Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

Rock Pippit - Anthus petrosus

I decided to do a bit of searching for myself today. At the beginning of January there had been a Black Redstart on the beach at Beer, a nearby fishing village. I wanted to look to see if it was still there, but first we went to the Beach at Branscombe. When I had been there before I had seen Great Crested Grebe and I was hoping to perhaps see Grebe and Diver species today in the bay. Not much to see in the bay except for Herring Gulls and a fleeting glimpse of a possible Shearwater which disappeared away from me before I could make an ID. At Beer the first bird to catch my eye was this Rock Pipit that has decided that the car park is a good source of insect life and tiny fish scraps.

He is feeding on a tiny shrimp morsel here. I am pretty sure that I have seen this individual before and he/she seems to have it sussed as far as finding food is concerned. I have included this image because I think it shows what a distinctive feature the beak is on this species and also you get a good idea of facial pattern and wing-bar markings. I wandered around amongst the boats and the boatmen confirmed that the Black Redstart hasn't been seen for a while so infact, apart from the Pipit, there was not a lot else to see today.

This Herring Gull was a practice flight shot for my up and coming trip to Florida............ watch this space for more news. The Blog will be "Wildlife in a Suburban Garden On Tour" with daily reports and the usual daily photos but with an American slant. It should be an exciting time for the Blog and my wife Jenny and me. This is a portrait taken with my Tamron 1:1 Macro lens. I sat very close to the perch in my pop-up chair hide waiting for one of the Siskins to land next to the daffodil. I knew it would be a "chocolate box" photo and after waiting for a while she eventually played ball and came in to pose for her photo!

Chiffchaff-Phylloscopus collybita

It's almost the end of February, it has been dull and dreary weather without any of the promised brightness. So what to do on a day like today? Well, there is always the possibility of the Firecrest at Topsham and who knows it may brighten up. The Chinese Bike was revved up, the layers went on and I took the camera with me just in case. I armed myself with the mp3 player and decided I would see if the Firecrest could be called in. The outing turned out to be quite an interesting one. No sign of any Firecrest even though I walked the muddy path playing the recording as I went to see if I got a reaction. After a while I climbed on to the viewing platform that looks up the Exe Estuary, there was a man there with a Prime Lens worth more than my car so I suspected that there must be something worth looking at. It was in fact quite an event. Spread out in front of me was a Greenshank, Redshank and Grey Plover. I struck up conversation with the "Prime Lens man" who turned out to be a Scot called Colin. Firecrest were mentioned and he quickly produced a series of stunning images of the Firecrest out of his bag that he had taken last week ....... envious or what! Then as we compared cameras a Chiffchaff landed in the bush to our right, not too far from us, apparently the exact bush that the Firecrest had been in. Chaffchaffs are not Firecrests of course but they are good to see in late winter and I was pleased to be able to get a couple of half decent shots in the awful light! I was hoping it might be one of the rarer sub-species but I am pretty sure that it wasn't. It posed pretty well and we both took lots of shots. It was interesting to compare the results and see that mine were almost as good as his in spite of the fact that his equipment was worth approximately £4.000 more thqt mine. Having said that I was/am envious but there is a limit!

Siskin - Carduelis spinus in the garden

In spite of  very dull weather I thought I would try under these conditions to see if I could achieve some good images. I experimented with the positioning of the hide to try and get the maximum amount of advantage from the prevailing conditions. On a recent outing to Dartmoor I had picked up a nice lichen covered branch which had lots of character and this was positioned close to the feeder. We are still getting more and more Siskins in the garden and today we had about 10 but it's a little bit hard to count them as they come and go. There is a fair amount of minor aggression between birds and thay do not appear to be all that comfortable to accept other birds near to the food source and will chase off any bird which seems like a rival.

It wasn't long as I sat in the hide  before I had visits from several Siskin a and a few Goldfinch.  I concentrated my efforts on the two branches in these pictures and I am very happy with the results.

I think that this is two different individuals but it is hard to say for sure.

Just another day in Devon

As we approach the end of February the days are lengthening and the weather warms up a tiny bit. It's hard to believe that only 16 days or so we had icy conditions and snow. Breeding activity has definitely started in the garden. The Collared doves are always together and I have heard the male calling constantly. Frog Spawn almost fills the wildlife pond and today the Hen Blackbird has been collecting nesting material madly and building a nest in the adjoining Torbay Palm. 

