Garth Peacock
Snettisham RSPB

Archive

Friday 4th October - North Norfolk

Monday 7th October 2024

Tanzania Day 8 - The Serengeti

Saturday 5th October 2024

Two trips out with little to show.

Wednesday 25th September 2024

Tanzania Day 7 - The Serengeti

Monday 23rd September 2024

Abberton Reservoir - again

Thursday 19th September 2024

Abberton Essex

Wednesday 11th September 2024

A morning at Grafham Water

Thursday 29th August 2024

After holiday blues

Thursday 22nd August 2024

Trying out a new lens

Monday 5th August 2024

Tanzania Day 5 - Ngorogoro Crater

Saturday 27th July 2024

Kevin Robson's Tawny Owl hide

Thursday 25th July 2024

Local stuff

Saturday 20th July 2024

More local stuff

Saturday 29th June 2024

Catching up with a local rarity

Friday 14th June 2024

Tanzania - Day 1 - Arusha

Monday 13th May 2024

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Tuesday 20th February 2024

Last week, the weather forecast was cloud and rain for the whole week so I had written it of. That is until Wednesday evening when Thursday was forecast to be sunny spells from mid-morning onwards.

So a friend and I beetled up the A10 to Snettisham as he wanted to see the drake Long-tailed Duck that had been reported there. It was still there but right at the southern end of the farmost pit - a long walk there and back but we managed the walk and saw the bird but too distant for any worthwhile photography and it soon disappeared.

So we compromised with some Goldeneye but the weather was dull. Black and white birds on grey water really does not excite me but I managed one keeper that had some colour in it.

Three Mediterranean Gulls flew past, thankfully slowly, but I managed one keeper, despite the camera settings being all wrong for flight shots.

So, after the long walk back to the car, we drove to Holkham as I wanted to see the White-fronted Geese that had been reported in the field near the lay-by nearly every day recently. Result - no White-fronts. Eventually, we did notice a Brown Hare hunkered down that was within camera range. Eventually it moved away, not at the usual rates of knots but leisurely so, at last, something worth keeping.

So that was the sum total of the day.

The next day, another friend asked it I would like to accompany him to Burwell Fen for the Short-eared Owls so off we went. Result, after standing most of the afternoon - no Shorties and nothing else of interest either.

Driving away from the car park, there was a small herd of Roe Deer in an adjacent field. Not good light but worth a try, even though I had the R7 on the RF100-500. The result at exposure 1/400 was ISO6400. Now I have had some keepers with the R7 at that ISO but not this time. Awful so all deleted.

I have had better days!!!!