Sri Lanka is a great place to visit and a great place for birdwatchers and Bird Photographers to visit. I spent 10 days there recently and had a fabulous, safe and enjoyable time with some fantastic birds seen and photographed. I can thoroughly reccommend the house that I stayed in. The owner is Ravi Fernando. A married father of two . The house is 2 years old and has all mod cons including en-suite and air con. It was perfect. For more details click on the link here to read about it. Ravi's Dream House.
For a look at some birds from my visit click here Gallery . For all my other Galleries click the link here.
Before you read this you need to know that.......It is against the law to photograph a Kingfisher at the nest or in the nesting territory without a license. I am a schedule 1. license holder for Kingfisher at this nest site.
I had a real stroke of luck this morning, from time to time thats what you need. It was a nice day, too good not to be outside. My wife Jenny unfortunately has recently been diagnosed with a few nasty health issues and needs to exercise so we decided to do a brisk walk. In February I had started my observations where Kingfishers had bred on two previous years (to my knowledge). Unfortunately last years nest bank had collapsed and it was obvious that they were not going to breed there this year. I had searched for a potential new site and not seen anywhere nearby that I considered to be suitable nor had I even seen a Kingfisher there this year so I gave up to be honest. So today, as Jenny and I walked along we reached the area where they had bred last year. Amazingly I heard and then saw a Kingfisher immediately, then another and possibly even another, obviously young birds recently fledged the nest and this was confirmed when I saw yet another with a fish in its beak. This would be an adult flying in to feed the youngsters. I couldn't wait for the early evening to arrive, I planned to return when it was quieter and when the time came I returned and tucked myself in a bag hide in the general area that I had seen them in the morning. Almost immediately I started to see Kingfishers and it wasn't long before one flew across the river and landed just in front of me. Unfortunately this young female, even though she was only 10 feet in front of me was just obscured by branches and leaves.
The young Kingfisher landed in front of me but unfortunately it was mostly hidden by foliage and branches.
She was eventually disturbed by dog walkers and flew off without being aware of me. I sat waiting and an hour or so later I heard a bird on the opposite bank and then suddenly there it was just to my right, now only 6 feet away from me but not in front of the camera and any movement would have disturbed it for sure. Eventually off it went and then moments later it returned and spent 10 minutes or so preening. Its been 10 months since I last saw a Kingfisher very close and it was absolutely thrilling to see one again, so beautiful, bright turquoise and iridescent. Its easy to forget how stunning Kingfishers are.
Eventually this bird moved away, calling as it left the perch and when it was quiet I decided to position myself with a clear shot of this perch, still concealed inside the bag hide of course. It is imperative that you create absolutely no disturbance whatsoever and make sure that the birds have no idea that you are there observing them. Stealth, absolute quiet and secrecy is essential. Moments later another Kingfisher called, again from the opposite bank and I watched it settle in clear view, then it disappeared in to a hole in the bank...... I had found the nest! Moments later as I continued to watch another bird arrived and joined the first one in the nest. I took a photo or two and as quietly as I could I left the area and I could still hear young Kingfishers calling in the distance. All in all a great result.
Earlier on in the day I went over to the Caravan hide and when I checked the Blue Tit nest box I was pleased to see that 3 eggs had hatched. You can check the photo of the original clutch by clicking on the "Related article" link below.
Blue Tit nest, 4 newly hatched babies, 3 eggs to go. We are going to follow the progress of these chicks.
We put a couple of nests boxes in the wood last Autumn and as spring arrived I kept my eyes on them in the hope that Blue Tits would use at least one. I knew that one of the boxes had been used for roosting over the winter and I kept a close watch on it to see if any nest building took place. It all started in April when at first, a few bits of moss were seen in the box and this was gradually added to over the course of the next week or so. It was obvious that a nest was being built. Things progressed really well and eventually it was almost full of moss and a large amount of downy feathers and animal hair. The eggs when they arrived were laid in a cup in the corner of the box and 7 were laid on consecutive days. Incubation has begun and I could see when I checked today that at least 6 of the 7 look fertile. I can tell this because they look darker and heavier. When they are first laid you can see, just by looking in the nest, that the eggs are translucent at first, once the embryo begins to develop the eggs look darker and heavier. As a way of explanation it is similar to porcelain and pottery, one is almost see through and the other appears solid.
It's going to be interesting to watch the egss hatch and then their development I will keep you informed.
I include these two pictures out of interest really. It depicts a pair of Canada Geese that were oddly sat in the middle of the tilled field in front of the caravan this afternoon. Another species photographed at the caravan hide now 22 in total.
One of them has an unusually marked head.
I tried a new approach to in-flight photos today but it wasn't successful unfortunately. I used a smaller lens and positioned the camera on a tripod at the opposite end of the drinking platform. The birds took a while to get used to it and when they did start to arrive I snapped away with a remote shutter release. I was extremely disappointed with the results the only picture worth hanging on to was this one.