 

The Goldfinch above was investigating this down, perhaps to line a nest but more likely just practising as I watched it seemed to be pushing it in to a crevice on a branch next to the feeder. The weather has been dull and overcast and I am confined to the comforts of my house due to a touch of "man-flu". But, like I have said before it is no hardship to be at home watching the garden because there is so much activity with the constant presence of Siskins, Goldfinch, Robin, Collared Doves, Dunnocks, Blue Tit and Great Tit. Who would have thought that the most numerous species in the garden at present is Siskin.

 At least 8 different ones today.

  

The Blue Tit seen on my fat ball today was the one rung in the garden on January 15th, more than 5 weeks ago and obviously he is still around. I do not have a large population of Blue Tits in the garden and it is fascinating that we still have this one visiting us regularly. This flies in the face of previous information that suburban gardens are visited by up to 12 different individuals in any one day. This one obviously likes it here and is constantly returning as I have seen him 3 times since he was netted.* *Legally by Dr Ian Stansfield a registered BTO "A" License holder.

Brambling - Fringilla montifringilla

On Saturday I was lucky enough to be invited over to Roger Treeby's garden on the edge of the Mid-Devon town of Tiverton. I had discovered that he has a regular flock of Brambling visiting his feeders. This seemed like a great way for me to finally catch up with, and photograph this species. After a liitle bit of detective work I finally made contact with Roger and by 9.15 I was sat close to his feeders in my pop-up hide ready for the action. I waited 40 minutes before the first one put in an appearance. I had always wondered if I would recognise a Brambling when I saw it and I need not have worried, they are stunningly different to Chaffinch.

  I could hear Chaffinch pinging their calls and I was expecting the Bramblings to be amongst them, then I heard a call that I hadn't heard before, it reminded me of a Siskin or Goldfinch or perhaps even a Greenfinch but not exactly the same as either  and I knew that Bramblings were around.

My first was on the ground in front of the hide but obscured by a Cock Blackbird. Then after a short while another appearerd on Roger's feeder but around the back hardly giving me a view at all. Then otheres of the flock started to arrive and in the end there were 7 in total. I only noticed 1 female but Roger told me after that there were 3 hens and 4 cocks, at least that is what I can remember.

They are stunningly attractive birds............. there I go again I always say that about birds I see for the first time. I really enjoyed seeing a new species and I want to  thank Roger for allowing me in to his garden. I am really pleased that I managed to get so many really nice photographs.

For the record, today in my own garden we have had the usual Siskins, Goldfinch and Sparrows as well as a White Tailed Bumble Bee. In the garden wildlife pond we have a nice mass of Frog Spawn, more than 6 weeks later than last year!

Brambling

Today I managed my first photographs of Brambling. Off out for the rest of the day in a short while so more details and the pick of the 200 photos taken this morning tomorrow, please check back.

This next one is a hen. 

Brent Geese and a few others from Topsham

A flock of Brent Geese takes to the air...........................what a sight!

Bowling Green Marsh is an interesting place, just a tad on the busy side for my taste but then there is so much to see and it's all layed out in front of the viewing platform. Today amongst the Avocets, Redshank, Godwits and Dunlin was a Spotted Redshank, not a common bird and a treat to see. If you haven't seen one before then look out for a bird more like a Greenshank but with red legs and only a partial red beak.
There were nice flocks of Brent Geese, Widgeon and Black-tailed Godwits in the fields. In the woods a Greater Spotted Woodpecker and Jay were showing now and again. Considering the amount of human  activity it's amazing how much birdlife there is and if it is anything it is a great example of wildlife and humans living in close proximity. Not my ideal place but lovely never the less.
 

This Dunnock gave me a chance to snap this great portrait. ......... and what about this Robin!

Long-tailed tit - Aegithalos caudatus in the garden

The first thing I noticed today apart from the dank drizzle was a hen Siskin on my feeder. They are still here in numbers and today we have about a dozen so far. I have been forced to wait in the house this morning for a business phone call but that is no hardship. I sat up in the bathroom with the camera set up to capture the comings and goings, a cup of coffee in hand and a piece of cake....... and it has been a piece of cake to get some really good shots.  So far this morning,......... it's not yet midday......we have had Siskins, Goldfinches, Blue Tits, and a Blackcap cock, all from the bathroom window and no more than 6 feet from me. This bird watching lark is a breeze at times. The hope remains that I will get a visit and some photos of absent species not yet recorded this year. That is a Goldcrest, I pray for a Firecrest and believe it or not, no Wren so far. Bound to happen eventually though.

