Hi everyone,
I've been trying to get a pic of this laugher for the past three weeks on my breaks from college. The bird feeds in a lough ten mins from college. The first time i saw it i recieved a call, went up got within six feet but had no camera. So i brought my camera in every day. Three days in a row i went with no sightings. So i decided to leave the camera, guess what happened?... I get a txt when i arrive at college, having an hour free, the laugher was on show at the usual spot! I was raging. So I brought my camera in every couple of days and tried with no luck. Yesterday i went first thing. The first bird i saw was the laugher... got the camera ready... approached the bird and... it flew! It didn't come back either.
Today i finished at twelve for the day. I could either get the one o'clock train or try for the laugher in the rain and have to wait for the two o'clock train. I decided to head home, but for some reason i decided to turn around and go to the lough knowing i would miss the train and probably not see the bird.
So i headed to the lough. I started walking towards the spot it usually hangs around, checking all gulls on the way. So i walked past the spot and looked back... no sign. But wait, a starnge gull caught my eye. It was very dusky on the chest, it had a dark bill, it was the laugher, at last! I couldn't believe it. I took a pic at distance for security in case it flew, then moved closer and closer taking pics as i went. I eventually got within 6 feet. I have the pics to prove it :) I even got some video footage of it bullying the other gulls, and of it calling . It was actually a very agressive gull!
Cheers.
Seán
[QUOTE=Ronayne88]Hi everyone,
I've been trying to get a pic of this laugher for the past three weeks on my breaks from college. The bird feeds in a lough ten mins from college. The first time i saw it i recieved a call, went up got within six feet but had no camera. So i brought my camera in every day. Three days in a row i went with no sightings. So i decided to leave the camera, guess what happened?... I get a txt when i arrive at college, having an hour free, the laugher was on show at the usual spot! I was raging. So I brought my camera in every couple of days and tried with no luck. Yesterday i went first thing. The first bird i saw was the laugher... got the camera ready... approached the bird and... it flew! It didn't come back either.
Today i finished at twelve for the day. I could either get the one o'clock train or try for the laugher in the rain and have to wait for the two o'clock train. I decided to head home, but for some reason i decided to turn around and go to the lough knowing i would miss the train and probably not see the bird.
So i headed to the lough. I started walking towards the spot it usually hangs around, checking all gulls on the way. So i walked past the spot and looked back... no sign. But wait, a starnge gull caught my eye. It was very dusky on the chest, it had a dark bill, it was the laugher, at last! I couldn't believe it. I took a pic at distance for security in case it flew, then moved closer and closer taking pics as i went. I eventually got within 6 feet. I have the pics to prove it :) I even got some video footage of it bullying the other gulls, and of it calling . It was actually a very agressive gull!
Cheers.
Seán[/QUOTE] Hi Seán
Nice pics. They are superb gulls and can be quite confiding at times! We have been quite lucky in the UK, with the biggest influx on record being recorded last November - we still have a few of them hanging around. I have personally seen ten individuals since November, six of which I managed to photograph.
Regards
Tristan