The Song Thrush is a species in decline in the UK, formally one of our most familiar birds, it is now a treat to see one..... especially in the garden. At the Caravan Hide (thats Trailer Hide if you are from the US), I can hear hear one singing constantly and there is obviously a nest somewhere very close by because I have seen them carrying moss and grasses. The British Trust for Ornithology describes how they are more common in decidious woodland so it is not surprising that they are in the woodland behind my hide but I rarely if ever see them in my garden whereas 50 years ago you could guarantee to have one. As a boy in around 1955 I well remember that my father taught me the difference between a Blackbirds nest and a Song Thrush. This implies that both nests were easy to find. At the time every young boy, and probably girl would know that the bowl of a Song Thrush nest is lined with mud whereas a Blackbird's has no mud. The eggs are very similar, the same shade of blue but Song Thrush eggs are more heavily spotted than the Blackbirds. Song Thrush eggs are a real thing of beauty.
On the gate in front of the hide.
Collecting nesting material.
It's worth mentioning that a Song Thrush is related to the American Robin (turdus migratorious) which is also a true Thrush. The common American species of large warbler the Water Thrush ((Parkesia sp.) looks very similar and when you compare the two species it's not hard to understand why the first settlers to the Americas , familiar with the Song Thrush from home, gave it that name.
Have a look at the links below which shows some other interesting information about other true Thrush species. Turdus falklandii is a species that I am familiar with from my vists to the Falkland Islands.
May 10, 2013
Its been a shocking day here in Devon today and as well as that, I didn't have a car until late afternoon. I went out to caravan hide for some fresh air as much as anything. I am trying to tempt the small birds to food in the middle of the raised pool which we built especially to photograph the reflections. It was a lot of effort but the results are good and will only get better the more patience I show. I just love the smooth background that the water gives.
A Pheasant and his two mates have been regular visitors to the spilt food just lately.
I dont like Squirrels! But I can't beat them so I have decided to photograph them. They are a nuisance and continually damage my photographic set-ups. The reason that Woodpeckers dont visit my hide is because as soon as my back is turned the squirrels eat every peanut they can find!
Today I could see a great photo opportunity. I wanted to photograph the birds flying in and out of the pool, it almost worked but it was hard to convince the small birds that it was safe, Jays were the only birds that didn't seem to worry, but the small birds were very reluctant.
Great Tits are a common British bird, related of course to the Chickadees of North America. This is Britain's largest "Tit" species and one of 59 worldwide. Males are more brightly coloured and they have a thick black band which goes from the throat and down between the legs. Female birds are not as brightly coloured and the breast band is narrower and doesn't extend all the way between the legs but this is variable. At my feeding station the resident Great Tits are one of the most regular visitors and usually the first birds to find the food.
Jays are another species that I see at my hide on most visits. Normally this species is very wary and will never put itself in danger. I am flattered that the Jays that come to my hide almost certainly associate me with food and will come to eat the peanuts that I leave out for them. I am almost certain that they know I am watching them. This intelligent bird is a colourful member of the crow family. They are very good imitators and I get to know of there imminent arrival by the calls that they make just before they arrive on the food. I can recognise individuals by the calls they make. This bird calls like a jackdaw in the distance and its mate imitates a distant calling Buzzard.
I can hear Song Thrush constantly at my Caravan hide, sometimes very close by but I don't see them close enough for a photograph very often. Today one popped down on to the lawn in front of me and I managed a few photographs. This was pleasing for me as it's another species to add to the list of birds photographed from the wood. Song Thrush is not a rare bird in the least but they are not as common as they were. I remember as a boy, 55byears ago they were as constantly seen in the garden in the way that we see Blackbirds now.
As someone who has taken thousands and thousands of photos of a "bird on a perch" recently I have been trying to concentrate more on in-flight shots. However, I have no control over the weather and light and yesterday just wasn't right for that. The camera was set up to achieve fast shutter speeds and I didn't have success.
Having spent most of yesterday and today nursing damaged knee ligaments after I slipped and fell on Bluebell leaves in the wood yesterday afternoon, I was somewhat incapcitated. I decided that I could sit in the caravan and photograph the birds coming in to feed without too much discomfort once I had limped there. I had a really nice afternoon with the Nuthatch pair who came in repeatedly as well as Coal, Blue and Great Tits. The Jays put in an appearance as well and all around me birds were singing constantly. I could hear two Green Woodpeckers very close at times for most of the afternoon as well as a Song Thrush, Blackcap and a Stock Dove off and on.
I have said several times before that photographing these small woodland birds is a real challenge. If there is not enough brightness then forget it.