Here is a nice little Blue Tit  on her, (could be a he) way to the Sunflower feeder she paused amongst the Cotoneaster Berries

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My indoor "birdwatch' continues and the latest visitor is a very welcome one. We haven't had a Long Tail Tit in the garden this year, but now we have. This is the same ringed bird that I saw at the end of 2008 and I was quite surprised to see it. He was on his own which is also unusual. Also noted in the garden today has been a Bumble Bee sp. 

Great Grey Shrike - Lanius excubitor Dartmoor Devon

 

The Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) is a regular but scarce winter visitor to the UK. It breeds across Northern Europe and into Russia. It frequents heathland  and moor.

I am always very interested in the literal meaning of "Latin/scientific" names and this is a great one. "The  name  Lanius excubitor   has a diabolical meaning. Lanius in Latin is "butcher" from lanio meaning "I tear, I rend to pieces", which is what the shrike does to its prey, while excubitor in Latin means sentinel, which obviously refers to the shrike's habit of keeping watch for its prey from the top of thorn bushes and posts — for prey it will rend to pieces!"

 As I mentioned yesterday I spent  the afternoon looking for it without success and today with the sunshine still with ius I thought I would go and have another look even though it is a bit of a trek. 

As you can see it was a bit like looking for the proverbial needle in the hay stack. I took this photograph from the top of Bellevor Tor, one of the famous outcrops of rock that are landmarks of Dartmoor. Geographically I think they are the ancient remains of rocky hills eroded over millions of years leaving these iconic natural structures that are such a feature of the area. 

I was sat looking out from this vantage point with a clear view of the cleared area below which is where the Shrike had been seen before. It was quite a daunting prospect and as I sat there I was beginning to lose faith in my chances.  In fact I was beginning to lose faith in my sanity! I watched a couple of birdwatchers scanning the scene before them and thought that would be a good strategy, watch them and see if they found it.

Eventually I started to feel the cold and decided that I would trudge back to the car. If you look at the top of the picture above you can see a log pile at the top of the hill and past there was where I luckily stumbled...quite literally  on to the quarry! I was starting to get a little bit despondent as I trudged on and the thought went through my mind that I wouldn't be going on another "wild goose chase" again. I stumbled on over the remains of felled trees, snow and boggy moss,  all the time looking around for movement. Suddenly I stopped in my tracks because there in front of me and right in my path, was a white breast shining like a beacon with the dark woods behind providing a backdrop. I couldn't believe my luck, I had done the impossible, found the needle in the hay stack. I took a few photos and watched it looking for food from it's perch.  I took a few steps forward but it was hard to do it with any subtlety because of the felled wood, the bird didn't move so I made the mistake of taking two more and off he flew, very strongly and quite a distance to my right. 

Feeling now quite elated and incredibly fortunate I looked at my pictures and felt satisfied that I had seen the bird and got a nice picture or two to prove it. I could have been closer, you always can but perhaps it is best for a bird like a Great Grey Shrike to feed in peace. It can't be easy for a bird like that to find the food  needed to survive a winter on Dartmoor.

A late addition to this post is a note about a Red Admiral Butterfly seen adjacent to a wood close to the Tor, my first Butterfly species of 2009. If you look at the picture above, to the right there are a few conifers, this is the track and this  is where I saw the butterfly.

Dipper-Cinclus cinclus

 

There will come a day sometime in the future when I get a good photograph of a Dipper, but today wasn't that day. To quote Barrack Obama "On this day, at this time........etc the Dipper was again in the shade!"  Everytime I see them they are always in the shade hiding near to the opposite bank and not playing ball.  We have had quite a frustrating day really because I have been out to look for the Little Owl at Dunchideok with no success, then my real reason for being next to the River Teign was in the hope of seeing a Lesser Spotted Woodpwecker... that didn't happen either and then we went on to Dartmoor to try to find the reported Great Grey Shrike and no luck there either. Thank heavens we actually saw the Dipper or it would have been a complete disaster. 

A few from the garden today.

This weekend has been unusual for me, I actually went out to work!!!! I left before 7 both yesterday and this morning. I am not often up and about at this time. As I ventured out the local Blackbirds were singing their dawn chorus . I said it last year and I will repeat myself , there is no more evocative sound than a Blackbird singing in an English Country Garden. I love this sound and I paused for a while to listen before I got in to the car and drove away.   I was however back home in the early afternoon and I am pleased to say that the weather and atmosphere had a feel of spring about it. At 3 o'clock  the sun was shining and it was very pleasant. There was a bit of activity in the garden and I could hear several Siskin singing as well as Goldfinch. There was quite a commotion going on. From my Bathroom I set the camera up and focused on a nice  part of the Cotoneaster Bush and waited for a Siskin to oblige. They were beaten to it by first a Cock Blackbird and then this Hen. I can recognise her by an untidy feather on the wing, she has been with us for a week or so. She is being courted by a  Cock who has replaced the bird taken by the cat a couple of weeks ago I am glad to say. I was just about to call it a day when one of the Siskin came on to the overhanging branch and with the sun perfectly positioned gave me a good opportunity. I thought you might like to see how important the apple tree is to the birds in my garden. It is like a beacon to all the visitors that come and go and they stop off to sing and look around before deciding what their next move should be. I think it is fair to say that there is a bird of some kind in this tree almost constantly. I am think of positioning a camera up there and streaming it live to the blog.... watch this space.

