Birds

[George]

Another of the young gannet I met earlier this week, and a sunrise. It's sunrise time of year again! By that I mean I don't have to get up at silly hours of the morning to photograph them, I can catch them at a much more sensible time, like after breakfast.

[George]

I have never seen gannets diving for fish so close to the shore. What a rare display to have the privilege to watch. These are all juveniles with their first year dark plumage. The adults are white. Look how close they are to the shore.

For me, life isn't about chateaus and aston martins and fancy suits and casinos and restaurants, that isn't life, this is life.

[George]

A flock of sanderlings and ringed plovers flying over the ocean. They seem to get along well together those two birds.

[Titak]

Oh wow!

Look at those big black feet in the second pic.

[Titak]

No wonder you thought he needed help. Such an odd pose.

I also hope he'll make it.

 

No gannets over here btw.

[Titak]

Ducks for the win!

Coming out of eclipse? No idea.
Our mallards just went through the moulting season and are looking mighty fine again. All ready for the winter with shiny new feathers.
Could that have to do with it? With recovering after moulting?

[George]

No, I suppose they don't much like diving into the ground, they need ocean for that.

[George]

You're right, I checked google and found this.

Eclipse plumage

However, they moult into a dull plumage after breeding in mid-summer. This drab, female-like appearance is called eclipse plumage. When they shed feathers to go into eclipse, the ducks become flightless for a short period of time.

[Titak]

Learned something new today.

I knew about the female-like appearance and becoming flightless but didn't know it was called that. I wonder if there's a Dutch word for it as well.

Our ducks always looked dreadful when going through this phase. "Amputated" wings, only a couple of tail feathers left, shabby.
One of the ducks we've had once started moulting in December, right when it started to freeze. Poor thing was shivering she we kept her inside for a while! She died the next summer. A duck going into eclipse in the middle of winter is not a good sign... something is not right then.

[Titak]

I meant at our coasts.
Plenty of coastline here. Including the islands.

Although the northern Wadden Islands wouldn't be suitable anyway. Very shallow around them, at least at their southern shores. Apart from the canals (right word?) used by ferries to go to and from the islands, you can often walk from one island to the next or to the mainland at low tide.  Mudflat walking it is called in English I think.
Not that you will manage to stay dry when doing so, and you risk losing your shoes if you are not careful, but there are places where you can walk. Well, wade...

 

[George]

Don't like walking mud flats when the tide is out. We have them here as well, but I like to walk where I can see rocks and seaweed through the muds.

[George]

Two puffins on Stroma Island looking like a mirror image. Personal favourite of mine. Looking forward to next summer again to get out and about.

[George]

A new lens arrived today, the Fuji 200mm f/2, a very nice prime lens which pairs rather well with my X-T3. Took it out for a test drive this afternoon and I've fallen in love with it already.

 

 

 

[George]

Here is another one of the curlew. I can't wait to get out with this lens again!

[Deirdre]

On 7/24/2019 at 2:04 PM, George said:

I knew Mr and Mrs Guts had a nest somewhere, and I suspect it was over by the railway station somewhere but I'm not sure. Anyway, Mr Guts showed up this week with his kids for this year and introduced me to another 3 Gutlings. Mr Crow isn't quite sure what to make of them.

😊