A Review of 2020 - Part 4 October - December

This is the fourth of my reviews of the year 2020 covering the period October - December for which I have selected five rather special days.

16th October 2020

Today was yet another foray to Dungeness in Kent, with a diversion to St Mary's Bay to have a look at the long-staying Red-backed Shrike. After being fairly elusive in the morning it re-appeared in the afternoon and performed well for a couple of hours allowing people to approach to within 10 yards and therefore providing some great opportunities for some close-ups.

22nd October 2020

Today was a visit to one of my favourite reserves, Oare Marshes, to try and get a closer photo of the American Golden Plover. On previous visits it has been with the main Golden Plover flock but has always kept to the back edge making it mainly obscured and always very distant. And that is how we found it today but after the whole flock had been spooked by a Peregrine it landed a lot closer and in clear water.

The other bonus today was a few Black-tailed Godwit fly-pasts.

28th October 2020

I have been coming to Abberton for 50 years now and it never disappoints, and on the plus side it is a bit warmer now than it was in those days. Those that think it is cold now haven't lived!! Today's specialities were a rather smart female Scaup and a female Long-tailed Duck. Long-tailed Ducks seem to be a bit more regular here in recent years.

19th November 2020

I always look forward to the winter months in the hope of photographing some Short-eared Owls. There are a number of traditional sites which normally attract some birds, but this year there didn't appear to be any resident birds present. However, for some reason two birds set up territory on a site near Waltham Abbey so too good to miss. What absolute performers!!