Ring-necked Pheasant in the garden.

Today's highlight was an unusual one. I stayed at home today due to a work load in my studio. But there is always time for a bit of Bird Watching especially if the weather is  OK and there are birds about. It was  mid morning and the temptation was too great, so noticing a few Siskin about I thought I would place the pop-up hide near to the feeders to see what photos I could get. As I went onto the lawned area I was staggered to see this large cock Pheasant scurrying for cover. Remember that I live in the middle of a suburban housing estate surrounded by houses,fences and roads. How this bird could have got into me garden is an absolute mystery, I guess he made his way through other gardens and ended up staying in mine because of the amount of spilt seed around. Quite how he negotiated a 6 foot high fence other than flying over without being seen is beyond me.   There was a bit of 'twoing and froing" as he tried to hide from me and eventually he ran down through the bottom of my garden which is fenced off to keep three laying hens in their half of my garden. I followed him but couldn't find him so gave up. Later on I went to collect any hens eggs from the coup and there he was sat in the hay in the hen house! I picked him up and put him in an enclosure with some seed and water so that I could have a good luck at him and decide what to do with him. To cut a long story short we released him back in the fields. I am guessing he was a very old cock bird because he had a strange deformity on his upper mandible and when I released him he seemed to have a bit of a limp. He never flew away like I expected but ran for cover with his limp of course! Very odd. He would not have been a pet because it is not the kind of species anyone would keep as a pet. 

A male Blackcap was in the garden today, the first one for several weeks. I was pretty sure last year when I saw a male Blackcap in the garden, that I had heard a faint "sub-song". Well I can confirm that this bird today was definitely singing a faint song. I could hear him as well as see his neck expanding as he sang. He was attracted by a fat ball hung from the cotoneaster tree quite close to the bathroom window. I put it there deliberately because I knew it would give me good views and photo opportunities. This hen Blackbird - Turdus merula has been in the garden for several weeks now and spends a lot of time cavorting with a cock. This next one was taken from the bathroom window again. Then of course there are the Siskins that I can't resist. They are so beautiful and I am so thrilled to have them in the garden constantly. This male is just as lovely as his mate.

Buzzard - Buteo buteo

I went out on the Chinese bike this morning to look for the reported Brambling at Chiverstone Farm, Kenton. I spent more than an hour with a chap called Dave from Budleigh and in spite of looking through the flocks of Chaffinch through a scope still no Bramblings I am afraid. On the way back through the back lanes on the Chinese Bike I came upon a Buzzard in a road-side tree as, I came around the corner there he was. I stopped on the bike and the buzzard remained in the tree even though we were only 12 feet apart. He looked down at me and didn't even fly when I lifted the camera up and started to take pictures. He was still there after a few minutes and 20 photos. I adjusted a few things on the camera to try for the best shot......... and he still didn't fly.  I was holding the tripod and trying to secure it on the seat of the bike and hardly managed to get it 100% rock solid. I switched the engine off and then the bird decided enough was enough. Interesting that all the time we had an engine on he wasn't threatened but the instant I switched off he sensed danger. It's not easy to take photos balanced on a bike with a tripod and camera and crash hat on but I haven't done too bad. It's the closest I have ever been to a Buzzard with a camera in my hand by far.

Merlin - Exminster Marsh

Here is a link to my Pbase phot galleries.. have a look at my favourite images.

