Normally I'm against the unnecessary use of latin names where English ones will suffice, but I don't want to attract unwanted google hits...
11th February 2013
My walk to work had already been enlivened by a Grey Wagtail near the Jarrold bridge when I noticed a large greeny-black bird sat on a ledge just past Whitefriar's bridge. As I drew level I saw that the bird in question was an adult Shag, an excellent bird for the city centre. It wasn't quite out of the blue, in fact I had been searching Whitlingham for any sign of one at the weekend after a sighting of a Shag in the middle of the road near Long Stratton. Nonetheless I hadn't really expected to find it, and this makes up for the one near Carrow Road a few years ago that I dipped.
The best that I could do with my point-and-shoot camera early morning
[Edit] - Other photos are available...
Sticking your lens in the face of an ailing bird. Good work.
ReplyDeleteHi.
ReplyDeleteI take all my readers comments seriously, so I have removed David's photo. It is not clear from your comment whether you were referring to that one or both. Mine was taken from the path when I found the bird, which at the time showed no signs of ill health. I would respectfully suggest that anonymous internet sarcasm is not really conducive to the moral high ground.
I wonder if you saw the bird yourself? I cannot speak for the behaviour of birders when I wasn't present, but the two other times I saw it there was nobody else there. It clearly was capable of swimming and diving, and presumably would have swam if it felt threatened by birders. When it was out of the water it was directly below the bank, hence some individuals managed some close up photos.
Regards,
James