Just wow!

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 Bottom Clinger 19 Mar 2023

Had one of my wildlife moments: bobbed round to my mums and decided to visit ‘The Flash.’ I grew up in Leigh, and volunteered at Pennington Flash about 40 years ago. It’s now a full on nature reserve. Anyway, sneaked out for an hour and saw these total beauties. The yachts had pushed them closer to the shore. I often see  common scoter in Scotland. Usually about a mile out in rough seas. Bit dull, but still wow!  

Post edited at 22:51

 Michael Hood 19 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

👍 - a better piccy than on the Manc birding forums.

In reply to Michael Hood:

Ta. Just done a crop of the above photo. Will sort the photos tonight but I’ve got a few crackers. A very hard bird to photograph. You’ve already seen my others - fuzzy  black and brown blobs!


 Michael Hood 20 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

That's a great shot showing the bill pattern.

I think I saw a forum comment that the sailing would scare them away, seems like you benefitted from that comment being wrong.

In reply to Michael Hood:

> That's a great shot showing the bill pattern.

> I think I saw a forum comment that the sailing would scare them away, seems like you benefitted from that comment being wrong.

Yup. Although I think the sailing did eventually have that impact,  because they flew off and I couldn’t relocate (could have been at the very far end, didn’t really look hard tbh, with alll the boats etc.)  Had a cracking one second view of a Cetti’s out in the open. No sand martins though. 

 rsc 20 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Wow, seconded. Beautiful bird, great photo!

In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Excellent, and timely; don’t need to look up guide for Common Scoters now!!! Great photos.

I have just recently been looking at guides to try and learn about some marine birds. I saw, as they turned out to be, Velvet Scoters recently and was IDing them.

Will definitely need to invest in a scope as binoculars are not good enough for those well out from the shore.

 Sean Kelly 20 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

It's a duck!

youtube.com/watch?v=dSeHiWjG22w&

Post edited at 16:59
 Michael Hood 20 Mar 2023
In reply to Climbing Pieman:

I went into In Focus (@Brockholes - Preston) to do some very initial research on upgrades for my bins and small scope - this is what I found out...

Bins - currently Hawke Frontier HD-X 8x42 (£280 last year), and my questions were should I have bought the ED-X (exactly the same but with ED glass), should I upgrade? Answer, yes you should have (would have cost £120 more at the time) but no, not worth upgrading to. If you're going to upgrade then to make a significant visual difference you'll need to be looking at £600-700+.

Chatting with the guy in the shop, he was saying that although more expensive bins will give a nicer view, he wouldn't be able to id something with £2000 bins that he couldn't id with £300 bins (a Mini gets you there as effectively as a Rolls, just not as nicely).

Scope - currently Hawke Endurance 12-36x50 (£210 in 2020), and my question was, would a £500-600 scope with ED glass be significantly better? Answer, yes especially if it's got a bigger objective lens (more light) which allows more useful magnification.

This would allow you to id something at distance that you couldn't id with the cheaper scope.

So when I do make the next optical "investment", it'll be a scope upgrade.

My advice to you would be to invest as much as you can when buying a scope, to get as good optical quality as you can.

Oh, and decent tripods (which you'll need for a full size scope) aren't cheap either ☹

In reply to Michael Hood:

Thanks for all that; appreciated.

A scope for me will be a one off purchase to do me for ever and not one I would want to need to upgrade, so will try and get a good one. I will be trying to get hands on to try and sort out what suits - angled or straight and magnification and such likes.

First, will be some research to understand more. Then, maybe the RSPB Vane Farm reserve as they do optic open days to try out binoculars and scopes - they have a viewing gallery where you can test optics over their reserve and the loch behind. I think one is an open day coming up reasonably soon.

Re tripods, yes I know from camera tripods! I went through two cheaper end tripods that were poor and so put them to charity before I got one a reasonably stable but still at a price I could justify. 

In reply to Michael Hood:

I’d love a really good scope. Mines does the job, second hand nearly thirty years ago. It’s jammed onto my cheap tripod which broke (the lever thing snapped off).  


 JCurrie 20 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

Super shots. But the second one does make me want to argue that it is Wabbit season.

youtube.com/watch?v=17ocaZb-bGg&

 Lankyman 21 Mar 2023

In reply to ricardo0:

> This photograph is so good. But I have a doubt is that a duck? I never see a duck swimming in the sea.

Pennington Flash is hardly the sea

 Trippin Mark 21 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

I used to take pictures of ducks with my Nikon P900, I got some nice close up shots from far away like this one. If you want to make it look better, put it in lightroom. Its a editing software on your photo and computer

2
 Trippin Mark 21 Mar 2023
In reply to Trippin Mark:

Great photo tho

In reply to Lankyman:

This thread is all going a bit Pete Tong!!  

 Lankyman 21 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

> This thread is all going a bit Pete Tong!!  

I'm just wondering if the bots are confused about marine ducks and the whereabouts of Lancashire mining relics?

 Michael Hood 21 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

I'm sure there must be a premium version of Lightroom (costing £) which would at least make your photos reasonably presentable. Surprised you've got the gall to let anyone see them without such enhancement. 😁

In reply to Michael Hood:

Actually, I sent a PM to the poster and got a great deal on Lightoom Mega. Only $75 a month, but if you subscribed for five years they offer an annual subscription for only $950!  Too good to be true so I emailed my bank details. What do you think?  Reckon I need a bit more practice. 


 Lankyman 21 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

>Too good to be true so I emailed my bank details. What do you think?

You've been 'ducked over'

 JCurrie 21 Mar 2023
In reply to Bottom Clinger:

That’s some bill.


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