Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

Treecreeper - Certhia familiaris

The Treecreeper - Certhia familiaris is a small bird that is often over looked. I "stumbled" on one today whilst out on Exminster marsh after taking photos of my "pet" female Stonechat I thought I would sit quietly and see if yesterday's Goldcrest would put in an appearance. I could hear a Goldcrest-like call and I didn't realise that it was a little too full and loud for a Goldcrest. Eventually it flicked in to view and I was pleased to see my first Treecreeper of the year. I am always impressed with surprise birds and if I don't see them often it is a real treat.

I am getting a bit embarrassed about posting all these Stonechat images but it really has been fun this last week trying to improve on them. Today I got my best portrait and here she is!

I have really gained this birds confidence and developed a strategy to get close to her. She is very confiding, unusually so I would say but my camo dress definitely helps to get just that bit nearer. It isn't quite that easy to get a really pin sharp shot of her in flight catching prey as you would expect but I was quite pleased with this one today.

This next one if it was pin sharp would have been a fabulous image..... but it's not!

A real shame, almost but not quite, it has everything except pin sharpness!
Also on the marsh Migrant Hawker Dragonfly.

Reed Bunting

I went back to the marsh this morning at around 9.30. We had experienced an unusually early season frost. The ground was still frozen over, in it's self unusual for us here even deep in to winter. The sky was bright and clear with 100% visibility. All in all a beautiful crisp clear English morning. As I walked towards the brambles and the Stonechat territory I was pleased to see the bird was yet again on her favourite perch and I prepared my camera equipment to put my plan in to action. I have a remote radio shutter release which can operate at 30 mtrs and the plan was to set the camera a few feet from the bird's preferred perch, pre-focus the camera on manual and then detach myself to a safe distance. That way I would be able to get a shot at just a few feet away without upsetting the subject.
The only thing was, the Stonechat decided not to conform and immediately flew off to another of her favourite spots, the other bush 25 yards away! So I sat it out and played the waiting game. I seem to be able to find some patience from some where so it wasn't hard as I was well dressed and warm and it was incredibly peaceful and pleasant. To my utter surprise a Reed Bunting flew in and landed in exactly the proper place, right on the spot. So I quickly pressed the remote camera release repeatedly until it flew off after around 20 seconds or so. All the while she, sure it is a hen, was calling continuously. I could hardly wait to see the results because dont forget I have no way of knowing for sure if it had been successful. Glad to say it was and here are the results.

If you have a look at the Stonechat photos from yesterday you can clearly see that the birds are in exactly the same place. I am slightly disappointed at the sharpness around the head but I know for the future how I can correct t this. All in all a great experiment that worked will. It's good when a plan works out to fruition.

Back at my Chinese Scooter parked in the lane I was just getting myself sorted when I was joined almost literally by a Goldcrest. It was "working" the tree about 3 foot from me and I had a smashing look at it, they are a lovely little bird. The beak is so pointed and sharp and I love the colour of the back. I was very pleased to see one again so close, it's been a while but the second I have seen this week. I quickly tried for a snap and this was the only one that I managed. I am not putting it in to my gallery because it is not of a good enough quality but if you double click on it you will be able to view it a bit bigger anyway.

Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes

At this time of the year wrens can be heard in and around the garden but they are very hard to spot, in fact I rarely see them. This morning was a surprise as I watched from an upstairs window I saw and then snapped a Wren perched on the fence. I was pleased to catch a glimpse, I always enjoy seeing them. They are one of Britain's favourite birds and almost anyone could put a name to it. I remember as a 5 year old ..... 53 years ago ......... learning about them because they were depicted on the farthing coin, that was a quarter of an old penny if you are wondering. The sun is bright this morning, we are promised a storm later on and its a bright crisp start to the day with a cloudless blue sky. The Coal Tits are in the apple tree but for some odd reason not coming down to the feeder. I caught sight of this Blue Tit as well. For some reason, even though I hear them all the time they havn't come down to the feeder so far and I don't really understand why not. These images can be viewed by clicking on them but they are not part of my galleries as they are not crisp enough!

The promised bad weather did materialise but before I got soaked I managed a few more stonechat photos. Again the confiding female was in her territory and on her favourite lookout bramble.

I do like this one, shame she didn't show her head though. I took several and this is just a selection of the ones I like that were taken today.

I have a plan to get even better shots, watch this space........ but it is going to depend on getting some bright weather over the next few days. Here is another one with prey in her beak.

......... and another portrait as she rested on one leg.

Nearby to the Stonechat I watched a Female Kestrel mob a Buzzard and then a few minutes later the Kestrel perched high on a post and was harassed by another female. Click on the image to see it larger.