Today was one of my best for inflight shots but it's always very hard to adjust the camera correctly. You are looking for a shutter speed of at least 1/4000 of a second..... and reflexes that a fighter pilot would be proud of.
You need to use a high ISO to achieve the shutter speed. Nuthatch do fly slower, just a fraction and consequently are slightly easier to get shots of than Coal Tits for example.
I cant begin to tell you how pleased I am with this picture. Coal Tits fly incredibly quickly and this is where your reflexes really come in to play. You need to spot the incomming bird in the branches above and then the moment the bird makes it's move, press the shutter and fire off a few shots. One in 30 photos will hopefully be the lucky one.
Great Tits fly slightly slower and you will consequently have a little more success with this species.
Jays being bigger always fly more slowly and consequently are easier to freeze in flight but because they are massively bigger in comparison then you need to be set up for this species or you will only capture half of the bird in the frame.
I went out to Challacombe Farm on Dartmoor today. This is usually a good place for several interesting species of birds and insects as well. Today however was relatively quiet but it would have been much better for me if I had remembered my binoculars. After walking up towards the out buildings and farm my attenton was diverted by the Swallows that were collecting mud for their nests from the edge of the farm pond. I lingered for far too long trying to get good pictures. This meant that I didn't go on the long walk that I had planned. However it was at the start of my journey home that I had my best moment of the day. Not far from Challacombe as I drove along the narrow moorland lane, just in front of me and to my left I saw a Cuckoo perched on the dry stone wall. I just love Cuckoos and for the previous two years I have had great close views of Cuckoos but It's not that often that you accidentaly get a close encounter like this. I quickly stopped the car and grabbed the camera but the bird flew up and followed the line of the road to land in a tree next to the road. I followed it all the way and then stopped the car again, and from the window snapped off just three pictures of the bird now gloriously sat in full view as you can see above. It was a special encounter and really enjoyable.
I had my best opportunity ever to get decent photos of a Goldcrest late this afternoon. Goldcrest are, along with Firecrest, our smallest breeding bird and its quite hard to get them to stay still long enough to get a photograph but today my luck changed. I was in the wood behind my caravan hide looking for evidence of nesting Woodpeckers when I heard a Goldcrest singing. I sat on a log beneath the tree with the bird above me and then, after a moment or two it came down to a low bush in front of me, the background was perfect and as you can see, I managed a nice picture before it quickly disappeared again!
Jenny and I had planned a trip to North Cornwall yesterday to try and photograph Gannets. I had been told by Liz and Chris Foster about Rumps Point which is just up the coast from the Camel Estuary and Padstow. We had been waiting for the weather forcast to be favourable and yesterday looked like a sunny one with a north wind which is needed because this drives the Gannets nearer to the shorline and in to photographic range. This is was a new thing for us and reminded us of how great it is to live in the West Country and have this kind of opportunity within driving distance of home. We arrived at the farm car park as directed by Liz and then walked the track to the coastal path. A Skylark was singing above the fields, and Swallows were everywhere. When we got to the Coasal Path, we were'nt prepared for the peace, tranquiity and beauty that greeted us, what a view. A Kestrel was hovering just above the track very low and then zoomed away on the wind. We followed the path to the point, a walk of about a mile, disturbing numerous Rock Pipits on the way. We found a spot out of the very strong cool wind to survey the Mouls, a small steep island just offshore, Through my new spotting scope I could see Kittiwakes on their nests as well as Herring Gulls, Lesser Black backed Gulls and Shag but sadly no Puffins which are known to breed on the island in small numbers. In total we spent a pleasant 5 hours over-looking the water. I did manage that photo of a Gannet, frustratingly I could see them further out in the bay for most of the day and just 4 times one flew past close enough for me to get a picture. The highlight of the day was a small group of Razorbill that were feeding very close in to the rocks. I decided to clamber down to the waterline, I am sure that most people would have thought this a bit extreme. It didn't seem particularly dangerous at the time but I suppose there was a risk. Once I was down there I felt as safe as houses and it was worth it. The Razorbills were feeding in the waves and in the clear water I could see them swimming like penguins beneath the surface. From this vantage point I had some great close views and I laughed at one point because I said to myself, "All I could do with now is a Guilimot" and then suddenly just seconds later there was one drifting by!
A wonderful piece of history has come to my attention. One of the most well known poems "Ode to the Fallen" was writton by Laurence Binyon as he sat on Rumps Point. This poem contains the "We will remember them" that we are all so utterly familiar with. I am incredibly moved by this and am shamed for not knowing this before. The last line of the poem is "They sleep beyond Englands foam" ............ the very foam that the Razorbills and Guilimots were fishing in and I enjoyed watching, had inspired Binyon to think of the fallen in World War 1 as he sat there, just as I did in 1914.
