Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

Buzzard at dusk.

 

Here, the Buzzard is about to depart with the meat.

I had quite a "mini" adventure  late this afternoon.  After the Christmas excesses of the last 72 hours  you are almost housebound if not actually chairbound.   Eventually I  had eaten enough gammon, turkey and Quality Street so I popped out to the hide.  It was quite late in the afternoon and with darkness descending by 4.30, I only had a short time if I was going to take any photos but that wasn't the only reason I went.  It was pleasant out in the wood, because I had not been for a day or so, all the food had been taken and the place was deserted. The rabbit carcass was striped of flesh and was a bag of skin and bones wth all the flesh picked clean.  All around the log, the grass was brown and muddy where the foxes had been pulling at the rabbit and trying to get it free. As well as that, there was copious white guanno from a Buzzard.  It was good to see this much activity.  Dick had left me a squirrel..... thanks again Dick........ I have no regrets about the demise of a Grey Squirrel, I am not a Budhist so I don't feel particularly sad about a dead Grey Squirrel.  They are not native to the UK and it's actually against the law, if you catch one, to release it back in to the wild.  They damage our resident birds and even our woodlands. Squirrels actually destroy healthy trees by ring-stripping the bark.  I agree, they look cute but all in all, we would be better off without them.  Buzzards will take a Squirrel carcass and pieces of squirrel meat so I put a piece on the gate post with fur attached.  I retreated to my hide but didn't even put the lens on the camera, I wasn't expecting a Buzzard to be honest.  It was enjoyable being outside and I was just staring accross the fields, smelling the air and listening out for bird calls. At 4.15 it was getting dim and suddenly, surprisingly, a Buzzard flew on to the gate, grabbed the piece of Squirrel and flew off.  I could have photographed it for sure so I put another piece on the same post and went back to the hide and waited.  After 15 minutes, about as long as I expected, it came back to the gate and post, investigated the piece of meat, picked it up and flew off!   Bingo!  The camera's setiing were extreme to say the least. 6400 ISO only gave me 1/50 of a second with the lens at 4.5.  Its a mirracle that I managed any kind of shot at all.

 

 

These pictures are back to front..... here it has just landed to investigate the meat.

 

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 Just an update from a very short trip to the hide this afternoon where I said Happy Christmas to my favourite pair of Jays. As normal, she came down to help herself to peanuts but not before announcing herself by calling like a Buzzard for a minute or so which then morphed in to a whistle which was a little bit like the call I have been trying to get them to copy. After a short while the call changed to a Crow and there she was on the peanuts.  After a few visits the female was joined by her mate and he went over to the fence to have a look at the free mouse* that I had left on the gate post..

Can I just wish you all a very happy Christmas.

*(From a trap in  Dick's  attic office).

Photographing Jays in flight, its a difficult task!

Getting good photographs of birds in flight is a hard thing to achieve successfully, but extremely rewarding and enjoyable when you get some results.  At this time of year when the light isn't really bright the camera has to work really hard and you need to be on the ball as you adjust the settings of the camera to strive for the highest shutter speed.  

I couldn't say with accuracy but I would guess that  a Jay is at least 25 times bigger than a Nuthatch.  In the context of photography, this means that you need to be even more accurate in your camera settings to acheive any kind of result whatsoever with a comparitevly tiny bird like this.  You can see how the moss in the photograph is razor sharp but the bird is slightly, if only slightly blurred?  This is because  1/2000 of a second is just not fast enough to freeze the action of small birds in flight who fly incredibly quickly.

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Jays in flight

 

We had another terrible day today here in DevonUK. It was mostly wet and cool and the sun was almost a distant memory.  Yesterday had been a right off as well, also wet, dull, dreary and misty pretty much for the whole of the day and today wasn't much better. I went to my hide anyway, well what else is there to do in the UK on a wet December day apart from Christmas shopping?  Oddly the small birds were not as plentiful as normal and even the Nuthatches were absent which was really unexplainable, obviously due to the wet weather?  The Buzzard kept away as well.... surely even if it's wet they have to eat?  Thankfully though, the Jays, or more specifically the female Jay was with me almost constantly.  She announced her presence by immitating the Buzzards and Rooks, I thought it was just the male that immitated other birds.  Now I know that female Jays are also good mimics.  Even though it was dull, I experimented with high ISO settings on the camera and tried to get some in-flight photographs by placing peanuts on short posts set 10 feet apart and then trying to photograph the Jay as she flew from one pole to the other.   It was really reassuring to know that my new camera is capable of taking action pictures in low light and I am very, very pleased with a few of the hundred or so photos taken today.