Coal Tits - Parus ater

Bad weather was forecast but at 8.30 it was still bright with a hint of sun peeping through. I immediately noticed the Coal Tits feeding on the dish put out for the Robin. I made coffee and went out to get in to the hide. A much better way to start the day than listening to endless doom a gloom stories about the economy on Breakfast TV. One of the problems of the hide is getting in and out without making too much of a disturbance and then having to sit it out for a while before feeding activity is resumed. This wasn't the case today and a Coal Tit soon flew to the dish to take a Sunflower heart. I am not sure if this is the same bird as yesterday but you can see that it is moulting some new feathers. Still no Blue Tits on my feeder, but I know they are in and out of the garden because I can constantly hear them from behind me as I sit in the hide.
Eventually the rain came in and now we are in the midst of another heavy downpour. I am deliberately mentioning the weather because with the Blog in to it's second year I have noticed how interesting it is to refer back to the weather on this day last year.

Coal Tit

My garden has definitely come to life with the onset of the Autumn season. Today, although dreary and wet and with the clocks changing to light saving time, in other words it is officially NOT British Summer anymore, there was a particularly large amount of bird activity. Firstly the Coal Tits were on the feeders again and I actually got a half decent photograph from my hide which has been set up for a week or so waiting for just such an opportunity. Coal Tits are a special little bird, tiny in fact and very attractive with the distinctive white patch on the back of the head. This one is an adult I am pretty sure. Have a close look and you can see the worn feathers on the wings. If it were a juvenile going in to it's first winter you would not see worn feathers. This one has a particularly worn primary wing feather so it should be easy to identify it if I take his photo again ..... just guessing at the sex if you were wondering..... I must say that I am intrigued by the visits of these Coal Tits, Blue Tits are thought to be much more common but I wonder if that is the case. We have had them with us for at least 3 weeks now. As I sat in there I was quite amazed at the amount of other birds that could be heard. All pretty common but never the less it is good to know that they are all still around. From the privacy of the hide I heard a Wren as well as: Pied Wagtail, Starling, Goldfinch, Robin, Blue Tit, Blackbird, Dunnock, Rook, Black-headed Gull, Jackdaw and Collared Dove, that's 14 species. There was also a couple of calls that I was not sure of. I t was quite a good exercise in voice recognition and though not particularly difficult I was pleased that I recognised so many so easily. At one time the Blackbirds let out a very loud alarm call and there was the sound of wings, I think the local Sparrowhawk paid a visit but of course I am not sure.

My Portugal report with lots and lots of pictures can be viewed here so please have a look. I am sure it will make you look at that country in a different light if you havn't been before because it is very very good for wildlife of all kinds. I mean real wildlife and not the "mongs" that we bumped in to in the bars of Alvor after dark, now they are wild!

Exminster Marsh

I returned to the marsh today to have a look for the Stonechat. The same pair were in exactly the same location and in fact perched on the same branch. I took lots of photos and tried various settings on the camera to try and get some good shots. I am pleased with these.

Also on the marsh, a couple of Migrant Hawker Dragonflies and Common Darter as well as several Snipe a Curlew and a solitary Black-tailed Godwit.

This morning in the garden at around 9 there was an odd sight. 10 Collared Doves in the apple tree. Last year and all through the winter I had seen 2 on most days. Then as the season progressed they bred in the garden so I can only assume that this is the original pair and their youngsters. Quite a sucessfull season you could say. Double click on the image to open it in a seperate large window.

There has been no sign of the Coal Tits for 2 days now.

STONECHAT on Exminster Marsh again

I was thrilled today to return to my marsh after a couple of weeks away. Now well and truly in to Autumn a few things have changed, it's a bit colder and very much wetter and water-logged but the air was clean and the sun very bright. The Black-tailed Godwits were still on the pond by the path and what seemed to be lots of Meadow Pippits but I just could not get a good view. Stonechats were showing very well and my "in-flight" photography skills are really coming together. I took this little series of shots and I have to say that the result pleases me quite a bit. I have never really studied Stonechats feeding behaviour before but I can tell you that they behave very much like a Flycatcher. This one was on a high very exposed branch and he didn't much care that I was near-by. Then he would make a darting flight out from his perch and return with his prey to the same one either with prey or not. This made photography quite simple once I had realised what he was up to. In the first shot you can see that he has a Hoverfly in his mouth. I can even tell you that it is Brindled Hoverfly, the only species with vertical stripes on the thorax!

The Garden gets better and better at this time of the year. Today a Comma Butterfly was around my little top pond. The Coal Tits were yet again in the garden and the hide is set up waiting for that great photo opportunity which is on the way as soon as the light is just right so keep checking back.

Back from Portugal

An Algarve Whinchat......... check the report here.

