skills-bills.co.uk

 

 
     
 
     
 

VIDEOS

 
     
  Since I purchased a Sony camcorder at the beginning of 2004, I have been literally wowing cinema goers with my amazing bird and wildlife film-making skills. A lot of my footage was recently used in the BBC series Planet Earth and it is regularly featured on Channel Five's World's Wildest Police Camera Action Chase Dead Drunken Deep-South Trailer-Trash Hillbilly Inbred Hick Videos.

Because I am so kind, I am willing to share my talent with the world for NO COST WHATSOEVER! Wow! To be fair, there is no way I could charge for this shit, but some of it is 'alright', some even bordering on 'not bad'. In some instances you can actually make out what bird it is, I'm joking - they rock! They are shortish clips (no longer than 3 minutes) and not too big.

They have been uploaded onto the magnificent website for your viewing pleasure. To view them click on either the full or sample hyperlinks in the table below.

Below are the ones I've bothered to edit (poorly) so far, but I've got shed loads more that I'll stick on when I get round to it. Don't hold your breath though...

     
 
Bird

Where

When File Type

Comments

Baltimore Oriole

full   sample

Headington, Oxford January 2004 WMV

This was the first bit of footage I took at a twitch, so that's the excuse for it not being very good. I was also filming hand-held on a freezing cold morning through a zoom eyepiece. Excuses, excuses...

American Robin Grimsby

January 2004

WMV Pretty poor footage, so I've made up for it by adding a hip cool contemporary soundtrack from the hit parade.

Greater Sand Plover

full   sample

Snettisham RSPB July 2004 WMV

Very windy, so some "unsteady" footage. Filmed practically by moonlight alone at 4.30am (no lie), so that's the excuse for some of the picture quality being a bit... errr... dull.. Ahem...

Cream-coloured Courser

full   sample

Scilly October 2004 WMV Poor old Troy Courser. One minute he's running around, the next he's in a cat box and off to Mousehole retirement home for bewildered vagrants. Remember Troy "Best bird of 2004" Courser in all his glory with this moderate quality footage. It'll bring a tear to your eye! Music by Marcus Miller...
Ovenbird

full   sample

Scilly October 2004 WMV Phwoarr! An Ovenbird on the Isles of Scilly. Shocking weather, but absolutely staggering views. What a bird! Video footage aint too bad either...
Sammy the Stilt

full   sample

a moving tribute

Titchwell RSPB February 2005 WMV

I can't watch this without shedding a tear; not because the quality is so shit (which it isn't anyway!), but because I can't believe that Sammy has gone and this was the last time I saw him. Birding will never be the same again. RIP dear Sammy. You were my best/only friend and I'll never forget you.

Sooty Tern

full   sample

The Skerries, Anglesey July 2005 WMV

Granted, this isn't the best video you'll ever see of a Sooty Tern, but, to be fair, it was taken on a rocking boat. Please ignore the brief running commentary of me being somewhat overly excited by the situation.

Green Heron

full   sample

Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey

November 2005 WMV After seeing the Messingham bird I was gutted that another turned up just four years later and ruined what could/should have become a crippling blocker to annoy successive generations of young twitcherers with in the future. Great bird though!

Glaucous Gull

Budleigh Salterton, Devon April 2006 WMV I've got something in my front pocket for you! Hit the link and you'll see what I mean!
Blue-headed Wagtail, female (Motacilla flava flava) near Martin Mere, Lancashire May 2006 WMV Very poor quality. Even by my usual standards. Had to do a fair bit of editing with this. As you'll see...
Woodlark Mind your own business! May 2006 WMV

Beautiful song, beautiful bird, brilliant place, terrible video!

 

   

 

SOUND FILES

...I also have some sound files. Wow!

 

 
 

Bird

Where When

File Type

Comments
Iberian Chiffchaff Woodhorn Church, N'berland April 2004 WMA Short sound file, but enough to hear exactly what it was.

Weird Chiffchaff

Skelmersdale, Lancs April 2004 WMA Weird Chiffchaff indeed. Gave almost an identical song structure to an Iberian Chiff, but timbre and pitch/frequency were way off. A short sound file that is unfortunately contending with some nearby workmen.
Iberian Chiffchaff/ Chiffchaff sp. Dibbinsdale NR, Wirral April 2004 WMA

Some  say it was an Iberian Chiffer, some say it wasn't. I say I'm too stupid to know either way, so here's a short sound file to allow you to make up your own mind. Note that this is just one song type of quite a few that it gave throughout its stay.

Icterine Warbler Bungay, Suffolk June 2004 WMA Cracking mimicry and an all round bollocks bird. Bollocks in a positive sense, and not negative. Follow?

Mimetic Reed Warbler

1   2

Frodsham, Cheshire May 2006 WMA

Plenty of mimicry in this 2.49 audio clip. During the two hours I was there I heard it do Blackbird, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Swallow, Blue Tit, Whitethroat, Starling, Reed Bunting.

 
 

 

 

If any of the links don't work or are wrong, then please email me at:

tommckinney1979

yahoo.co.uk

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

Copyright Tom McKinney 2006