 

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It's interesting to note that the common tit species in the UK and Europe have beaks of slightly different lengths and shapes.  This enables them to co-exist in the same habitat and even in the same mixed species flocks.  Coal Tits for example, although smaller than Blue Tits, have a longer and proportionally longer beak.  The longer beak enables them to probe into deeper cracks and crevices, gleaning the insects that are too deep to be reached by Blue Tits.  It was interesting therefore today, to see and photograph a Blue Tit with a deformed beak which  was far from hindering the bird, in fact the opposite was the case. I watched it feeding almost like a woodpecker as it was able with it's extended odd looking beak, to probe and "winkle" deep in to cracks in the logs

It's a weird looking bird as you can see.  It's not difficult to imagine that this is the way that evolution could occur.  Hypothetically, if this bird's beak was a genetical feature and it was gaining an advantage over the other normal beaked birds, the "long-beaked" birds would breed more successfully and eventually after many generations would potentially replace the less successful normal beaked birds. This is exactly the way that  evolution occurred in birds.  Spending lots of time as I do, observing and photographing birds in a particular location in an almost obsessive way, gives me the opportunity to photograph and observe birds like this. My time is never wasted. When I think of the likes of Darwin, Stanley, Banks, Gould and Gilbert  White for example who all studied birds in the 19th century without the aid of not even optics and not even a field guide,  then surely someone like me  with luxury of 21st century Digital Cameras, fantastic optics and the benefit of the knowledge passed down from all those that went before, can at least try and be observant.

I have been watching the Nuthatches quite closely over the last few weeks.  They move around in mixed flocks with the Blue and Coal Tits  at this time of the year but will not tolerate another bird on the feed with them, not even one of the same species, the dominant bird always acting aggresively towards all others.

..... and to think, I used to be struggle to photograph Nuthatches!

I have been surprised that Pheasants are not at the hide and eating the scattered seed all the time Today was the first time that they have made their way there.

A very "Christmassy" photograph and a bird synonymous with Christmas in the UK.

One of the Jay pair, the female.

A pretty little Blue Tit. Not our smallest tit species but very common and well known by most people in the UK.  They are actually a feisty little bird and quite bold and brave.  When I trained as a ringer handling a Blue Tit always meant that you would get a few pecks to the back of the hand. Being about 12grams in weight as an adult means that they need to feed very often and consequently they are a very active species.  Males are usually brighter, bolder and a little more brightly coloured.

The Jay is a a bird that I see on every visit to my hide this last couple of weeks. I have a pair visiting together and I recognise them as individuals. I can therefore say that this is the female who has a slightly less aggressive looking head and beak.  Jays are very intelligent and powerfull and can be aggressive to other smaller birds, even feeding on them from time to time  if the mood takes them. However, my observations over the last few months seems to show that the small birds are not aware of this as they rarely "alarm" and leave the scene when the Jays arrive

Great Tits are the largest of UK tit species. Again males are more brightly coloured than females but as well as that, males have a broad black band that shows right down the breast and between the legs. The dark band on females is much less pronounced.

Update from the hide..... mainly Nuthatches

There will be more of these reflected shots to come but probably not today.  I am "house-bound" due to the appalling weather and also lack of transport but I have had a nice week and a very successful one as well.  I prefer cold bright frosty days, much better for bird watching and photography.  Yesterday continued to be just as interesting at the hide, I was hoping to see Bramblings on the feed but as yet thats not hapened.  I was hoping to see and photograph the Shrew seen the day before but there was no sign today.  The Jays are now almost constantly with me feeding, as well as on peanuts but also on the scattered seed that I have spread on the ground  for the Bramblings...... fingers crossed!  Interesting and worth noting that they are moving around in a pair which would indicate to me that they a not only monogomous but pair for life. This would appear to be a good strategy.  It means that not only do they gain some advantage from moving around together as a pair, two pairs of eyes being better than one both in relation to finding food and watching for predators but it means that energy and time is not wasted in the spring finding a mate and establishing a pair bond. I am yet to establish wheather the female also immitates like the male. 

It is possible to seperate the sexes when they are side by side by subtle differences in the head size and beak shape. I think that this individual is a male because I recognise the slight hook on the tip of the beak. It is of note that both birds during the breeding season  regularly took day old chicks probably to feed their nestlings but at this time of year they don't seem so keen, prefering nuts and seeds.

