There was another sharp overnight frost, and a mostly sunny day followed, but cloud did start to build by mid afternoon, heralding the end of the fine recent weather.
I didn't waste my time with the lake area today, knowing that they would still be frozen over, and instead had a walk around the Tree Nursery, Pub Field, Greenhouse Grounds and finally ending up on my seat at Migrant Alley for a skywatch.
On leaving the house, a COAL TIT flew into the tree above my head, allowing a quick photo, a good start :-) Entering the Tree Nursery, a GREEN WOODPECKER was seen feeding between the rows of bushes, as is usually the case, and the 3 MEADOW PIPITS that were seen yesterday were also still about. A couple of MAGPIES and both DUNNOCK and WREN made up all that was seen here.
Checking the Pub Field from the hedge dividing it from the Tree Nursery, I spied 5 LAPWING, with 11 BLACK HEADED GULL, and as I stood watching the run-stop-run feeding action of the Lapwing, the KESTREL glided in and alighted further down the hedge. Tracing my steps back to the Tree Nursery, I saw the Meadow Pipits fly up into a low shrub, and managed to sneak up to get a photograph, however, just as I was sneaking real close to them my old buddy the SPARROWHAWK came whizzing over, off went the Pipits, and up went the Lapwing and Gulls from the Pub field !!
Over at the Greenhouse Grounds, it was mainly down to the regulars of BLACKBIRD, Dunnock, a few BLUE and GREAT TITS, WRENS, CHAFFINCH and ROBINS, but a close up GOLDCREST was good to watch as it fed in the hedge, at one point finding itself a large caterpillar :-) A 30 minute sit on my seat produced little really, just a YELLOWHAMMER going over, and a few ROOKS, but as I got up to walk home in the dying light, a flock of a dozen or so LESSER REDPOLLS dropped into the line of Alder trees nearby, they allowed some photo's but the light was nearly non existent by now.
Quite nice visit today, despite not adding anything to the year list :-)
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| Coal Tit |
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| Coal Tit |
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| Meadow Pipit |
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| Meadow Pipit - They knew the Sprawk was coming well before I did :-) |
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| Lesser Redpoll - The sun was already below the horizon when I took these photo's, they aren't very good, but in the circumstances i'm surprised they came out this well, just goes to show how good modern camera's are! |
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| Lesser Redpoll |
5 comments:
Warren ,
Even in good light , I find the Redpolls difficult to photograph . They always manage to get something between themselves and the camera .
Out of interest , have you had many photos downloaded from your blog ? I've had 256 lifted , 52 since the start of the year , without a please either .
How do you know if someones downloaded a photo Greenie ?
Ive got a gadget that lets me know if someone clicks on an image, thats counted as a download in the stats. I dont know if anyones copied my photo's :-0
Greenie just checked your ''Gadget'' its the same as mine - that is, Statcounter, If someone clicks to enlarge one of your photo's its called a download, it may not of been ''nicked'' :-)
Lesser Redpoll is a good find, very good pictures of all.
I`m still waiting for a Mipit for the year, Warren. There used to be a couple of wintering birds, but not anymore.
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