Veery

Veery, High Island, Texas, May 2008. Probably my favourite of this group. I think its big eye looks a bit out of place on such a small bird.

Swainson's Thrush

Swainson's Thrush, High Island, Texas, May 2008. Absolute cuties.

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Gray-cheeked Thrush, High Island, Texas, May 2008. So, it's an American bird, with an American bird name, so I guess I spell it 'Gray' rather than 'Grey'?

Wood Thrush

Wood Thrush, High Island, Texas, May 2008. The 'ginger nut' of the North America thrushes!

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak, High Island, Texas, May 2008. Very confiding birds and often in flocks of up to ten.

Scarlet Tanager

Scarlet Tanager, High Island, Texas, May 2008. When you see these things in the field you can understand where they get their name - these things are BRIGHT!

Hobby

Hobby, Coronation Clay Pit, Beds, 12th May 2008.

Red-foot

I bloody love these birds! And this is a carbon-copy of the Rookery bird from a couple of years ago too - it even looks similar. Red-footed Falcon at Coronation ClP, Beds, 13th May.

Beds gone bonkers!

Amazing how things go, isn't it? Last weekend I saw two Red-footed Falcons in the county (third and fourth records) and today I narrowly missed seeing two Hoopoes in the county! This one was in a very kind ladies garden in Flitwick, the other was at the Lodge - I would have seen it had I not taken the day off!

Needless to say, I've not really had time to sort out my Texas photos yet. Maybe on Wednesday...

Holiday blues

Knob biscuits! I take one small week off to go on holiday and I miss all the best spring birds in the county. Two Black-winged Stilts, a melanistic Monties Harrier and a Temmincks Stint all within a few miles of my house.....all in the last week! Bum.

Still, never mind. I was watching Cerulean Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, American Redstarts and a whole host of other goodies that High Island had to offer. Unfortunately photography was tough, but I did get a few nice shots. I will post some later on...