It was another stunning day weather-wise with loads of surface water around due to rain on top of thawed snow. The Chinese Bike was called in to action late morning when, in spite of work here, the sun kept shining and I am never going to waste a good sunny day. Out at Exminster the road through the reserve was impassable due to the flood water and as I decided what I was going to do I was joined by Dave Stone and Andy Bond. Two bird boys who I admire and respect both for their expertise and friendly demeanour. I honestly thought I knew it all as far as birds are concerned but these two are so knowledgeable not only with our British species but worldwide as well. A bit of banter was exchanged about my Bittern sighting and I made comments about the sightings they have made so far this year. Then suddenly as if on cue a bird of prey shot in to view from our left and flew straight as a dart not far in front of us giving a really great view. In a split second Dave was calling out "Merlin", it was great to see the bird but the event was made all the more exciting by Dave's reaction. It is great to see someone enjoy his hobby so much........ reminds me of me! As we discussed the missed opportunity of a photo it came in to view again this time chasing a smaller bird, weaving and darting around this way and that. It was so quick that you could hardly follow it. The bird it was chasing escaped and then our Merlin perched on the nearby block house for 5 or 6 seconds and gave us a great view. All this time I am struggling to get my camera up and ready, sometimes you do and sometimes you don't and this was one of those "you don't days"! Then it was picked up again in the far distance sitting on a post preening, too far for me to get any kind of shot but Dave has a Diary here and you can view a photo digiscoped by him from the first path. I have posted these Pipit photos seen the other day close to Turf in the field next to the path  to Powderham.

  

If you can identify the species for me I would be most grateful. Email me at charlesfleming1@mac.com

On the way home I stopped at the top of the hill in Deepway lane Exminster to look for Woodlark and Brambling. No luck but saw a small flock of Linnets. It certainly looks a good spot and as it is only a few minutes from the house on the Chines Bike I will be back for a regular look. While I was there  a  Goldcrest came to within 3 feet of me but I couldn't get a photo which is a shame as I have been trying for ages for one!

Just as a post script. I said yesterday that we havn't had Coal Tits in the garden for weeks and then this morning there was one. He, I am guessing that by his "song" for what it was worth, was calling and singing loudly as he fed amongst the bushes in the garden in the company of 5 Siskin. I resisted the temptation to get even more Siskin photos! But there was a strong temptation.

Today's Siskin and lots more

I am just about to leave on a trip out and about, the storms have disappeared and wahoooooo............ we have sunshine. Looking out into the garden this beauty was on the feeder so I quickly sat in the hide and waited for him to present himself again, what a cracker and I just couldn't wait to share it with the world! Check back later to see what else I Blog today...... more bird pics I promise!

I decided to visit a beauty spot on Dartmoor in the hope of some Marsh Tit Photos. Believe it or not the sun was almost constantly shining and when I arrived at the car park of my chosen spot, complete with portable hide and a sunflower feeder I knew instantly that it was going to be a good trip. it wasn't long before I was snapping away at this Marsh Tit.

    

They are a bit more difficult to get good pictures of.  With their black caps it's hard to find the eye which is always a feature of any good portrait. one of the accepted ways to tell this species apart from the very similar Willow Warbler is the shiny black cap of the Mrash, they don't come much shinier than

this do they?

 

Cock Chaffinch, he is just moulting into his smart summer plumage . 

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....and this a Coal Tit, probably my best ever photo of this species. This isn't a stripe on the beak it's just a very strong shadow! We haven't had Coal Tits in the garden for several weeks now. In November and part of December they were seen all the time in the garden. I have no idea why they have moved on.on.

I also got my best ever Great Tit portraits. They are quite a lot larger than the other British Tit species. Males can be told by the thickness and extent of the black band running down the breast. I have rarely seen such a strongly marked bird as this one. It's a good opportunity to compare these photos because the first two are of the same male and the third is probably a female. 

I really like this unusual pose, it makes a fascinating image. Then the next one is more conventional but just not how intense the black breast strip is indicating a male for certain. This next one is more likely a female. 

and finally this lovely Coal Tit

Chaffinch Cock-Fringilla coelebs

If you are new to my Blog I always try to post photos taken on the day of the post and today is no exception!

Give me snow any day! These rainy days are an absolute disaster for wildlife watching and photography. It's pretty hard to take any sort of photo but with a little bit of patience it can be done. So, even with pouring rain which has been with us all day we have had a constant stream of birds in and out of the garden. I was pleased to see a Cock Chaffinch, the first for weeks and weeks in the garden. The Latin name "coelebs" means bachelor and is probably a reference to the habit this species has of moving in single sex flocks in the winter time. All of my Chaffinches have been females until today. Perhaps spring is nearer than we think in spite of the wintery weather the birds are starting to look for mates. This could be the case because even though it is cold and wet the days are getting longer.

I do admire the colour of this species, one of our common birds so often over-looked and taken for granted. The photo above was taken from the "bathroom" hide ........... my upstairs bathroom window if you didn't know. From there I have a close sight of a cotoneaster tree, and an overlook of the apple tree at the end of my plot and now my neighbours have taken to feeding and there is a degree of activity on their feeders from mainly House Sparrows and Chaffinches. Today the Blue Tits were visiting the feeders and one popped over to the fat ball hung in the cotoneaster to attract the Blackcaps. 