Rumps Point and the Plaque commemorating Binyons poem.
The day finished with a trip in to Padstow for a pint and a bar meal. Padstow has a reputation for cuisine which proved to be unfounded as I endured the worse bar meal I have had for quite a while!
The Gannet flew close to shore and I took my best ever image of a Gannet
A Razorbill flies in.
These are tiny little birds, thoroughly at home bobbing around in the surf and then diving to catch fish.
At this time of the year they are in breeding condition.
This pair seemed to stay together most of the time.
This is a "first-summer`' bird unlike the one below which shows a breeding adult with a solid black head.
In chronological order I have quite a variety of pictures today. First thing this morning I went back the fields and scattered woodland where I had seen Treecreeper yesterday. I was sure that I could get some better photographs.... unfortunately, it didn't work out that way.....but as I walked in to the meadow, there in front of me was a Roe Deer. We all know that Roe Deer are much more common in the UK than they used to be but I am always very pleased to see one. Like someone commented to me the other day, "do you realise that you are like hunter, and you have the same skills"? Well its never that easy to get close to a Roe Deer, no matter how common they are. They are incredibly wary and easily disturbed. Roe Deer are native to the UK by the way. Interestingly they have a 9 month pregnancy! They mate in August and September and the fawns are born around about now. However, they have a strategy where the young feotus does not start to develop in the womb until late December. If you look closely at the picture, you can possibly see a swollen belly?
My next picture is of a Bee Fly, at this time of the year I see them in my garden, a very interesting insects which looks a bit scary but is a harmless insect, well harmless to humans but they are a parasitic insect that uses a the nest of a mining bee as a host.
Its on a Primrose by the way and if you are not from the UK you would not know how common this flower is in the English countryside and English gardens.
We have seen this species on my Blog several times over the last few days, it's a Chiffchaff of course and I photographed it on Exminster Marsh where I wen to to try out my new latest gadget which is an eye piece that when attached to your photographic lens, turns it in to a state of the art spotting scope. It is made by Kenko, click on the link to see a video about it.
While I was there on the marsh I saw a Hobby, apparently there had been at least 6 today. I didn't get a decent enough photo but almost. I did see and photograph another couple of Shellduck.
A typical pose as it ascends the trunk. Once they get to to the top they will fly to an adjacent tree, usually at the base and creep up again, never climbing headfirst down the trunk. The only species to do this is a Nuthatch.
Only very infrequently do I have the opportunity to photograph a Treecreeper even though they are one of Britain's common woodland birds but, as the name suggests, they do creep around and are never still when you see them. On top of that they usually make it difficult because they quickly climb to the top of the tree and then all you have is a silhouette. As you can see, I did photograph one today and as well as that I heard it singing and calling which is something that I have heard lots of time before but not been able to put the call to the bird until today.
This picture shows how well they are adappted to their environment and it also shows the key features of the species. They have very long claws which they use to hang on to bark as they creep, always vertically up the tree trunk. As well as that they have a stiff, specially adapted tail which they use for stability in the same way that woodpeckers do. If you look at the tail of a woodpecker they also have the same deep "V". The plumage is cryptic, that is to say it blends in perfectly to their surroundings. Their beak is long, thin and pointed. They use this to feed by probing deep in to bark for insects that other birds, tits for example, can't reach. Another interesting feature is the white underside which usually can't be seen as they rarely perch upright on a perch like the other "perching birds". Quite why they have this snowy white underside is a mystery to me.
As an extra, I took a nice photo of a Chiffchaff again today.
Again note the dark legs..... usually much lighter in a Willow Warbler.
Where I live..... Devon. Sat on the side of the valley looking out over this tranquil scene, the epitome of English countryside. Need I say more.
You can always tell which ones of my photos are not my "strongest". If I put a frame round a picture it usually means that you dont want to look too closely! I have posted this one because it tells a story. In a freshly tilled field I have been noticing these last few days, that a Buzzard was sat in the middle of the field amongst the Rooks. Firstly it was a shame to see that the farmer had shot two Rooks and then suspended them from frames to flap in the wind, a throw back to days gone by when this kind of cruelty was acceptable. I am not sure of the legality of this practice but would suspect that there is an "open licence" which allows a land owner to shoot birds that are causing damage to his crops. But it wasn't working because I did a rough count of the rooks in the filed and it was over 50, in other words the efforts of the farmer to keep the rooks off his field by shooting flock members doesn't work.
Amongst the rooks was a Buzzard, it was running around like a chicken, obviously feeding on worms which I have seen them do before. I took some shots from the car but they were not good enough so in the end I stepped outside and then of course off flew the Buzzard and thats what you can see in the photo
Today at the spot where I had seen and photographed Tree Pipit yesterday and Wednesday, weirdly there wasn't even a sign of a bird and if that wasn't enough, no Willow Warblers either. I am putting this down to the wind conditions which was strong and from the north which has obviously put the birds off their breeding for the time being.
