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Friday 30 September 2011

Semi-P Up Close And Personal

I've been so used to checking the flock of small waders on the beach in the mornings this week - and not seeing the Semipalmated Sandpiper - that I didn't even both carrying my telescope and cameras this morning....

So when I did spy it roosting on the pebbles I had to leg it back to the car to get what I needed to do this. I warn you, there are a heck of a lot of photos!!!!

All these are taking with my trusty old Nikon Coolpix 4500 through my Kowa telecope....


And these are all taken with my hand held Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 (and most using full 18x optical zoom)....

I told you so! Loads and loads and loads of photos! God knows what the pictures would look like if I had a 'proper camera!'

There are a couple of things I think are worth mentioning from the excellent views I had of this American beauty this morning:

1/ its leg colour - viewable on most of my pictures
2/ the 'anchor marks' on some of the scaps - there aren't many and they aren't obvious!

It's a great bird - and I felt so privileged to be so close to it!!

Lastly, a bit of late news for yesterday, I got down to the Estuary just in time to see an Osprey fly south over Axmouth Bridge, and south east past Axe Cliff. Apparently later it came back though - it would be nice to think it was still here.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Steve

    My girlfriend Stef and I were visiting her parents in Seaton last weekend and were at BHM on the Saturday afternoon when the local birders were trying to get positive id on the semi-p. We're only 'causal' birders but really enjoyed the buzz associated with this lovely little wader!

    Cheers, Andrew

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  2. Hi Andrew,

    Excellent - I'm glad you were here when it was all 'kicking off!'

    Cheers, Steve

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  3. BRILLIANT pics of the Semi-p Steve!

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  4. Thanks Tim, you should try yourself in the morning - it may well be back on the beach.

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