[PIC_THREAD] Wildlife, Animals, Birds, Zoo

Buddy · 4 Oct 2016 at 20:44

JohnnyG said:
I snapped this little chap the other day but I've no idea what it is
I think it's a Bunting of sorts, can anyone ID it for me

Well I've scanned the Collins bird guide.
Initial impressions winter plumage of a female yellowhammer vs a corn bunting which looks very similar.

Buddy · 4 Oct 2016 at 20:53

On another note. My back/neck is knackered from my 20 mile birding walk over the weekend with the new 600mm and neck strap ha. What is your go to vest/shoulder strap to distribute the weight?

I'm not really interested in a mono or tripod. It's too slow for my needs.

Also winter is here and all - under clothes thermals?

JohnnyG · 5 Oct 2016 at 07:46

Buddy said:
Well I've scanned the Collins bird guide.
Initial impressions winter plumage of a female yellowhammer vs a corn bunting which looks very similar.

Cheers, I'm going with the bunting

footman · 5 Oct 2016 at 08:53

Buddy said:
On another note. My back/neck is knackered from my 20 mile birding walk over the weekend with the new 600mm and neck strap ha. What is your go to vest/shoulder strap to distribute the weight?

I'm not really interested in a mono or tripod. It's too slow for my needs.

Also winter is here and all - under clothes thermals?

Get a Black Rapid strap before you need a weekly osteopaths appointment.

footman · 5 Oct 2016 at 09:02

Female stonechat and fallow buck, Richmond Park yesterday.
By the time I got there the sun was getting high, bloody traffic, grrrrr.

JohnnyG · 5 Oct 2016 at 17:09

footman said:
Female stonechat and fallow buck, Richmond Park yesterday.
By the time I got there the sun was getting high, bloody traffic, grrrrr.

I've been toying with the idea of wandering around Richmond Park one morning, is there plenty to shoot there?

footman · 5 Oct 2016 at 17:21

JohnnyG said:
I've been toying with the idea of wandering around Richmond Park one morning, is there plenty to shoot there?

There's plenty there but it's such a big place stuff can be hard to spot. Of course the red deer rutting is just about to get underway which can be spectacular, should be in full swing next week.

I choose the area around Penn Ponds, there is a car park there. Avoid weekends if you can, it's full of photographers and we all know what they're like!

Weekends also brings a greater rash of the lycra-clad who have an enormous sense of entitlement and will scream at you if they think they're being impeded.

Buddy · 5 Oct 2016 at 20:46

The bearded reedling (tit) was a nice surprise

Whinchat

Bearded Tit at RSPB Rainham Marshes

Female Stonechat

JohnnyG · 5 Oct 2016 at 21:44

footman said:
There's plenty there but it's such a big place stuff can be hard to spot. Of course the red deer rutting is just about to get underway which can be spectacular, should be in full swing next week.

I choose the area around Penn Ponds, there is a car park there. Avoid weekends if you can, it's full of photographers and we all know what they're like!

Weekends also brings a greater rash of the lycra-clad who have an enormous sense of entitlement and will scream at you if they think they're being impeded.

I don't work Thursdays so may well go there next week, I see it opens at 7am so if I get there about 6.30am any idea if the traffic is bad?

Buddy said:
Rainham Marshes

Is that where your 20mile weekend walk was?
I'm an RSPB member and really want to explore some reserves but I don't know anything about them other than what's on their site.

Buddy · 5 Oct 2016 at 22:04

JohnnyG said:
I don't work Thursdays so may well go there next week, I see it opens at 7am so if I get there about 6.30am any idea if the traffic is bad?

Is that where your 20mile weekend walk was?
I'm an RSPB member and really want to explore some reserves but I don't know anything about them other than what's on their site.

Yeah I did a few circuits then explored the area around it. I've visited a handful of RSPB reserves in and around London.

If you want to know details for the beardies and location at Rainham let me know. Apparently they get quite a few owls just outside the reserve come November.

I'm off next week. Richmond Park is a good shout.

footman · 5 Oct 2016 at 22:18

JohnnyG said:
I don't work Thursdays so may well go there next week, I see it opens at 7am so if I get there about 6.30am any idea if the traffic is bad?

Is that where your 20mile weekend walk was?
I'm an RSPB member and really want to explore some reserves but I don't know anything about them other than what's on their site.

I don't know which direction you are coming from, I drove in from Surrey and the A316 was very congested even at 7 a.m.

Cosimo · 10 Oct 2016 at 10:36

kingdom_animalia_020 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

Cosimo · 10 Oct 2016 at 12:45

kingdom_animalia_021 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

kingdom_animalia_022 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

Cosimo · 10 Oct 2016 at 15:45

kingdom_animalia_025 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

kingdom_animalia_026 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

Buddy · 10 Oct 2016 at 18:36

Lovely drawings but small maps. Needed a field guide rather than rely on the rspb website.

footman · 10 Oct 2016 at 19:00

Adult house sparrow, all I managed to get at Pullborough today

Cosimo · 11 Oct 2016 at 07:42

kingdom_animalia_023 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

kingdom_animalia_024 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

Cosimo · 11 Oct 2016 at 15:45

kingdom_animalia_029 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

kingdom_animalia_033 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

kingdom_animalia_032 by MrBlueSky*, on Flickr

Buddy · 11 Oct 2016 at 18:32

I do like the one with the wasp and blue background

Cosimo · 12 Oct 2016 at 08:09

Buddy said:
I do like the one with the wasp and blue background

Thanks.

It's sitting by the edge of the pool recovering after having been rescued by me. Got lucky with the colour of the water and sun reflection.