I was photographing Willow Warblers out on the edge of Dartmoor today when one bird seemed to focus on a small fly. I quickly snapped off a few shots and was pleased when I saw that I had actually captured the action so to speak. It must take a high degree of agility and skill to capture a fly in fight like this and one of the beauties of photography, particularly high speed photography, is the ability to freeze this kind of action that can't be seen with the naked eye.
In the last week or so, numbers of Willow Warblers have increased and they are singing to claim their territories. They have a rich tuneful song which is very pleasant to the ear.
I've said it many times before and I will say it again..... I really like Willow Warblers, such a massive part of an English spring and summer with their pretty song and elegant shape.
I had another go at the Tree Pipits today, I was sure that I could a bit closer and consequently get a better photo or two. It almost turned out that way but not quite. For some reason, and I don't know why, the bird that I had seen yesterday constantly singing and displaying was far less active. However it did show for me a few times and I did mange shots from a little nearer but there was always something not quite perfect. A nice species that sings beautifully and because they are not as common as Meadow Pipits, always nice to see and photograph. This is a true migrant and they arrive at this time of year from their wintering grounds in Africa. Today I also saw my first Cuckoo of the year but just couldn't get a picture of it even though it was very close.
Buzzards were displaying to each other once the sun came out and they could use the thermals. Even though this picture was a bit distant it's well worth posting to show what a spectacular sight it can be. Again though, a lot of this action takes place very quickly and you can hardly see the twists and turns with the naked eye..
It's always nice to photograph something a bit different and my quest today was to return to an area on Dartmoor where I had seen Tree Pipits last year. I have already been twice before this year but not seen any but today I had immediate success with first one bird and then another in exactly the same tree that I had seen them before. Unfortunately this tree, although only about 9 feet tall doesn't give a good background and even though I took photographs, I wasn't entirely happy with the background. I walked down to another area on the side of the valley and I was very pleased to hear another bird displaying in the scattered low trees here. The background was now perfect and I sat with my back to to a massive granite boulder hoping that the bird would perch and display from the nearest bushy tree just in front..... and that's exactly what happened. I couldn't tear myself away, trying to get the very photographs possible. I am relatively pleased with the results today but I have come to learn that whenever I return to an area to try again I usually do better and hopefully when I go back tomorrow, as long as the weather isn't too bad, I should have more success.
This is the same male Chiffchaff that I have seen on two consecutive days on the Exeter canal near to my home. That's not a surprise as they are very common. I really love these little birds, so tiny and so much a part of the English countryside. Even recently on a drama seroes about the Tudors there was a Chiffchaff sinfging on most of the outdoor scenes! It seems to be in high breeding condition and today I watched it fluttering it's wings in a display. Another bird came over to join it and was immediately driven away.
It's interesting to see that this male bird has not got black legs, quite often you will read that Chiffchaffs have black legs and Willow Warblers have flesh coloured. You could never describe this bird as having black legs.
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As I said, all of these photographs are of the same bird but it's interesting to see that the colour can vary depending on the light and background.
My friend Dick constructed a raised mirror pool to put in front of the hide. The effect is a mirror-like surface, perfectly flat and with the sky reflected back beautifully. I wanted to photograph Jays when they come to feed. It worked immediately, not Jays yet but Nuthatches and the other small Tits but especially Nuthatches. Here's a selection of images to show what it's all about.
I quite quickly saw the opportunity to photograph the Nuthatches as they flew in and out with this upside down reflections a real photographic challenge but the finished effect very appealing.
I really liked this, its a Nuthach departing, flying above the pool, reflected in the surface.
There isn't a lot that I can add to this picture, it's obviously a Robin coming in to land. I have been working for weeks trying to get perfect flight shots of small birds, it's a real challenge, they fly remarkeably quickly and you need a shutter speed of at least 1/3000 of a second but preferably 1/4000, lots of luck and perfect light! I had perfect light this evening, all I needed was a few birds and a lucky shot. The luck is the shutter firing at exactly the precise moment that the bird passes through the sweet focus spot, an inch nearer or an inch further away andit would be out of focus. I am chuffed with this picture!
.......... not mine but in Exeter never the less. I spent the day photographing what can only be described as a "flock" of Bramblings in an Exeter garden. They have been feeding on the offerings of Black Sunflower since last November and, much to the pride and joy of the house owners, Liz and Chris their appearance has been a daily ocurrance. Very surprisingly they are still here and today, although it was hard to estimate how many still remain, there were more than 6 individulas. The males are coming in to breeding condition and I saw two that have almost solid black caps. Apparently there is another male that didn't show up while I was there. This one has an entirely solid black hood. Perhaps just as amazing was the presence of more than 3 pairs of Bullfinches all coming to the same feeding tray, Of course, Bullfinches are not rare but they are bird that I dont get to see closely everyday of the week and it was a stunning spectacle to see them, especially the spanking breeding condition males. Unfortunately, the light was far too harsh for perfect photos, I was slightly disappointed with the results in the end but I have some interesting photographs showing these males in breeding condition which is unusual in the UK.