I have just surfaced after my trip away, please check out the special Blog for the Portugal trip here which was a wonderful bird experience with an amazing variety of birds seen . Over ten lifetime firsts confirmed for me including Greater Flamingo, Griffon Vulture and Corn Bunting.
There is lots to report in and around my garden today. The use of my bird feeders is increasing. In really horrible wet conditions we were visited by 2 Coal tits and a pair of Goldfinch. The blog celebrates it's first aniversary tomorrow and checking back I notice that we didn't have Coal Tits until the 9th January so I am very pleased to see them in the garden today. As I sat writing my Blog I witnessed an amazing spectacle, from the Holly Tree in the front garden a Sparrow Hawk swooped low into a flock of Starling and carried off an unfortunate victim, I had a great view. Just the kind of Suburban wildlife experience that the Blog was set up to report........... wonderful.

STONECHAT Exminster Marsh

I AM AWAY IN PORTUGAL UNTIL 18TH OF OCTOBER SO NO BLOG ENTRIES UNTIL THEN, SEE YOU ON MY RETURN.

I bumped in to this female Stonechat this morning on Exminster Marsh.

Migrant Hawker

With the weather cooling down and Autumn here there are still a few late Dragonflies around. It's a good time of the year to get up close because as they rest and try to warm up they are particularly slugish.
i am always amazed at the heads of these beasts so built for purpose.

Cattle Egret Friday

After a search today that went on for hours I finally located the Cattle Egret again late this afternoon. I stood around waiting for it to come a little closer to me. Finally the battery ran out on my camera so this was the best I got. Significantly better than yesterdays effort. They are very photogenic as well as rare so I am quite pleased with the results so far. Sorry but yet another Black-tailed Godwit photo, couldn't resist posting because it was such a nice one!

This is a Migrant Hawker Dragonfly, in the cool conditions there were several settled on the reeds trying to soak up sun but very inactive. If you watched carefully you could see them vibrating their wings in an effort to generate some heat.

Cattle Egret

This afternoon on Exminster Marsh I am pleased to report a sighting and photos of the Cattle Egret that was first seen at the beginning of the week. It was amongst a small herd of cattle around 50 yards from the nearest path so very hard to get a good photo.

I was pretty confident that it would come closer but as I waited patiently I could not believe my eyes when one of the volunteer wardens tramped towards it inside the reserve and quite close. The bird at the time was hidden amongst reeds by the side of one of the dykes and it continued to be hidden while the trespasser stood close. It amused me that I could see it and he couldn't and after a minute or two looking around with his bins he turned and walked away, then the bird flew off without him ever seeing it........... and he never even knew!! It did annoy me at first but now I can se the funny side of it. Surely the RSPB are there to protect the birds and the reserve is not the personal play area of those who give their time either voluntarily or for a salary. He was not there in any other capacity than an observer like myself and shouldn't have been there. Particularly as he spoilt it for me because it never did come back.

So back to Black-tailed Godwits and they just keep getting easier.

Click on this image to see it bigger.

Black-tailed Godwits

I went out specifically to try for better shots of the Hobby seen yesterday. I was hoping that it may still be around and with the weather a bit sunnier there was a good chance that I might catch it when the sun was shining. This would make for a much better photo. I had a first attempt in the morning but after just half an hour on the marsh the rain came pouring down and it looked as though it was set in for an hour or so. I may be keen but wet and cold are two of my least favourite things to be . The forecast had suggested that it was going to brighten up in the afternoon so I decided to come home and do a bit of work and have a look at the Stonechat photo that I had taken. Even though it is quite cropped I am pleased with this image which is a "real" picture and not just a photo of a Stonechat if you see what I mean. Without getting all "arty" it is well balanced, I love the background and also the presence of blackberries shows the time of year, so for me it has a lot going for it. At home and work done, the afternoon gave us bright sun, so out I went again. Back to the same place on the marsh, I was deliberately hanging around an area where there is a lot of Dragonflies at the moment because I guessed that this would be a good place for the Hobby to put in an appearance as it is their main prey food.
Unfortunately no Hobby but the Black-tailed Godwits seem to really love this little area too and with the sun extremely intense for a minute or two I took a few lovely photos.

This is just about as good as it will get with this camera set up. The light was perfect and bright and from behind me and directly on to the subject. The bird is doing something interesting and there is this great reflection. This may be the best photograph that I have ever taken, or perhaps you prefer this one.

The reflection is a real feature of this little series. The next one, we'll call it picture C. is interesting as well.

And this one is photo D.

........this one is E.

I have given them letters because I would like some help in deciding which is the best. Please send me a message and tell me which is your favourite. Thanks, I would really appreciate you input. Also dont forget you can click on each picture and you will be directed automatically to a full size image.

I almost forgot to add this one, my camera struggles like mad to get good in flight shots but it is possible with lots of patience.