Birding Poole Harbour & Beyond: 10 May 14 - Centennial Post (Part 1)

10 May 2014

10 May 14 - Centennial Post (Part 1) - My Best Non Passerine Photos

It doesn't seem that long ago since I bought the Canon 7D camera & 400 mm lens & started blogging. The first trip out was the 24th October 13 & I was lucky to catch up with a Pallid Swift at Stanpit. Since then I've had some excellent birdwatching with memorable twitches to Shetlands for Cape May Warbler, Rum in the Hebrides for Mourning Dove & Holland for Hawk Owl. Foreign trips have also been a lot of fun with an extended trip to India (Dec 13 - Jan 14) as well as trips to Morocco & Western Sahara (Feb 14) and Israel (April 14). All these trips have been a great opportunity to really get to know the camera & settings. At this point, I should say thanks to my good mates, Peter Moore & Brian Field, for help in getting use to the camera & the best settings. Thanks guys.

I've just had a quick tot up & have already photographed 84 families of birds so to celebrate the 100th post, I've decided to put together a compilation of my favourite photo from each family over the previous 99 posts. Here are the Non-Passerine photos & the Passerine photos will be in the next post. Enjoy.

Divers: Great Northern Diver - South Haven (13 Nov 13). Not the sharpest of photos, but I like the posture

Grebes: Dabchick - Oued Massa, Morocco (14 Feb 14)

Pelicans: White Pelican - Bharatpur, India (28 Jan 14)

Boobies & Gannets: Gannet - Crossing to Rum (31 Oct 13)

Cormorants & Shags: Cormorant - Periyar, Western Ghats, India (10 Jan 14)

Anhingas: Oriental Darter - Periyar, Western Ghats, India (10 Jan 14)

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns: Yellow Bittern - Chiriya Tapu (25 Dec 13). It has to be this Yellow Bittern which we rescued from the clutches of 2 young boys & released

Storks: Woolly-necked Stork - Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India (22 Jan 14)

Ibis & Spoonbills: Red-naped Ibis - Tal Chappar, Rajasthan, India (25 Jan 14)

Flamingos: Greater Flamingo - Desert Coursers, Gujarat, India (15 Jan 14)

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl: Lesser Whistling-duck - Sippighat, Andamans, India (23 Dec 13)

Osprey: Osprey - Periyar, Western Ghats, India (10 Jan 14)

Hawks, Eagles & Kites: Black-winged Kite - Desert Coursers, Gujarat, India (15 Jan 14)

Falcons & Caracaras: Lesser Kestrel - Beit Yatir, Israel (8 April 14)

Pheasants, Grouse & Allies: Painted Bush-quail - Eravikulum, Western Ghats, India (4 Jan 14)

Buttonquails: Barred Buttonquail - CEDO, Gujarat, India (20 Jan 14)

Cranes: Crane - Desert Coursers, Gujarat, India (16 Jan 14)

Rails, Gallinules & Coots: Andaman Crake - Chiriya Tapu, Andamans, India (27 Jan 13). Whilst I have better photos of other members of this family, this had to be the selected species given how long it took us to see an Andaman Crake

Jacanas: Bronze-winged Jacana - Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India (28 Jan 14)

Oystercatchers: Oystercatcher - Brands Bay (21 April 14)

Stilts & Avocets: Black-winged Stilt - CEDO, Gujarat, India (19 Jan 14)

Thick-knees: Indian Stone-curlew - Desert Coursers, Gujarat, India (15 Jan 14)

Pratincoles & Coursers: Cream-coloured Courser - Aoussard Road, Western Sahara (8 Feb 14)

Plovers & Lapwings: Red-wattled Lapwing - Desert Coursers, Gujarat, India (16 Jan 14)

Sandpipers & Allies: Marsh Sandpiper - CEDO, Gujarat, India (20 Jan 14)

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers: Sabine's Gull - Cogden Beach (4 Nov 13). No problem in deciding which was the best species photographed in this family

Sandgrouse: Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse - Desert Coursers, Gujarat, India (15 Jan 14)

Pigeons & Doves: Mourning Dove - Rum (31 Oct 13). Although there were other good photos of other Pigeons, it had to be the Mourning Dove as this is my first published photographs (Published in Scottish Birds, March 14)

Parrots: Vernal Hanging-parrot - Chiriya Tapu, Andamans, India (26 Dec 13). For sheer character & attitude means it has to be this Vernal Hanging-parrot