One of at least 3 males seen (possibly even 4 or 5). This one has yet to develop the black head.
This is one of the "black-hooded" males, a real spectacle and a very unusual sight in the United Kingdom. By now these birds would normally have departed for their northern breeding grounds, probably Scandinavia but we have had such a cool spring that birds that over-winter in the UK have remained for an unusually extended period.
A pretty female.
I would suggest that this photo is one of the most unusual possible. A male and female Bullfinch, a gorgeous Greenfinch and a spanking male Brambling in breeding plumage.
I spent most of the day looking for Grasshopper Warbler, a species that I haven't managed to photograph yet. I can't be sure but I heard glimpses of song which I couldn't be sure of and it therefore goes without saying that I was not successful but I will return to the area sometime again next week.
At the caravan hide, I popped over to check the feeders. A piece of 'road-kill"pheasnt had been taken so I am assuming that a Buzzard is responsible. Fingers crossed. For a while, the sun shone brightly and I managed the nest inflight shot of a Coal Tit so far.
Squirells are a real nuisance and no matter how hard I try I can't stop them from coming to feed on the peanuts. I decided that perhaps there may some photo opportunity with them so watch this space.
I went out to the edge Dartmoor today where last year I had photographed Tree Pipit and Garden Warbler on or around this date. The weather, although dry was extremely windy and consequently anyl small birds were keeping very low rather than singing from the tops of bushes as I hoped. I watched Ravens and the Buzzard above soaring on the breeze. I have turned this rather poor photograph in to a picture just for the record.
In the garden before I left, I photographed one of the resident House Sparrows in my garden. House Sparrows are a much maligned and over-looked bird though rapidly and mysteriously declining all over Europe
With some bright sunny weather this afternoon I returned to my caravan hide where I was confident that I would be able to photograph the Jays that always put in an appearance to take peanuts that I put out for them. There is a pair and I can recognise them both visibly and also by the noises they make. One, the male is a great imitator and his favourite sound is a distant Buzzard call. They were taking the nuts today and stashing them in various places around the field.
At first I used the 500mm lens because if you have any success at all then you finish up with a better image, the quality of the optics in this lens is so much better. The problem is though that it's very difficult to get the entire bird with wings extended, in the frame, it happened just once this afternoon. Quite good.
This one shows the epaulettes really well but it would have been so much better if I could have get the whole bird in the frame. I switched to a smaller lens and took almost dozens of shots all with the bird in the full frame but as you can seen they are not as pleasing to the eye (in my opinion, or perhaps you don't agree).
I spent two or so hours on Exminster Marsh this morning. Birds were numerous and various. I heard Chiffchaffs singing loudly and my first Willow Warbler song of the year. The most interesting birds for me was the first sing Sedge Warblers of the year. it was so hard to catch even a glimpse of one though they were singing from the reeds just feet from me. I stood statuesque in the hope that I would be able to photogrph one but it didn't work. I did however, photograph Willow Warblers and why wouldn't you be happy with that. Also on the marsh were several Wheatears, believed to be of the Greenland sub-species but far too distant to get a good photo to post here. There was also Teal, Northern Shoveler and Sheelducks.
A willow Warbler, part of the influx this last few days.
Jay
A Nuthatch leaves the feeding station.
I;ve been trying very hard to get a photo of a Coal Tit in flight, unfortunately, this last few days the light has not been quite good enough but hopefully, with patience all the elements will come together.
There was a small group of Willow Warbler feeding alongside my local brook today and I found it interesting to note the colour of the legs which in my experience are usually lighter in this species compared to the Chiffchaff that, again in my experience, are normally black. Also the wings in the Willow Warbler extend well beyond the tail in the Willow and not so far in the Chiffchaff. These two individuals show that there is a degree of variation in the leg colour.
Darker legs than the bird below but not black!
The feet are definitely lighter in this individual, look how far the closed wings extend.
This is a Chiffchaff from earlier in the month. Note the different coloured beak and black legs.
I spent yesterday evening talking to the Devon bird Watching and Preservation Society. I had been invited along to the East Devon Branch meeting to show some of my pictures and after a succesful evening .........I hope and as I walked back to my car, I wondered what bird species would be next to add to my galleries and I have to confess that this thought excited me. Less than 8 hours later the question was answered!