Nuthatches are probably the most common birds at the feeding station with at least 5 individuals coming constantly to the food. They do not display too much aggressive behaviour but it has been noticeable in the last few days and as the weather has become colder, aggression has increased particularly by the obvious males.

 

My guess is that this is a female, it has a slender beak and the flanks do not show strong brick red markings that you probably see in a male. (Check the markings on the photo above).

 

 

This is a Great Tit - Parus major

I mentioned that the Jays were moving around in pairs and as well as that there is a resident "true pair" of Blackbirds but interestingly also a pair of Robins.  Robins are known to be extremely teritorial and a male will drive another from it's territory, therefore seeing two birds in close proximity would indicate that a pair bond has already developed. Interestingly one of the Robins joined me in the hide  and was just a few inches from me.

Male and female Robins are identical but I suspect that this is a female because I have not once heard Robin song at the hide. 

 

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I had such a brilliant session at the Pit Hide today, just so enjoyable and interesting with constant comings and goings of all the usual species as well as a few exciting new visitors.

The Buzzard came in for his usual "freebie", I didn't get a usuable photo of him today though, I am calling him "he" but for for no scientific reason, it just seems to me that it is a relatively smallish bird which would indicate a male as females are larger than males.

 

A photo from yesterday.

 One of the most interesting sightings today was a shrew. I tried to get a photograph but each time I saw it, on the log just in front of me, it was extremely active as you would imagine. Shrews have a very fast metabollic rate which means they need to feed very regularly to maintain body temperature. Consequently they are constantly on the move in their quest for live food.

 

I have been scattering a wild bird seed mix on the grass in front of the hide in the hope of encouraging Bramblings to come down to feed.  Today was very positive because Chaffinches of both sexes were feeding on the grass and I feel that it  will be just a matter of time before  Bramblings come down.  I know that they are in the area with sveral sightings locally and I have seen massive mixed flocks of finches not too far away in the lane near to my hide. Now that the woodland trees are denuded of leaves there is not the natural barrier of vegitation to stop movement.  As I scanned the flock of Chaffinch looking for the more "exotic" Brambling suddenly a real surprise!  It was last May that I last saw a Greater Spotted Woodpecker and here was one at last.  When we designed the hide and surrounds we had burried a 5 foot high tree trunk in to the ground thinking that it would be a good place to put food for the Buzzards but they rarely perch on this trunk, I think it's too near to the caravan. But here was a Greater Spotted Woodpecker at last and I was very pleased with the chance to get some nice pictures and watch it from just 10 feet away. Males have the red patch on the back of the neck by the way. This patch is absent in females.

 

A lovely adult male Greater Spotted Woodpecker.

A close up showing the detail of the red patch on the neck which indicates a male.

 

There are always one or two Blackbirds near the hide but this last few days there has been 4 or 5 and today more than 7, in itself quite unusual.   At least two of the birds present today have black beaks.  I find these black-beaked Blackbirds very interesting.  We are all very familiar with our Blackbirds in the UK and to suddenly see birds with a dark beak rather than a yellow beak is immediately noticeable.  It is my understanding that these dark beaked birds are migrants from continental Europe.  Males from Europe are said to retain their dark juvenile beaks until the following spring whereas birds that have originated in the UK acquire the typical adult yellow beak in their first Autumn.

 

A 1st winter Continental male Blackbird

 

 

A typical "UK" type adult Blackbird.

 

All in all it was quite a day and I would suggest that as the winter deapens the birds will be even more numerous. The volume of birds at the feeding station is increasing dramatically day by day.  Today there was 15 different species of birds at the feeding station as well as Squirrels, Pygmy or Common Shrew and unfortunately Brown Rat which has decided that the pit hide is a great place to tunnel!

 

Two Jays at the hide today, presumably a male and a female.

A Great Tit.

Nuthatch

Blue Tit

This is the interesting Coal Tit that I have seen on numerous occasions. To the best of my knowledge it has been in this state since at least September when I first saw it. I image it managed to escape from a Sparrowhawk and eventually it may regrow it's feathers.

 

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Buzzards at my hide.

