Gull's

Mosses Gate Country Park - 14.12.2024

I'm not a gull's person, in fact I find the subtleties of identifying "grey" gulls difficult, they all look the same other than Mediterranean gull's like Slender-billed and Audouin's that look so different, so with that said I'm off to MGCP to try and find a juvenile Caspian Gull.

Caspian Gull's a variant of Herring Gull family but laterly recognised as a sub-species, but to me just another Herring Gull, so armed with my extensive gull knowledge I'm off to Mosses Gate to see what's on offer.

Arriving mid-morning it's like gull's city with locals throwing food for the water fowl, the gull's are going bonkers ! too many gulls all looking the same I decide to give looking for the Caspian Gull a miss opting to walk the perimeter of the lake for other opportunities.

On the far side of the lake the light behind is better with nice colour in the water, a row of posts at the water's edge provide resting for a variety of gull species, a good location to spend an hour and what's more I recognise some of the species, you know the usual stuff !

Common Gull

Black-headed Gull

Herring Gull - juvenile

The American Is Back

Taylor Park, St Helens - 03.12.2025

It's been some time since I last posted on the blog that's not so say that I haven't been active with trips to Scotland and Central Spain all done in the last few months. I haven't bothered doing reports as they've more or less been repeats of trips done just a few months earlier.

Now early December and a male American Ring-necked Duck that's been hanging around for a time has reappeared in St Helens. Frequenting two lakes, one public the other private, but mainly the private lake it's a case of waiting for the right opportunity for a visit and importantly in some good light.

Checking Birdguides the Internet bird information service the duck has been reported early morning on the public lake, the weather forecast for the week is rain but good light for today only so the decision is made to make the 30 mile trip.

A new location for me I'm interested and hoping for a smallish lake, is it small ? well yes and no, just small enough to get a shot if not too far away. Grabbing just the camera and the bins the plan is to circumnavigate the lake hopefully locating the duck. Halfway round I bump into a colleague which makes locating the duck a little easier, and with the light behind the duck is more easily located hanging around with some "tuftiest"...time to get the camera out.

Over the next hour or so the duck remains just a little to far away for any mega shots, to add, the light is ever changing from sunlight burning out whites to overcast conditions having to dial in some over exposure. All too soon the sun is low throwing half the lake into shadow signalling the best of the light and day is now over. With some images on the card I'm interested to see the results.

The forecast for the remainder of the week isn't so good, but on the other hand next the week looks promising, maybe other trip ? ...you never know.

Ring-necked Duck - male

The image below, you can just see the brown "ring neck" the duck is named after.

An Angel Appears In Bury !

The Rock - 13.03.2024

I've been meaning to catch up and photograph The Knife Angle for a while as it's been on it's travels around the region but never quite managing, but today I've finally caught up as it's currently on display at the Rock in Bury. Greater Manchester. 

I've only a fews days opportunity as I'll be "off the road" figuratively speaking by which time the sculpture will have moved on to Taunton in Sumerset, so It's today only or another missed opportunity.

The weather isn't good today hoping for nice light instead it's light drizzle as I set off on the short drive, happy despite the weather to see the sculpture as the images I've seen it looks quite impressive. At the Rock it's busy with shoppers going about their daily business, no doubt there will be a fair few on looker viewing the sculpture adding to the imagery. 

I've now circumnavigated the Rock but still can't seem to find the sculpture eventually asking one to the Rock staff for directions, if you go it's located on the side of the building where Bob & Bert's diner is located. 

Whilst the sculpture looks impressive, the base like the Soldiers of Sacrifice that was recent at Salford Keys, it looks a little underwhelming hence I've excluded from the images.

Managing the best images on the day in the rainy conditions it's time to call time for the next few weeks, see you all soon.

Link to The Knife Angel website.....https://www.britishironworkcentre.co.uk/the-knife-angel-official/

The Knife Angel

A Queens Goose

Queens Park - 05.01.2024

Full of a virus I'm not really motivated to get out happy just to go over some old images and browse the interweb, what I did note was a couple of Red-breasted Geese have made it to the UK. RBG breed in artic tundra and during winter a few associate with other smaller geese species wintering in Western Europe and a even lesser few managing to make it over to the UK, currently one at Cley in Norfolk and another at Martin Mere in Lancashire and surprisingly one turning up on a local park lake which is likely to be an escapee even thou the absence of a leg ring.

Literally only a fifteen minuet drive it's a location I know well which can get busy on weekends so as it's a Friday I'm going to see what's on offer. As I approach the lake I easily pick up the goose associating with a few Canada Geese which soon depart to the other side of the lake for some free food on offer.

Trying to isolate the goose from the frantically feeding Canadas Geese is a matter of just waiting for the opportunity. Now over an hour later and having managed more images than I need the goose moves away to roost on the island in the middle of the lake, it preens then settles with its head under it's wing suggesting the actions over for this session, so it's back home for me and back to the Lemsip.

Red-breasted Goose