It never rains but it pours. For the first time in a long time, I was able to get out onto my patch, albeit the majority of it was spent sat in my car due to the dreadful weather. However I was able to catch up with a local rarity. Three Pink-footed geese had been on the Church Lane flood for a few days and I was hoping that they'd be able to hang around until I could get there. When I arrived I could see a couple of hundred Canada Geese and a few Greylag Geese mixed in with them. Stupidly I'd left the binoculars at home, and I didn't have time to go back and get them in my small window of opportunity. I relied on my camera lens to pick them out, and I did that some 150 yards away. I usually venture to Martin Mere or Norfolk to see these birds. To see them just two miles from my where I live was quite amazing. Come again please.
Then, to my amazement, a bird was put up in the air by three incoming Mallards. It was quite clearly a Pintail, even without binoculars. I threw the camera up at it and hoped for the best. Two local rarities in one day. Birding doesn't get much better than this.
Pink-footed Goose
This Pintail flew towards me and then over me. A real Stockport Borough rarity.
The Pintail kindly came back, so I was able to get some very distant shots of it on the flood on Sunday.
Thats a Pintail all right - and more remarkably that bright stuff behind it is sunlight!
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Amazing shots, and I haven't seen these birds before!
ReplyDeleteI see plenty of the Canada goose in my world but a pintail sighting would be rare. It flies as straight and sure as an arrow!
ReplyDeleteMagnificent photos ~ love the birds in flight captures especially ~ great shots for OWT ~ thanks,
ReplyDeletecarol and artmusedog
www.acreativeharbor.com
what a treat ... pink footed geese and the lovely pentail. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteVögel im Flug immer wunderbar wenn man es erlebt..
ReplyDeleteund dann auch festhalten kann...:D
Wunderschön bin total begeístert
LG vom katerchen
Love the pintail in flight...soaring above your head.
ReplyDeleteExcellent in-flight captures! All I ever see are Canadian Geese.
ReplyDeleteGreat series, love the flight shots!
ReplyDeletepintails are so elegant. and the pink-legged is awesome!
ReplyDeleteoh wonderful on the pintail; never seen them before
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fun getting out about about with a camera.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your birds with us.
(ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON, Canada!
That was an amazing birding day. That pink-footed goose is quite something and I bet even I could ID it correctly on first sight! Love the flight shots. Hope the nice weather holds.
ReplyDeleteIts nice when a plan comes togeather Adam, and its always good to get things on your own patch that you wasn't expecting.
ReplyDeleteAll the best , Gordon.
Have never seen a pintail before, but your shots are great, and after seeing this bird, could never miss it if one flies over. I definitely see why it is called PINTAIL.
ReplyDelete