Not many words on the Blog today.   I have a couple of things to report though.   It didn't take long to entice the Buzzard down to the gate post this morning.  It was interesting to see how wary it was, I had accidentally included a leaf or two with the chick and it was really surprising to see how scared it was to land. Buzzards are so so wary.   It plucked up the courage in the end and then flew off with the chick as normal, however it's behaviour did give me the chance to get a photo from a different perspective. A magnificent spectacle, a  bird with a massive wingspan of almost 5 feet. When you see them flying over they are usually much further away or higher in the sky than you realise so they seem smaller than they actually are. I need to work out a way of getting some better photographs while I have the opportunity.  The Jay was performing and just before he landed in front of me this morning I heard  a distant Buzzard, I guessed it was the Jay and listened really hard to try to see if I could discern any difference but frankly I couldn't tell. Then when he landed just feet away I heard him make a perfect Carrion Crow Call.  I whistled the little phrase that I am trying to teach him and he immediately flew off with an alarm call which was the proper Jay job!  Seconds later he ws back and I carried on with the whistling, I wonder how long its goingto take hime to repeat it?   At one point I watched him as he perched in a tree a bit further away and  there was a a "round" of intense alarmm calls from the Tits waiting by the feeder.  The Jay reacted to these calls by ercecting his crest, screaming an alarm himself and flying away strongly.  I never did find out what had caused the alarm but it was a learning curve to know that the Jay reacted to the alarm call from the Tits.  Of real interest was the arrival of both Long-tail Tits and even more interestingly a small group of Redwings, neither staying to feed though. I wish I could say the same for the Squirrels, three were there for most of the morning session, very annoyingly they ignored when I tried to move them on.

Jays and Buzzards

 

This Jay is a real character, for starters it is a very good mimic and will call like a distant Buzzard as well as a flock of Jackdaws and distant Rooks.  At first I was  decieved on numerous ocassions by the Buzzard immitation especially, several times taking the camera off the Jay and looking for the Buzzard that was calling.  But now I am not so easily fooled and when I hear a Buzzard but can't see one I am ready to photograph the Jay instead. as well as that, it will try to take off every single peanut that I have put out for the Nuthatches and Tits, coming back over and over again to fill it's beak with nuts, as many as 15 at a time  which it then buries in the field in front of me.  Then, along comes the squirrel and digs them up again. 

I try very hard on my Blog to involve my readers as intimately as I can with the birds and wildlife that I photograph.  It is always my intention to try to give you a taste of the excitement and enjoyment that I get from spending countless hours stuck in a muddy dark hole and not knowing  what I am going to see next.  The Blog is always at the back of my mind and I always want a better picture and a better experience to share with you. So today, when there was lots going, on I was pleased not only for myself.  I  can't get enough of photography at the moment, I am just loving my new camera and even though I am still a little bit disappointed with the species count at the hide, I am persevering on a daily basis in the hope that eventually Bramblings, Fieldfares and Redwings will come down to the feed and in to my viewfinder.  Today the Buzzard came down just the same as yesterday.  I have the feeling that there is just one bird holding this territory now and it is an amazing spectacle when it comes in to land on the gate post.   My heart always races when it flies over to investigate the free offering.  It will do this once or twice  then go back into the edge of the wood where it seems to wait a while to check if all is well and then come back to repeat the procedure before, on the second or third fly-over, making the decision to land and pick up the prey.  This is very convenient for me because after the flirst fly-over, you can get yourself ready reasonably confident that you are not wasting your time and it's only going to be just a matter of time before the action! That's the way it happened both yesterday and today. 

 

 

The Buzzard has landed on the post and starts to fold it's wings down while all the time looking to check for safety.

It looks at the chick before grabbing it in it's talons.

This is just a split second before it flies off back to the wood to eat it's snack in the relative safety of a high tree. The only enemy that a Buzzard would have is a human being so quite why they are so cautious is a mystery. I guess that historically they have been persicuted by man and only thiose birds with a cautious nature survived to pass on that trait to the next generation.  If they detect just the slightest twitch from me at 25 yards away they will zoom off.

 

Nuthatch - Sitta europaea

 

I cant really choose my best picture from these, but the last one is my favourite I think.

I am striving for the best image of a Nuthatch that I can achieve.

Winking at me.

Having now "cracked" the problem of a sharp image, I am working on getting a correct depth of field in my images.

Just love the way the eye is half closed. Sometimes something just a bit different makes an image a bit more interesting.

