Birding at Gib.

 Last night was a beautifully clear night spangial with a myriad stars. It was planets I was interested, though, especially Mars. Mars was in opposition to the sun and, therefore, at its brightest. The first of my planets to appear, as usual, was Venus, the Evening Star rising last night in the south. This was soon followed by Jupiter high in the sky slightly to the east but almost directly overhead. Through binoculars it was possible to see some of the planet's moons. Lower in the sky to the north east was mars, bright and through binoculars with a definite red glow to it. Slightly east of Venus, if I used my imagination was saturn. In a few days (21st January) we arrive at the date when all the planets are in line. I don't suppose we shall see all of them without an astronomical telescope but at least 5 should be seen with binoculars. We just need clear skies. I find looking at the night sky fascinating; the distances involved are beyond comprehension.

This morning Brian picked us up at 9.00 for a day's birdwatching at Gibraltar Point Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust's nature reserve, in fact the first designated nature reserve in the country. I have a long association with 'Gib'. When my parents first bought a car around 1960 we used to drive across the Wolds to visit at weekends and my brother and I loved climbing and jumping down the sand dunes. It would be frowned on today and, if we knew it, was then. Whilst in the 6th form I stayed there for biology field trips and have many times taken school pupils here for residential and day visits. I have also visited countless times for birdwatching over the last 60 years. 

We arrived today at 10.00 am just in time for the cafe opening for Biran's obligatory coffee. Once refreshed we set ot for the roadside hides, calling in first at the plantaion feeding station. This has been revamped since our last visit and now boasts a drinking pool along with a selection of perches for photography. There was a fair amount of activity and I managed a few photos despite the poor light. Next it was off to Jackson's Marsh Hide. There were plenty of birds on the lagoon and marsh. A little egret feeding in front of the hide allowed for some reasonable photography. Curlew and wigeon were bot calling; so evocative. Brent geese were present and kept wheeling into the sky with their usual deep, grumbling calls. Earlier, a skein of pink-footed geese had flown over, their contact calls reminiscent of a distant pack of yelping hounds.

From the next hide, Hardy's we had superb views of a hunting marsh harrier, hovering, moth-like, just above the reeds. Water levels were high in the Mere Hide on the freshwater marsh and a little grebe of dabchick gave exceptional close views as it fished for sticklebacks. By now it was time to wander back across the marsh to the visitor centre and the warmth of the cafe for lunch. Afterwards, there was just time to walk down the Lill's Hut and the Wash observation point. Here we had good views of grey seals, hauled out and resting on the banks of the Haven. A solitary roe deer was also out on the marsh.

It had been a raw, cold day, but an excellent one with 39 species. One to look back on whene we are here in shorts and T-shirts in the summer.

Blackbird

Chaffinch

Goldfinches

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Egret

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

Little Grebe

The Sturgeon Supermoon

 Another supermonn tonight; the last supermoon of the year.  This one is the Sturgeon Moon named by the Algonquin tribes in what is now the north eastern United States after the fish that were more easily caught in the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water at this time of year.  

The Photographers' Ephemeris told me that it would rise over the fields behind Scartho adjacent to the Horsefield so just as the sun was setting in the north west at one end of the fields we waited fro the moon to appear in the south east.  For once there was no bank of cloud on the horizon so we waited with anticipation.  A short while after the appointed hour we saw an orange glow behind New Waltham and then there it was: a deep orange-red orb haning in the sky about the fields.  It was a moving and magical spiritual experience and I could only wonder at the emotions felt by those Algonquin people so many years ago.

The next full moon is the Harvest Moon on September the 10th when we are at the caravan on the edge of The Lakes.  Fingers crossed for a clear night.

To view large, please click on an image.

The Pink Supermoon

The last couple of nights have been beautifully clear and I have been enjoying photographing the Pink Supermoon.  A supermoon occurs at time when the full or new moon approaches its closest point to the Earth; its perigee.  The Pink Supermoon is named not for its colour but from a northern Native American reference to an early blooming wild flower.  Pink or not it was spectacular.  The images were taken at different times from just after moonrise when it was still nearly daylight up to 11.00 pm. As can be seen from the images, just after moonrise it is a very golden colour which gradully changes to the more familiar silver colour the higher in the sky it rises.

To view large, please click on an image

Monochrome version

The Night Sky.

Inspired by Stargazing live on BBC2 and a good prediction, I decided to go out into the Lincolnshire Wolds Aurora hunting last night.  I had no luck so tried a couple of star shots.  From previous experience and research I knew that 30 seconds at f4 with my 10-22 lens set at 10mm and an ISO of 800 would give acceptable results.  I plced the camera on a very sturdy tripod and hung a heavy camera back from it to decrease the risk of camera movement.  I used a 2 sec self timer.  Apart form all this technical info, it was a stunning night (12.00 - 1.00 am).  I expected there to be less light pollution than the was out in the Wolds; it's amazing how a 30 sec exposure captures a glow even when there appears to be none.  It is possible to get rid of this by decreasing the colour temperature but I don't dislike the effect.

To view large, click on an image.

The car with The Plough above and lights of Grimsby.

Jupiter top left with Orion.