB 7
Common Gull 1 {+4 on slick}
BH Gull 2 {+24 on slick}

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 6d

Hope's Nose today was dizzlier than forecast and I unexpectedly ran out of time before the good weather ended, though most passage was early on.
That said, holding on for 'just five more minutes' paid off with a Bonxie!
🦉
1/

0935, arrived at Glonk Corner two hours {arg} later than hoped, but that's me and alarms for you...
If the sea looks a bit dark, that's as it's hidden by an Auk rate {almost all Razorbills} of ~1300/hr..!!

Gannets passed at all ranges, like the auks, vastly more in first part of first hour.
Of interest, you might be able to see that the older bird has a black eye, and is thus a H5N1 survivor, while the younger bird has a blue eye.

After a nice start, the rest of the watch was bands of drizzly gunk, with only one rain band around midday, and 'variable' visibility. Passage tanked somewhat, but I didn't give up!

Adult winter plumage Mediterranean Gulls, tripping the light fantastic.

Three passed, with four more [including a 1w and 2w] attending the slick.

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 7d

3/ Sometimes, the birds will come to you.
Rarely with the light, though..
🤷🦉

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 7d

2/ Getting close to thrushes is not easy. Here's a sequence of photos, taken without and with zoom, showing how far back from the subjects my typical photos are taken.
🦉

Approach with cover. Observe from far enough to not disturb. This is as you see them naked eye.

Zoom applies, or roughly binocular view. Though my bins are far better at dealing with backlight...
Now you can see there are Fieldfares? Maybe look at them closely?

More zoom. See what i was looking at? Eight thrushes in view but only seven are Fieldfares. :D

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 7d

Emsworthy yesterday morning was busy with birders.. and thrushes!
😄
First up, we have some scenery, and an actual shot of an actual Ring Ouzel!!
🦉

Hillscraper clouds, mist, drizzle.. It must be Summer! Or Autumn, too.
The Famous Tin Barn {star of so many pictures in Bluebell time} amongst the trees and Hawthorn-studded paddocks of DWT Emsworthy Mire.

Ring Ouzel! Typically distant, this was one of two, disturbed by passers-by and perching up in view.!

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 9d

Also while out berry-scouting, I found my first waxcaps of the year!
😁
At one of the Bronze Age pounds up the Avon valley; typical well rained but also drained site.
🍄

Vermillion Waxcap.
{Note markedly dark stem, striated cap with wavy edge and depressed centre}

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 9d

Ok, no takers then..
😔

Not surprised, it really doesn't look like a Merlin, does it?
😆
Juv female, looked like it had just had a go at a small bird. I got on it, went 'Zoinks!', pulled the camera, and the little speed freak exited the entire valley to try to avoid getting pap'd.!?! 🙄
Birds, eh?

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 13d

Ok, here's a Challenge for you!
🤔
Bird exiting at speed from the valley below Avon Dam yesterday.
There are GoldStars and Kudos on offer for anyone who gets it right {there are degrees of right, btw}

{Oh, and @shiphaybirder.bsky.social is disqualified as he already knows! 😛}

A bird of some sort, having seen me at close range, decides legging {winging?} it is better than risking being put up on here and being mocked by all the other {SPECIES REDACTED}

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 13d

And then, sunset entered the chat:
🎤

Gratuitous sunset.
Did I mention my camera doesn't do the colours justice? No? Well, it doesn't.

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 13d

You deserve some content {that isn't gulls or fungi 🙄}, so here are three days' worth of up-far-too-early-in-the-mornings;
🙃

The next day it got a bit more colourful.

Before going for it properly!
{Purple sky in the morning, er... um...??}

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 17d

😇

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 17d

::Whispers:: Lammergeier.....
😏

Lomelindi12 @lomelindi12.bsky.social · 17d

Private Eye 😏

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 20d

Circumstances led to a weekend patrolling the Patch. Migrants passing despite frisky weather included Mipits, Skylarks + a lone House Martin on Sat. 2 Wheatear @ the Nose, 4+ Com Dolphin N of it.
Today & looking more inland a scattering of Chiffs + a Grey Wagtail near Meadfoot.
Firecrests all over!🦉

Greenland-type Wheatear, South Side of Hope's Nose. One of two seen with @shiphaybirder

Yep, just another case of gratuitous Violets.

Photo'ing migrant warblers in the evening shade is not easy.

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 26d

A couple more pics, because they amused me;
🦉

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 26d

Bowling Green post-high tide yesterday was suddenly much livelier as a Pectoral Sandpiper appeared amongst the moulting waterbirds.!!
😃
Fortunately, despite being a bit flighty, it not only posed for pics, but stayed visible for a goodly twitch.
Result! 😁
Bonus - if brief - Glossy Ibis, too 🦉

Pectoral Sandpiper, appearing from behind a juvie Shelduck.

Juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, amongst Wigeon.

Pectoral Sandpiper, with Glossy Ibis being a total attention hog...

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 26d

Yesterday morning I spent about 2.5 hours at Cockwood Crossing, not seeing any sign of the previous day's Slavonian Grebe.
Bugger.
There was a nice Common Scoter to look at and the expected waterfowl and waders knocking about. Slightly vexed, I decided to go and sulk at Bowling Green for a bit...
🦉

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 29d

And for colour; a few Fly Agaric, as everybody likes looking at them 😁
🍄🍄
{See? Even the emoji is one!}

Fly Agaric, fully-developed. I love the bright yellow fringe to the cap.

Fly Agaric, young one. Note the missing 'spot', showing they are not volval remnants, as in other Amanitas.

Group of Fly Agarics, showing variation.

The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · 29d

A post about fungi gets Likes?!?
😲
::Faints::

So maybe possibly you might like some more?
🥺
🍄

Velvet Shank.
Not really velvetty, I've always thought...

Charcoal Burner.
Multi-coloured Russula, peeking cautiously through the fallen leaves.

Cep, the most famously edible of the Boletes. These two are sensibly hiding under Brambles!

Brown Rollrim.
To quote the great Sir Pterry, "All mushrooms are edible, but some mushrooms are only edible once..." This is one of those.

They look a lot like the 'Giant Oyster Mushrooms' you find in some shops, and are a great advert for not going foraging unless you're VERY sure about what you're picking.

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The Backward Birder @backwardbirder.bsky.social · Sep 25

Found while looking for fungi last weekend.
The scaly purple caps had me thinking of Violet Webcap {a rarity}, but on closer inspection it is - as always - a deceiver!
Amethyst Deceiver in this case.

Gorgeous things, despite being a little munched, and on my hoped-for list in their own right.
😁
🍄

Amethyst Deceivers, slightly munched upon, wooded fringe of Dartmoor.