Conditions were not ideal this morning but never the less the new Pentax K5IIs camera, coupled to my Sigma 500 prime lens really performed well this morning. It makes me even more excited about the weeks to come and  with this set up I am going to continue to improve my mages.  The Buzzard came in to pick up a chick and I managed a photo but somehow it didn't work very well.

 

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Jays and Nuthatches with the new camera.

Jays and Nuthatches with the new camera.

I continue to enjoy using the new Pentax K511s. an expensive piece of equipment that is already proving worth it.  I am seriously thinking of going through my galleries and deleting loads of images because having seen what this camera is capable of then I am embarrassed by some of my previous pictures.

In less than ideal conditions today I took some really great photographs, all the detail is there and I can't wait to use it more and more.  At the moment my 500 prime lens is back with Sigma being repaired so I am not even using the best lens that I own. This is all very exciting and bodes well for the future.

This bird is one that I have got to know over the last few months.  I can recognise it by the tuft of feathers on the back. Whether this is the product of some damage by a bird of prey when it was younger I am not sure, but the tuft on it's back is good because I can recognise it as an individual.

You can clearly see the little tuft in this image, also this one shows the chisel-lke beak that gives the Nuthatch its name.  My new Pentax K5iis is extremely sharp and even though these images are taken "hand-held" they are to my eyes, just what I have been trying to achieve for the last 5 years.

When you can see the tiny feathers from around a birds eye, then you know that your camera is doing it's stuff.  Also, can you see the bristles which cover the birds nostrils?  This is protection against dust particles. When the bird is acting naturally and chiselling away at a nut or dead wood to get at an insect these stiffer feathers prevent the dust entering the nostrils of the bird.  If you look closely at the eye (to the right), you can see the reflection of the caravan and also of interest is the difference in the feathers that cover the ears.  These are much looser and consequently they will not hinder he bird's hearing which is vital if they are going to hear the alarms of other birds and escape predation.

 

Jay throwing back as many peanuts as he can. He, or is this one she, has already crammed in a dozen or so.

The Jays were really showing well today, there is a pair . At least one of them  is a great imitator.  AsI sat in the pit-hide I heard what sounded like Jackdaws in the distance and I immediately guessed  that I was going to have a Jay in front of me very soon, I had hardly had that thought when there it was.  It proceeded to make distant Buzzard calls which I recognised from yesterday.

 

How many more could he get in there?

 

I may do some experiments with noise and see if I can teach  teach the  bird to immitate  some sounds, that, this would be a really good experiment.   It came in to my pile of peanuts and stuffed as many in to it's throat as possible.  I then watched it fly on to the nearby field and start to burry them in the grass.  It repeated this behaviour half a dozen times. Previously when I had seen it fly in to the field I had wondered what was going on but today I realised.  It was regurgitating the nuts and burying them randomly all over the field.  I have read about Jays caching away acorns in massive numbers so it's no surprise that they are taking advantage of the feast of peanuts that I am providing.

 

I cant wait to get back out there tomorrow and see if I can get photos of the Buzzard.  He was noticeable by his absence today.  However, for the first time at the hide, Long-tail Tits were nearby and also a Chaffinch.  When the weather worsens I am sure we will see more species. Green Woodpecker would be nice?  

I just love this Robin photograph, only a hint of snow or frost on the branch would make this perfect.

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Jays imitating a Buzzard at the hide.

This afternoon I sat waiting in my pit hide, hoping to photograph a Buzzard coming in to the bait especially placed for it.  I waited for what seemed an age without success and then retreated to the caravan to make a brew..... how long does it take to boil a cup of water?  But unbeliebvably in that short time, something had come in quietly and taken the bait.  I was disappointed to say the least but I was quite sure that what ever had taken the prey, probably the Buzzard, would return for more. I re-baited and waited again.  Suddenly after 20 minutes or so, here was a Buzzard.  It swooped on to the chick but at the last instant veered away.  This behaviour was repeated 4 times and oddly in the end, inspite of sitting on the fence opposite and watching the free offerings for ten minutes on two ocassions, in the end it changed its mind, decided that it wasn't safe and flew off elsewhere.  I have absolutely no idea why.  Sometimes patience isn't enough.  In the end the light failed and apart from a quick visit from one of the Jays it had been quite a disappointing session. I am starting to become familiar with the Jays now.  They call when they are in the vicinity, givving themselves away before they suddenly arrive on the peanuts.  I quite often hear a Buzzard when they are around and I have realised that not is all it seems.  One of the Jays is a great immitator and constantly makes a distant Buzzard call and, as I discovered today also the call of a distant Carrion Crow. Very interestingly.