I knew that yesterday a Red Throated Diver had been seen on the Exeter Canal on the Turf stretch. So when the day dawned I quickly got myself ready and well before 9, thats early for me, I was walking along the canal bank towards Turf. It was a beautiful morning, misty but with a strong rising sun burning through. It took me more than an hour to locate the bird even though I knew it had already been seen earlier. The Exeter University Rowers didn't help but the Diver, amazingly wasn't concerned about the boats. I have said it before and at the risk of saying it again, why cant they go and row their boats somewhere else and not along this environmentally sensitive stretch of the canal? I said it wasn't concerned because I located the bird amongst the boats, it was now down the canal where I had walked from. I obviously hadn't been looking carefully enough. I crossed the canal at the Turf hotel so that I had the sun behind me and walked purposefully down the opposite bank to the Diver that was now preening and bathing, seemingly without a care in the world.
Unfortunately the sun had by now given up the ghost and was completely hidden behind the misty clouds which probably made photography a bit easier. Birds with strong white patches are not easy to photograph. I had the bird to myself for at least an hour before other birders started to arrive but the Diver didn't seem to care too much.
One thing that surprised me about the bird was it's bold red eye which you couldn't always see to good efect and even though this particular individulal was not in breeding plumage, it was still a very attractive and engaging bird to see in this unusual habbitat. They are usually off shore tantalizingly too distant for a decent photograph. So all in all this individual has given the birders of Devon a real treat and close views. Incidentally this species breeds in Scotland and furher north only over-wintering in our part of the world.
Out in the depths of Dartmoor today I had a nice surprise when, at a feeding station, a pair of Siskin were coming regularly to the feeder. It's not all that often that I get the chance to photograph them and I have to confess that they are one of my favourite species. In the spring, males are very attractive, bright yellow with a solid contrasting black cap and th female is more sombre, hardlt yellow at all and without the black cap. Their scientific name is "carduelus" which is the same family as both the European and American Goldfinch as well as Redpolls and Linnet, all are seedeaters.
Female Siskin
This is a Marsh Tit taking a mealworm from the feeding table. Marsh Tits are one of the less common tit species, the size of a Coal Tit but totally different in plumage both in colour and pattern but both of these tits are devoid of yellow or blue in the plumage. you are easily to seperate the two species by the lack of white on the neck in the Marsh Tit. Coal Tits are much more common now and as common as a Blue Tit and for every 100 Coal Tits seen you may see just 1 Marsh Tit! Incidentally Marsh Tits and Willow Tits are very very similar and in actual fact, Willow Tits are almost absent from Devon but they can be found in a few locations.
Just before the bird was disturbed by a small child. Seconds later it flew high in to a tree calling as it flew. It then continued to "chatter" angrily from the top of nearby trees.
The Ring Ouzel has been an almost mystical bird for me over the last 50 years or so. I hadn't even seen one ever before today and I am glad to report that I was able to put that right. Not often a see a "Lifer" as the twitchers say. As is usual with this kind of thing it was as though there was nothing to it whatsoever and you would have thought that it was really normal and routine to see one. As soon as I parked the car and looked out over the meadow where it had been reported I could immediately see a Mistle Thrush and a Robin and there also, feeding just like a Blackbird, was the Ring Ouzel. My first impression was that it was really bulky and sligtly, if only a tiny bit bigger than it's cousin, (the Blackbird). It was feeding on the shorter areas of grass just like a Blackbird or Thrush would be when looking for garden worms. The bright white crescent on the breast shone out like a beacon. It scurried around, cocking it's head on to one side and then quickly pulled at the grass and roots to try and expose the worm or what have you, beneath. There were a couple of birders at the other end of the field and they immediately saw that I had it in my sights and they returned back towrds the car park and me. It seems that I was lucky after all and the bird had earlier been disturbed by children playing football and they hadn't been able to find it. I took loads of record shots but didn't want to walk towards it, that would have been bad form. In the end after the frustration of it being 50 yards away I just sat down with the camera low on the tripod and waited in the seemingly forlorn hope that it would walk towards me....... and it did. At last it was showing amazingly well and scurrying closer and closer to me. My luck was in but it was about to change! A family came through the lower gate and started to walk back to their car and the route that they had to take would bring them right up to the bird that was literally feeding on the short grass of the path that they were on. I cursed my luck at that pont but the bird got nearer still and I did manage some photos from very close. A small child, running ahead of the family party was the first to arrive and the bird flew up high and away to some tall trees to my right where it continued to curse noisily from the tree tops. It never did return to the ground and I rushed home to have a look at my pictures confident that I had at least got a new species for my Devon gallery.
