Some you win.....Some you lose.
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
 Some you win.....some you lose. A rather smart looking Ring Ouzel has been feeding in a field at the top of the Harrison's Drove at the Grove Ferry end of the reserve, so I went to see  it on the evening of the 13th. I stood behind a bush by the entrance gate to the field it was in and the Ouzel gradually came closer until it was well within range of my camera and a few images were gained. Earlier that morning, I heard that a summer plumaged Black-necked Grebe was seen on the main lake at Stodmarsh. Being nearly in summer attire, it would be a smart looking bird to photograph s ..read more
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Hothfield Common
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
I paid the Great Grey Shrike a visit recently (4th) at Hothfield Common, a KWT reserve I have never visited before. Woodland and a peat bog a few miles to the west of Ashford, I had a pleasant stroll around the various footpath's enjoying the early spring sunshine. The Great Grey Shrike was easy to pick out on it's various bush top perches and although mostly distant and mobile, it did on one occasion land in a tree that I was fairly close to, allowing a few images of this smart looking Shrike. The bird seemed to feed well and was seen spiking several Lizards onto various thorns, being s ..read more
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An Alpine Swift influx !
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
There has been an arrival of Alpine Swifts to the UK of late with Kent enjoying 5 or 6 birds throughout the week. I have been busy at work so could not get out to try and see one until Saturday (25th). There were two birds reported hawking insects over the North Foreland golf course so that was where the car was aimed at. As soon as I arrived, I saw both birds but it was not long before they disappeared from view over the Captain Digby and off towards Botany Bay. I waited for an hour with no sign of their return so drove around the coast to Botany Bay but could not see any sign of them. I deci ..read more
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A Glaucous Gull at Dover.
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
A trip down to Dover on Sunday morning (19th March) to see the Glaucous Gull that has been seen recently from the Shakespeare beach area just to the south of the Admiralty pier. A species I have not seen for a while, this bird being a 4th calendar year individual so I am told, that has a slight deformity to the bill. What was evident straight away was the sheer size of the brute. Shakespeare cliff with Samphire Ho in the background. Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography ..read more
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Top Four Birds of 2022 (Part 2)
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
 Carrying on from my previous post, the top two birds of 2022 for me were 2nd Place. A spur of the moment drive to East Yorkshire and Bempton Cliffs to catch up with the returning Black-browed Albatross (8th April) is my 2nd most memorable bird of 2022. A long drive, but rewarded with great views of this giant sea bird from the Southern Hemisphere. Photography was a little challenging as the bird always remained low down but a great twitch that I think may be repeated if it returns in 2023. The Albatross would normally have made the Number one spot but for me, better was to come la ..read more
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Birds of 22, My top Four.
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
 My top four birds seen through the year of 2022.  4th Place. The juvenile Red-footed Falcon (6th October) seen on the Elmley nature reserve on the Isle of Sheppey. An obliging individual and the first juvenile Red Foot I have seen. 3rd Place. The American Robin (12th February) seen feeding on Cotoneaster around a housing estate in Eastbourne. Drew the crowds including myself, to see what was a new bird for me. Well worth the drive down. First and Second place to follow.  Happy New Year. Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography ..read more
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Not all Gulls are Big and Ugly.
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
 Many thanks to Mark Chidwick who took the trouble to phone and alert me to a very confiding 1st winter Little Gull at Hampton on the western side of Herne Bay. The weather was very dull and dreary but having not been out for a few days and the very little work I needed to do, already done, I thought why not. I found Mark with the bird and it was as he said, very confiding as it hung in the wind, dancing along the surf of the incoming tide, backwards and forwards between the pier and the first groyne back towards Herne Bay. I took what were fairly reasonable record shots and returned home ..read more
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Asio Flammeus.
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
The weather of late has been dull and dreary, so have not mustered any enthusiasm to get out and about with the camera. A couple of weeks ago (25th Nov) I did take advantage of a bright and sunny afternoon, paying the returning Short-eared Owls a visit on the Sandwich Bay estate. I counted three quartering the Royal Cinque Ports golf course, around the halfway refreshment hut by the 10th tee. Although the Owls were not up hunting until after 3.00 pm, leaving a narrow window with the fast diminishing light, I managed to get a few reasonable images of these wonderful birds ..read more
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Local Rarities
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
 Two scarce visitors to our shores have interested me locally over the past week, an exceptionally confiding juvenile Sabine's Gull that has ended up on grassy fields alongside the entrance track to Howlett's wildlife park at Lympe and a pair of Red-rumped Swallows that have spent a few days hawking insects along the cliff top and grassy area between Palm Bay and Foreness point at Cliftonville. The Sabine's Gull was unbelievable, feeding on earth worms which were plentiful and would be walking around your feet with no fear from a human presence. The zoo staff were ever so accommodating, o ..read more
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A Nice Garden Surprise.
Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography
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1y ago
 Looking out of my kitchen, I was surprised to see a Black Redstart hopping around on the lawn. It was difficult to get out the door without flushing it so got a record shot as it sat on my garden fence in the drizzle. Later, I saw it on the roof of the house at the bottom of the garden and although a little further away it was bathed in sunlight and another record shot obtained. A nice garden tick for me. Steve Ashton Wildlife Photography ..read more
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