Woodland Birds shot with the new Pentax K5IIs

For anyone who follows my blog you will know that I strive for the very sharpest photos that I can acheive and I have always been a bit  disappointed in that direction.  I have recently purchased a new camera, the Pentax K5IIs.  This camera has the low-pass filter removed and although it is 25% more expensive than the K5II it is said to acheive much sharper images.  I have been waiting for an opportunity to check it out properly and today I think I have found out that this camera is at least 25% better than my previous K5.  I may have to throw away all my previous shots and start all over.

 

This is a Coal Tit. I couldn't believe the sharpness of the detail, even in less than perfect light the detail is all there.

This may be the sharpest image I have ever taken and I am more than a little pleased.

A smashing result in less than good light yet all the detail is still there.

I think this speaks for itself.

 

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Dark-bellied Brant Goose-Branta bernicla bernicla

I went out this morning in the hope that I would be able to see the Balck-necked Grebe seen before.  Perhaps I could get a bit nearer but after standing for more than an hour I didn't see it at all.  I can only assume that it has moved on because I am quite certain that it wasn't on the pool today.  On my way back home and passing through Cockwood towards Starcross there was a large flock of Brent Geese on the golf course and very close to the road.  I did a u-turn and went back, pulled up on to the pavement and took a few pictures quickly before they were disturbed by a pedestrian.  Never the less this was the best picture of a Brent Goose that I have taken.  Brent Geese are winter visitors to the Exe Estuary from their breeding grounds in the far north, Siberia and Northern Europe.  They feed quite a lot on grass in the fields close to the Estuary.   When I got home to my house in Alphington, from the kitchen I could see a female Blackcap Warbler feeding on the apple pieces.  This is the third time this winter that I have seen these over-wintering warblers. Interestingly, I mainly see females in my garden although from time to time I do see a male but not this year yet.  Through the window glass and using the pane to support the lens I almost got a decent photo.

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Blackcaps return to the garden.

A few ramblings about light and the effects it can have on your images.

I am not a great fan of the Canada Goose so this post is about the photo rather than the bird.  As I say consatntly, the more you immerse yourself in to photography, the more you realise the importance of light and the effect it has on your finished images.  At this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when the sun is low in the sky it can be easier to take pictures.  Recently on my visit to Sri Lanka when the sun was strong and high in the sky by 9 in the morning, it was almost impossible to take a picture that you would be satisfied with.  This picture shows the golden light that can make for a very nice finished picture.  In addition, the golden effect is also the product of the dried reed beds that are reflected in the water.  I always strive to get the light coming from over my shoulder. this will always help.

This last few days we have had a couple of interesting birds in the garden.  A couple of Goldcrest two days ago and yesterday a nice female Blackcap Warbler.

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Accommodation in Sri Lanka, Ravi's Dream House.

Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis

I decided to go back to Dawlish this morning. With a bit of luck I thought I might get a better look and better photos  of yesterday's Black-necked Grebe.  So it proved but not without a cold wait.  I don't like a so called "twitch" because with different people wanting different outcomes, there is quite often a contradiction. Some people are content with a distant view and a distant record photo.   To achieve the kind of success that I want, I need to be patient and hope that other people, if present, are quiet and sympathetic to other people's needs.   It wasn't too crowded or noisy thankfully and I managed to tuck myself away quetly where I had seen the bird at dusk yesterday.   It was 30 minutes before it came in to view again today.  The wait wasn't too bad,  I watched the Little Grebe pair fishing and a pair of Canada Geese  in the brilliant lighting conditions and  I just knew that all I needed was the bird to appear. This is a lovely species.  Even in winter plumage it's an attractive bird with the bright red eye standing out against the black and white.  I  took a few nice photos hoping all the time that it would come to my side of the pool.  In the end it did but it was immediately disturbed by another guy who breezed in to my spot totally oblivious of the bird and when it dived he reamained still oblivious to it's presence.  I waited until he had again moved away  which didn't take too long, patience obviously not his strong point. Having been static for an hour I came home to look at my pictures hoping that I had a keeper or two.  Our friend was still wandering about aimlesly, I wonder if he got his photo in the end?  I hope so.

As I came home and past Cockwood harbour there was a nice Curlew feeding in the mud.  I stopped the car and took a few snaps.  The camera is certainly working well.