  

The light as explained was dire but I did manage a nearly decent photo of this little bird. Look how she is almost wet and has rain spots on her tail.

If you have a look here you can compare the visitors and weather etc for last February. You can get a much better idea of the much colder winter we are experiencing this year.

Red Throated Diver - Gavia stellata

 

I have been away for the weekend with my band the Lympstone South West Telecoms Band. We were in Slapton in South Devon which just happens to be a great place for birds with a nice bit of sea, a wide shingle beach and of course the freshwater Ley.  This is literally across the road from the seashore. I asked the guys giving me a lift if they fancied a look at the beach as we had arrived early. Guess what? It was really worthwhile because as we pulled in to the car park in really bright sunny conditions I immediately caught sight of a Diver species in the surf. I quickly got my camera and managed to get a few shots of it before it moved out away from the beach. After I had looked carefully at the pictures I identified it as a Red Throated Diver in winter plumage of course. I have to say I was very pleased, another new species for the year and for saying I wasn't on a bird watching day a real bonus. I didn't have time to stay for longer than 10 minutes or so but it had been really worthwhile.

 If you visit my blog regularly you will have noticed that I have got a new feature to the right of the screen, the adds link. These are web pages that should be of interest to you, and usually have some relevance to the subject matter of the blog so I am sure you will be as interested as I am to have a look at them. 

Red Breasted Merganser - Mergus serrator

I had a really nice encounter with this duck today. I decided to return to Turf at the end of Exeter Canal, well on the way to Powderham on the River Exe. Every time that I have been in the last week I have had the chance to see something interesting including Avocet, Grey Plover, Redshank, Dunlin and I had got quite very close to a female Teal. Then yesterday I had seen a Meadow Pipit which I queried as a Water Pipit. So, it was worth the effort to go back. As I cleared the path, there in front of me in the water was this magnificent Red breasted Merganser. I was stunned at its beauty. He was so dapper with a bright green head, contrasting black and white body and wings and the magnificent crest on it's head. The bird was as surprised as I was and we both stopped in our tracks so to speak as we decided what our next plan of action was going to be. Mine was to try to focus the camera on him while I could and try to get a good close photo of him because he was only 15 feet away or so. His plan was to explode away treading water furiously as he took to the air and flew away strongly. I managed this shot but only just. The word merganser is from the Latin  mergus which means  diver (from mergere, to plunge)  and the Latin word ānser which means  goose. Literally therefore "Diving Goose" which of course it is not!

These birds are fish eaters and have serrated bills to hold their prey. They over winter in coastal waters and the river Exe is one of the well known over-wintering areas for this species. I see them often but not as close as today's encounter.

We still have a bit of snow around and I took this photo of a Mallard which is a nice picture I hope you agree

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I have included it because I had an odd encounter with two Duck hunters...... yes really. They were walking along the canal towards Turf with their shotguns in bags over their shoulders and a lovely Black Labrador Retriever. My opening gambit was "Surely it's not legal to shoot here? " They said yes it was and said where they were headed and what they are allowed to target. I have not got a particularly sentimental view of wildlife but I have to say that I found it pretty odd that people can obtain a licence to wander on the foreshore of one of Britain's most important over-wintering refuge for waders and ducks and legally shoot birds that fly from the river on to the reserve.

Admittedly they appeared to by quite knowledgeable and said that they were allowed to shoot Canada Geese, Teal, Mallard, Widgeon and amazingly Goldeneye!!!! Can you believe that?

