Tuesday 5 March 2013

Today was warm and springlike, with wall to wall sunshine, the best day of the year so far  :-) 

Once home from work, I ate lunch from the comfort of my garden bench, where I noticed the honey bees on the crocus', the first bees this year. I wolfed down my sandwich and went and got my camera, I put on my 70-300mm canon lens with a 36mm extension tube, and tried to get some close up bee images, but after over half an hour all I had were some rubbish shots! More practise needed I think, the best shot I got was of this Crocus, but the bee had gone!  :-)
A touch of spring  :-)
Whilst failing with the bee images, the garden feeders were being well attended by the various Tits species, plus SISKIN, NUTHATCH, GOLDFINCH, GREAT SPOTTED and GREEN WOODPECKERS, as well as a WREN and GOLDCREST in the shrubs, I didn't bother changing the lens, I just took of the extension tube and got a few bird images with the Canon 300., not as good as the Sigma 500mm lens in my opinion, but the light was very fierce, and there were lots of shadows to contend with, so maybe the outcome would have been the same with the Sigma lens, i'll not complain about the light though  :-)
GREAT TIT
BLUE TIT
COAL TIT
SISKIN
GREENFINCH
NUTHATCH
After enjoying the warm sunshine in my garden, I found the time was getting on, so I just went over to the Greenhouse Grounds to see if I could find the Little Owls in the Greenhouse Copse, then over to the Tree Nursery to see if the Barn owl would show, but I failed on both counts, despite staying until the sun was almost gone  :-(

I didn't really see that much at all actually, only KESTREL and BUZZARD were of note at the Tree Nursery, and GOLDCREST, PIED WAGTAIL and SPARROWHAWK at the Greenhouse Grounds, but I did see three more Tortoiseshell Butterflies there though, a hopeful sign for this decreasing species.


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Opposite end of the scale...we had fog till early afternoon Warren.

ShySongbird said...

Lovely to see your sunny garden birds Warren and that beautiful Crocus. We too had wall to wall sunshine. I was pleased to see I still have Blackcaps n the garden.. My husband saw a Brimstone Butterfly at lunch time too :-)

Warren Baker said...

Fog is the worst Dean, cant do nothing when thats about :-(

Warren Baker said...

Blackcaps and Brimstones Songbird, must indeed be spring :-)

Anonymous said...

Can`t do much anyway this week mate. I`m decorating a kitchen for someone.

Warren Baker said...

Bit of casual work eh Dean, thats what I hope to be doing from the end of March :-)

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

Fick fog here early doors Warren but brighter later - your pics look like they enjoyed the better light.

Cheers

DaveyMan

Pete Woodruff said...

Excellent Chiffchaff header, and the 'touch of spring' Crocus Warren.

Greenie said...

Warren ,
Certainly was good to see a few butterflies about in the sunshine .
But I must admit , I'm fearful for this season given the terrible conditions last year .
Let's hope I'm wrong .

Julie Hargreaves said...

Beautiful photos