I was glad that the two male Wheatears were still in the paddock by my hide this morning. I had been thinking quite a lot of how I could get them to come near enough to me for a decent photo. I wouldn't call it drastic action but I thought it was time for the "gillie suit" , thats a jacket and hood covered in bits of material to look like leaves etc. I sat tucked almost inside the brambles and surely now they wouldn't be aware of me. Thats the way it proved and eventually as they ran around the field, hardly ever flying as they chased down their insect prey, one perched right in front of me.
When I returned to the caravan hide this morning I was really pleased to see two male Wheatears still feeding in the field. Of course I have no way of knowing if this was two new birds or if they had remained from yesterday. I tried really hard to get some good photographs. By creeping in to the field and by hugging the fence line I managed to get half way up the field. I then sat under a bag hide close to a bramble bush and waited....... and waited ..... and waited a bit more. It's a big area and it was always going to be hit and miss. Even though they were mostly too far for a good photo I did manage a couple of nice pictures that showed the birds, well one of them, in the habitat.
As I alluded to yesterday, Wheatears undertake some of the longest migrations. The birds that I saw today are not necessarily going to remain in the UK, they are potentially on their way much, much further north. Every Wheatear spends the winter in Africa even though they may breed as far away as Canada, Asia and the very far North (as well as here in Devon and the rest of the UK).
Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler are very closely related and difficult to tell apart. This is a Chiffchaff, the dark legs are the give away.
Again, Chiffchaffs are not the rarest bird, in fact they are one of our most common summer migrants and we even have a small over-wintering population here in the West Country. However, I was thrilled today when one suddenly arrived on the logs in front of the hide and then as I struggled to train my camera on to it, it paused to drink from the trough. This water source has been in position since last September and it's taken until now for a bird to drink from it, this has been a big surprise to me but at least birds are drinking from it now. I am hoping that as the local birds get more used to it and eventually it will be a big attraction to the resident woodland inhabitants.
There were lots of visitors to the feed today, a pair of Nuthatches being the stars of the show. In addition, a pair of Chaffinches were feeding on the scattered sunflower seed which I have been spreading to try and attract Bramblings but I think that we are now too late in the season for them.
A lovely female Chaffinch in breeding condition.
A male Chaffinch also in breeding plumage.
I have lost count of the hundreds of Nuthatch photos taken from my Caravan hide.
Not the best photo that I have ever posted here on the Blog but very interesting never the less. It's a female Wheatear of course, and one of 5 that were viewable from my Caravan hide today. Wheaters spend the winter inAfrica and are one of the early migrants to arrive back on their breeding grounds in Europe. I saw one first, a spanking male, in the field to the left of my hide but it disappeared, in actually fact I just couldn't see it. Then as I started to walk back to the car I caught sight of more movement in the field and then suddenly realised that there was a total of five. 3 females and 2 males. They were feeding on the insects attracted to the fresh horse dung, (as you can see). I tried to get close enough for record shot and this is as close as I could get. So, it's official....... spring is here! If you read the post above you will see that they weren't the only migrants around the caravan hide today.
I went to my "caravan hide" late morning today to fill up the feeders. I sat for a while to see what I could hear and see. It was nice to hear a Green Woodpecker which I always hope to see on the grass around the drinking pool...... it's happened just once before. It is good to know that they are in the wood somewhere. As well as that I could hear a Treecreeper calling almost constantly and a Nuthatch. Four different species of tit came to the feed, interestingly a Long-tail which is only the second I have seen here. I will be spending a few sessions there in the coming days.
When I came home I looked through the photos taken yesterday and found this nice one that I hadn't seen yesterday. Why travel to exotic places all around the world when birds as brightly coloured and beautiful as his are flying around! Somehow the cloudy, almost white background adds to the effect.
My wife and I travelled to Surrey yesterday for a family visit. I always try to keep my eyes open for any photo opportunities wherever I go and I usually find something interesting in "leafy" Surrey. Rinknecked Parakeets are a very noticeable bird in that part of the world, noisy and of course colourful, you can hardly miss them. They are thought to be the product of escaped birds but there is also a theory that that they have spread to the UK naturally but that is open to deabate and probably wouldn't stand up to scrutiny. With their bright plumage and exotic looks you would be wrong to think that they are a tropical bird but they are found in the colder higher regions of Northern India where the climate is more like ours, that is wet and temperate. They are quite at home here in the UK and other European Cities. They breed in small colonies and are hole nesters. I happen to think that they are an amazing, attractive and gorgeous spectacle and to see a small group feeding on a garden feeder behind Crossy's Hardware Shop in Hinchly Wood was a real treat (and a great photo opportunity).
I took lots of pictures, trying to get them "in-flight" and managed to get some amazing pictures of their graceful plumage.
The Rosey starling wasn't there this morning and my first instinct was to think, oh well it's finally moved on, it is spring after all and I would imagine that eventually nature and instinct will take it's course. However it was there in the late afternoon and then I watched it fly off strongly again towards the marsh just like the day before.
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