Siskins in a Suburban Garden

I ought to change the name of my blog to "Siskins in a Suburban Garden" but honestly I can't resist the draw of taking their photos and as they are just about the most frequent visitors to the feeding station at the moment then what am I to do? I am almost disbelieving that they are so often in the garden now. Today we had several males and more than one female and I still haven't seen the one with a ring, the first visitor, seen way back in November. I am assuming therefore that we are visited by different birds all the time. It is giving me the chance to experiment with different ways to photograph them. This one (above) was taken with the Tamron macro 1:1 lens I mentioned this the other day. What it enables me to do is stop right down to a small aperture and consequently get a faster shutter speed in low and bad light conditions. The play off is that you have to be literally inches from the subject and then suffer the consequences of a very "narrow" depth of field. You can see that in this photo I focused on the eye which is very sharp and in focus but the tail of the bird which is 3 inches nearer to the camera is out of focus. There we are, a quick explanation of the term "depth of field". However it is a good sharp lens and gives very good detail in the areas of the picture that are in focus. You may also notice in the dark areas of the picture there are some grainy effects? This is called noise and is caused by having the camera set at a high sensitivity, but if you you didn't have the camera set this way then the shutter speed would not be fast enough to capture a sharp image. Birds are almost constantly moving, enough to look blurred if you do not have a fast enough shutter speed. This next image is a male Siskin and taken with a telephoto lens from a little further away. It was slightly brighter when taken, The camera is always going to perform better in brighter light. I still had the camera set to a higher sensitivity setting but I have used a software programme called Neat Image to digitally remove the noise from the background. This programme is a "plug-in" that is used in conjunction with Adobe Photoshop Elements and works well but sometimes it can "smooth" the detail of the bird which is just what you don't want so I use it sparingly. In this shot you can see the annoying yellow cable tie that I used to attach the reed stem to a fishing bank stick. These bank sticks are useful because you can attach various new bits of foliage to them and vary the background and "props" used in your pictures. You may remember the ringing session we had in the garden on the 15 January? We successfully ringed a Robin and a Blue Tit. Today we had a Blue Tit on the feeder and it was the bird rung last month. This is interesting and proves obviously that this bird has been around for at least a month. Hardly ground breaking science but interesting never the less. Unfortunately you can't see his ring in the shot here but I did get a poor photo of him ..... yes I know he is a male, that shows the ring very clearly.

Grey Plover-Pluvialis squatarola

The Grey Plover aka the Black Bellied Plover in the USA is a reasonably common over-wintering bird on the River Exe Estuary. I am always interested to see them because they are a bird I am familiar with in a much more exotic environment, namely the beaches of Southern Florida. Have a look here at a photo taken on the beach near Ft Lauderdale in early April last year In breeding plumage they are much more striking with a solid black breast, Here in the winter they are seen as a heavily speckled black and brownish bird on a white background. They have black legs and a solid looking beak. Today at Turf Lock at the end of the Exeter Ship Canal there were a few on the newly exposed mud flats just as the tide turned. I managed to creep quite close to this one. It was perched on the remains of some kind of ancient shores-edge structure and braved the wind and waves with little problem. From time to time it would take to the air and expose the black patch under the shoulder. I thought it was interesting when I downloaded these images to see how, in the winter the sky is grey the sea is grey and this grey bird fits in to the colour scheme so well. As I crept closer to the bird with extreme caution, just a few paces at a time the birds ahead took to the air and where disturbed by something, not me because I was stock still at the time. I glanced over my shoulder to realise that I had been joined by someone who despite seeing me crawling and creeping along thought that he would just walk boldly up to join me. Just what is it that motivates people to congregate together like sheep? The marsh has got to be about 10 square miles but you can bet your bottom dollar that someone will make a bee-line for you if it looks as though you have seen something interesting. Well this is all well and good if you are subtle but this person was totally oblivious for the need for subtlety and fiedcraft and what is more had decided that the 20 minutes creeping that I had already done counted for nothing. I have to be honest, I lost the plot at that stage and had a right go at him. I retreated and went and sat on a bench back where I had started and waited for this selfish excuse for a birdwatcher to do his stuff and leave me to it.

