Another Gropper

Almost didn't bother messing around with this one in Photoshop. Glad I did however! Another one from this mornings efforts with the P5100 and Swaro 20x.

P5100 update

So, I've had the camera for a few weeks now and used it on and off throughout. I still think it's a very slow camera, almost as painful as my old Coolpix 4500! The focus is also very frustrating. Sometimes it gets it right, but more often than not it gets it very wrong.

I'll keep persevering and see what I can get out of it with some better light and showier birds on my next adventure abroad. Watch this space...

Gropper

This Grasshopper Warbler at MVCP was particularly friendly this morning...

Why I love April...

Found this Avocet next to the busy A1 on Sunday...

Found up to 11 Ring Ouzels on Friday (this being a particularly scaly lady ouzel)...


On Sunday there was also a fantastic movement of Little Gulls...



Today someone found a singing migrant Wood Warbler at MVCP...

Yesterday was Arctic Tern day with about 90 at Broom alone...

Whimbrels moved on Monday, with this group of ten at Broom (yes, I know there's only five in the picture)...


So, April is great! Easterlies and scattered showers really makes for exciting birding in a land-locked county such as Bedfordshire. All the above has been in the last few days and it's still going on now with odds and sods still turning up. I'm off work tomorrow so guess what I'm going to be doing... ;o)

Stone Curlew stress

I know, it doesn't look terribly exciting. However, I heard about this bird on my way down to Dorset for the day and could turn back to see it. I had to wait about twelve hours before I returned to Bedfordshire and tick of my very first Beds Stone Curlew!

A stonking find by Richard Bashford and, luckily for me, it hardly moved an inch all day. I finally got to see it at dusk, hence the shite photo. Blimey it was a stressful day!

Murkey Broom

This is what faced me at Broom GP today. Thick fog. I could hardly see a bird! So went to work early. ;o(

More from the P5100

Took these today at Octagon Farm. I'm still not very impressed with the focus on this thing. It's very random and often misses the mark by a long way. The two shots above are about the best from over 100 images taken.

On the upside however, this model works well with my Swaro 30x eyepiece, with no vignetting when you find the 'sweet spot'.

The test continues...

New camera

I got a Coolpix P5100 yesterday and took it out for the first time this morning. Initial reactions is that it doesn't like focusing and is slow, at least compared to my old Canon S80, which it's replacing. Above is a Willow Warbler taken at Borgborough Lake. Unfortunately, dispite the excellent light this morning it's not quite sharp. Hmmm....