Tuesday 5 February 2013

The weather was much the same as yesterday this afternoon, bright but with a cold wind, and once again the birding was very slow. I had hoped to pick up Lesser Redpoll, Skylark, or maybe a Greylag Goose for the months list, but even these species are proving hard to find.

The Lakes were visited, where the COOT pair remain, plus 5 pairs of MALLARD, but I didn't see any Moorhens today - unusually. There still isn't much at all around the Wet Woods, it was silent in there today but for a calling GREAT TIT, and over at the Tree Nursery just two SONGTHRUSH, a MEADOW PIPIT, a DUNNOCK and a GREEN WOODPECKER were seen.

I spent some time over at the Greenhouse Grounds and heard a LITTLE OWL repeatedly call from an adjacent large Garden, a few BLACKBIRDS, WRENS, ROBINS, and more Dunnocks, showed up, and just 2 SISKIN were in the Alders. A scan across the Sheep pasture at Migrant Alley was made, where 33 BLACK HEADED GULLS were feeding, plus 75-100 ROOKS, the only winter thrush seen was the carcass of a recently predated FIELDFARE, no wonder there were none around here today!

I watched a BUZZARD drift over, but decided to call it a day after only a little under two hours out, the rest of the afternoon was spent photographing the Garden Birds again, which turned out to be fun  :-).

I wasn't happy with yesterdays LONG TAILED TIT efforts, but these were slightly better :-
Long Tailed tit
Long Tailed Tit
I also took some GOLDFINCH and CHAFFINCH photo's here's a couple, but I'll save a few for the 'blog folder' for another post.
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Whilst I was waiting for the Long Tailed Tits to arrive, the ever bolder Green Woodpecker dropped in for an apple snack, I know i've saturated the blog with Green Woody photo's this year, but he alighted just 3 meters from me, so I couldn't not get a few shots could I !
Green Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker - shame about that catkin twig !
Green Woodpecker
Green Woodpecker




4 comments:

ShySongbird said...

Great photos again Warren. Lovely to get such close views of the G W :-)

Warren Baker said...

Hi Songbird,
I suspect the Green woody will leave soon, he'll be off to breed and eat proper food!

Been good to get close views though :-)

Phil said...

Lovely stuff Warren, hope you give me a few photography tips when I finally get over. Would a weekend be best?

Alan Pavey said...

Nothing wrong with saturating with photos like that mate :-)