Avocet-Recurvirostra avosetta, on the Exe

It has been a mixed bag of birds today. The met office did a lousy job again and the scare mongering weather forecasters got it mostly wrong as per usual. We were promised almost life threatening snow storms but what we actually did get was a 10 minute flury and really bright clear blue skies with the most beautiful winter weather imaginable. It was gorgeous and too warm for all the layers I had on. I tripped out to Exminster Marsh expecting it to be a white over but in actuality the snow had thawed and left a few icy puddles and slush behind. I have said all throughout the winter that I have not yet had the chance to take a close up, or even a photo of a Snipe. Today that changed! As I walked through the marsh along the road I spotted a small group of them in the field to my left. I watched for a while in the hope that they would wander closer as they fed, they didn't but I did manage to get a half decent shot or two as you can see. They are a very well camouflaged bird as you can see and as soon as they feel threatened they either squeeze right down or fly swiftly away. They never did wander closer to the road but I am sure that they were oblivious to my presence. I decided to keep walking through the Marsh and eventually found myself at Turf Locks. This turned out to be well worth the effort of the quite long trek, well it's only a mile or so if that! On the seaward side of the lock was a Teal Duck, duck rather than drake. The "in-thing" for the new modern birdwatching fraternity now .... they call themselves birders by the way ..... (hey thats probably you, if it is then, no offence meant)! Anyway, for some reason the correct terminology for describing the sex of a bird is not in use anymore, or so it seems to me. The male is a cock, and the female a hen but in ducks we have Drakes and Ducks and Geese are Gander and Goose. I wont keep going on, but I do wish we could go back to using the proper words instead of just plain Male and female! So, on the seaward side of the lock was a Teal Duck who seemed to have impaired use of her left wing. At first I just thought she was a nice confiding bird. I felt a little sad for her but I guess there is very little chance of her survival with a damaged wing. I saw her later out of the water and she seemed to be limping as well. She may have hit power lines or even escaped from a Peregrine attack. Anyway she still had a lot of life left in her eyes as you can see! Isn't she beautiful anyway and very feminine looking in my opinion. The "teal-green" wing patch is a striking colour but a shame that she seems to be trailing it and I doubt she can fly. As I took photos of this little casualty I noticed waders to my right, feeding on the mud left by the retreating tide. I was very pleased when I realised that there was a few Avocet amongst them. They were back-lit and I could only make out a dark silhouette. They were feeding quite close to the sea wall so I decided to revert to a bit of commando stalking. I came up to the wall almost on my knees, in the mud and now with the sun behind me and shining fully on to these glorious waders which are such a feature of the Exe Estuary.Not often do you get the chance to be just feet from them. The sun was about to disappear behind one of the heavy dark snow clouds, my memory card on the camera was filling up, my battery was getting low and I needed to leave for home about ten minutes ago. But, this was just too good a chance to miss. I took the best photos so far of an Avocet. I would have taken more but the card filled up and I had to walk at double time to get back to the car. So more Avocet to follow in the days to come I am sure. With a little bit of snow still around this is a view from the lanes above my house and shows the beauty of the rural Devon countryside close to my home.

Garden in the Snow

 

Today was a bit special, we have had the first snow to settle in the garden for 23 years. I just absolutely loved the light that the snow gave me. I honestly think that these shots are amongst the best that I have ever taken and that is just down to the light of course.. This  Blackbird was interested in the Mealworms that I had put out to tempt the Robin who never ever did come dowm to the "bait", or the Siskins  but there is always tomorrow. I had been out to Brixham in the morning to try and get some photos of the Little Gulls reported there. As soon as I arrived at the Breakwater I realised that I had made the wrong choice because the Breakwater had been closed due to rough seas! So, I went around to Broadsands and had a look for them there but unfortunately no luck.  

This was a real shame because there was a report of a sighting this afternoon at  both Broadsands and Brixham, but I was already back home in Exeter by then.

So the snow came in and  I was amased at how quickly it settled. I took up my position in the pop-up hide and after putting out some mealworms, I waited to see what would come in to the feeding station.  At breakfast time I had caught sight of a Goldcrest and Long Tail Tits but they didn't stay around long enough to be photographed. At least I know that they are in the area again and I need to get a good shot of a Goldcrest.

Garden Birds February 2009

Here are a few of the birds we have had in my Suburban Garden today. 

The female Blackcap was around this morning and I was glad to see her. I haven't seen a male for several weeks. As you can see she is feeding on the ground around the bottom of the feeding station and taking sunflower hearts.

Then we have a nice portrait of another Goldfinch, one of the garden regulars this past month or so. They are in and out the garden constantly throughout the day. I have set up this lichen covered perch to create a good photogenic scene. The birds fly down to it before moving on to the feeder. This was taken with my Sigma 50-500 telephoto lens and I mention that because I have been experimenting with another lens today as well to try and improve the sharpness of the images in low light conditions. This Greenfinch was a welcome sight. Because of the disease that has had an affect on populations they have been less common in the garden this year. This bird is certainly a female. 

The Goldfinch below was taken with my Tamron 90mm F/2.8 1:1 Macro lens. With this lens stopping down to F2.8 gives me a faster shutter speed. However with the lens being 90mm ,  I have to be very, very closew to the subject. This picture was taken from my hide at around 18 inches from the bird. At that distance the birds are very wary and I think they saw their own reflection in the camera eventually which spooked them. But, it did prove how close you can actually get when you are in the hide.. This head study below, was again taken with the Tamron macro lens. I also used the cameras "built in" flash and was surprised that the bird did not 'spook" when the flash fired. However with the flash firing at such a close distance there is too much light on the subject and it is consequently over=exposed. I will be experimenting further with this lens. I particularly like the way that you can see reflections in the bird's eye, that is actually the sun above the garden fence.