the hanger-on

Gorgeous day here today. Bit of shopping in the morning then F1 qualifying (good result for me - Schumacher back on form!). After lunch I decided to check out the RSPB reserve at Belfast Lough. I'd never been there before, it's a piece of wetland on the edge of an industrial estate, sandwiched between an airport and a ferry terminal! Not the kind of place you'd expect to find yourself sitting in a bird hide..

I had a great time there, and got some nice photos of birds I'd never seen before. The sheer scale of the place made me realise that I really do need a longer lens; 200mm is a struggle in the confines of the park, in a nature reserve it means you're reliant on luck to bring interesting birds near you.

I had difficulty choosing a blip today, I got several photos of birds close up but my boyfriend liked this one and I quite like the movement in it. It's a flock of black-tailed godwits (thanks RSPB bird identifier!) with their cool long beaks. A cheeky common tern has decided to join in the fun at the back :)