Friday 21 January 2011

The sun was back for this afternoons patch visit, but it was quite cool, especially out in the wind.

There were quite a few BLUE and GREAT TITS, as well as CHAFFINCH'S in the small holding today, but I couldn't find one of those elusive Bramblings. Two GREEN WOODPECKERS were feeding on a large lawn, just out of camera range, and a MISTLE THRUSH was singing in the distance.

MALLARD and SISKIN were in the wet woods, more Great Tits were heard singing/calling as I walked through, otherwise it was a typical quiet January afternoon here. I stood and listened at a few points, straining to hear the calls of Long Tailed Tits, but none were heard, only the ROBINS made themselves known, singing from all points of the tangled trees.

Walking to the lakes, my excitement and anticipation of finding something dabbling around on the water, had my step quickening, however, as is mostly the case, waiting for me were the Mallard and MOORHENS :-) I'll still have that feeling of anticipation tomorrow morning when I approach the lakes again, I am forever the optimist, or just mad! I'm not looking for a rarity ( although it would be welcome) just a Coot, or some more Tufted Duck Will do :-)

Forty mins around the lakeside vegetation, and scrubby woods looking for a photo opportunity failed dismally, I did see the ringed MARSH TIT, a GOLDCREST, a COAL TIT, heard two TREECREEPERS and also got rear end views of BULLFINCH'S, but nothing posed for a photo. Two NUTHATCH noisily worked their way through the tops of the Oak trees, and as i left the area, around 300 WOODPIGEON dropped in to rest, fed up with being flushed by gas cannons!

Walking home the tree nursery way, I got the daily SPARROWHAWK sighting as it sped over towards the pub Field, scattering a flock of 20 or so Starlings that were on the maize stubble there, they settled into a sycamore tree, along with a few REDWING and FIELDFARE. See pic below.


There were a few minutes of weak sunshine still left in the day when I got home, so I took some pics of the garden birds

Above and below : Male Chaffinch

Below: A sunlit Starling

Lastly a Great Tit.





5 comments:

Alan Pavey said...

Nice light on the male Chaffinch Warren :-)

Al.

ShySongbird said...

I was convinced I would see some Bramblings among the Chaffinches in the garden when we had the snow but it wasn't to be :(

I agree with Alan, you had some nice light for your garden bird photos.

Marc Heath said...

Hopefully the weekend will deliver that new good bird for the year, sure it will.

Monika said...

The lighting on those photos is beautiful, especially the chaffinch shots.

Anonymous said...

Fingers crossed the Coots or something else turns up on the lake, Warren. You`re about due something different, as am i ;-)