Bittern (Teifi Marshes) taken on Thursday 21st. October

After sitting for a couple of hours at the Kingfisher hide we were preparing to pack up as the light was not good. Jen quietly mentioned that there was a bittern sitting to the far right of the hide. Wow - our first bittern of the season - in fact it seems to be the first for Pembrokeshire.

This was the best view I have ever had of a bittern. It stayed in this position for about 5 minutes and then walked across the clearing to the reeds on the other side.

Photograph taken with my Canon 400 f5.6 lens, ISO1000 f8 @ 1/250sec.

Squacco Heron (Angle) taken on Saturday 16th. October

Pembrokeshire Birds Blog was showing a Squacco Heron down in Angle, South Pembs. for a few days, but the light had not been good so I had not thought it worthwhile to travel down there. On Saturday the light was good so took the opportunity to go down. This is one of many shots I managed of this rare heron:

I did not have my 500mm lens so this was taken with my Canon 400mm f5.6 lens - ISO1000 f8 @ 1/4000sec.

Snipe (RSPB Conway) taken on Sunday 10th. October

This photograph of a Snipe was taken at RSPB Conway while we were up in North Wales for a few days:

Photo taken with my usual kit ISO1000, f8 @ 1/2000sec.

Kingfisher (Teifi Marshes) taken on Sunday 3rd. October

A kingfisher comes to the kingfisher hide at the Teifi Marshes, Cilgerran more regularly these days but not often on convenient perches for photographing. This one came very close but had backlighting - managed to get this image - with some adjustments!

Taken with 500mm lens, f8 @ 1/1000sec.

Godwits (WWT Llanelli) taken on Saturday 11th. September

In the afternoon we went to Penclacwydd - WWT Llanelli. The light was very poor. We decided that the Boardwalk hide would be our last before going home. While there we saw some redshank, greenshank and some black-tailed godwits. While we were there a large flock of godwits passed and landed in front of the Observatory. Decided to go there and went into the left hand hide. Managed this shot when they took off:

Taken using my Canon 500mm lens with 1.4 converter. ISO1000 f8@ 1/4000sec.

Photographs taken on Wednesday 8th. September

Down at Patch again in the morning 8.30-9.30 managed a dunlin:

Taken with the 500mm Canon lens, 1.4 converter f8@ 1/3,200sec.

A juvenile wagtail - pied?

with the same equipment f8@ 1/3,200sec.

A juvenile ringed plover:

usual equipment, f8 @ 1/2,500sec.

And in the evening a rather co-operative wheatear:

Usual equipment, f8@ 1/2,500sec.

Sanderling (Patch) taken on Tuesday 7th. September

From reports on the Pembrokeshire Birds blog site it seemed worthwhile to go down to Patch (Gwbert near Cardigan) at or near high tide in the evening. There were reports of little stint, curlew sandpiper, dunlin and ringed plover. The best I managed was of this juvenile sanderling:

Taken with my Canon 500mm lens with 1.4 converter.