Common Snipe

The snows have returned, along with a large number (I counted 25 in all) of Common Snipe. We have seen a few this Winter but never in such numbers. Despite their name, Common Snipe are a comparitively rare sight for most, being largely a bird of open moorlands and wetlands. However I suspect the recent cold weather and snow has mean't they have had to vacate their usual habitats in the search for food, which is mainly insects and small invertibrates which they dig out with their long beaks.


The snow also signalled the return of our local Fieldfare, who has taken up his usual station on the rockery!

High Fliers

The return of some clear weather yesterday gave me (in theory) the opportunity to photograph some high flying aircraft. Sadly not that many high fliers, and most inconsiderately stayed well to the north on the airway which routes from the London area towards Strumble Head. Nevertheless I managed this photo of a KLM Boeing 777. This is flight KL743 routing from Amsterdam to Lima, Peru. It crossed more or less directly overhead at 30,000 ft heading west.

The Sentinel, aka Freddie!

Still here after 10 days, mostly spent (by day at least) on or around our rockery. Here are a couple more shots of our resident Fieldfare.

Blackbird, Song Thrush

As the cold weather continues opportunities to photograph the bird life arise that much more easily. The other day I went to put food on the bird table, which at the time was occupied by a Blackbird. It was only at the point when I started to tip some food onto the table that the Blackbird finally flew down to the ground, but even then remaining only a couple of feet away from me.

Although more shy, we have had Song Thrushes also coming up close to us waiting for food. And of course Freddie is still around, guarding his fruit!

Robin

The Robin has for long be associated with Christmas Cards. Well, Christmas has passed, but the current conditions mean that the "festive" picture of a Robin is now attainable. Here is one at our somewhat frozen bird bath.

Return of Freddie?

Back in January 2009 we were adopted by a visiting Fieldfare. It was one of many we saw that year, but this particular one took up residence in our garden. No doubt influenced by the quantity of food, in particular some old apples we had thrown out, it proceeded to "stand guard" over the apples, and did so more or less constantly for over a month! During that time it demonstrated its stubborness in defending the apples (which we constantly put out for him/her) against all comers, be they Robins, Blackbirds or even Crows. Its typical day was to sit on the rockery outside the kitchen window, eat apples, chase off anything that approached them, and generally treat the garden as its own.

I say all this because a couple of days ago a single Fieldfare returned. Now some 500,000 or more Fieldfares migrate to the UK every Winter so the chances of the same one returning to the same place have to be regarded as slim. However this particular Fieldfare demonstrated exactly the same mannerisms, even to the point of sitting on the same rock on the rockery. I have taken numerous photo's both of the visit in January 2009 and this weeks visit, and the two birds look extremely similar. Are they the same bird? Of course we don't really know, but it would be nice to think that Freddie (thats the name we gave him last year....yes we have rashly assumed its a "him") has returned.

Photo's: Top "Freddie" in Jan 2009; Centre in Jan 2010 (is it the same bird?)

Chaffinch

Officially the UK's 2nd most common bird and other than the Blue Tit certainly the most common bird in our garden. This particular one seems to have cleared the bird table single handedly judging by its somewhat portly appearance! In reality of course its fluffed up to keep warm (temp was -4C when I took these photo's).

Snow

A Happy New Year to you all!


No this is not a view of the cosmos, but something a little closer to home. After much forecasted, but very little snow, we have finally had a fair amount of snow falling on and off during the latter half of the day. I thought I would try to photograph snowfall at night. The picture above was taken at 1/60th F3.2 with manual focus set at 2m. The illumination is caused by the flash.

Buzzards, Heron, Lapwing etc

(above, a Heron with 2 accompanying Buzzards)

The fine but cold weather today brought out a whole host of different birds onto the field to the rear of our house. Part of the particular attraction today was no doubt due to the farmer having very recently put slurry onto the field! We saw Buzzards (total of 11 at one time), a Heron, Redwings, at least 1 Fieldfare, Mistle and Song Thushes and (for the first time) several Lapwings, as well as the more usual Blackbirds and Starlings. Unfortunately none got too close, but here are a collection of photo's to "set the scene".

(above, some Lapwings; below a Redwing, and right, the Heron)

Redwing

Now that Winter is well and truly here, so are some of our regular Winter visitors, including the Redwing. They arrive with us from Scandinavia and/or Russia from mid November and the numbers gradually increase to the point where sizeable flocks can be seen scouring the fields, normally looking for worms or occasionally picking off berries from the trees.

They are our smallest Thrush, and despite their colouration, can be surprisingly difficult to see when on the ground. Unfortunately they are very wary and the slightest movement will make them take to the air, so getting close for a photo is very difficuly, and despite repeated attempts I have yet to get a good clear shot.

Wood Mouse

With the weather turning cold, thoughts turn to our loft, or more precisely the arrival of a temporary resident or two! Like many houses in rural areas on cold nights, we tend to get the patter of tiny feet (although from below it sounds more like hob-nail boots) in the loft. These particular feet belong to the Wood Mouse (aka Field Mouse) seeking somewhere warm to spend the Winter nights.

Not being one to kill our guests we had set humane traps in the loft some weeks back, and it wasn't too long until we caught one. Because the Wood Mouse has such a huge territory (typically 3 square miles) there is no point in just putting it outside otherwise it will be back in residence in no time. Instead you need to take them at least a mile but prefarably further from the house to be reasonably certain that they don't return. This I have now duly done on no less than 3 occasions, the last being last Thursday.

One has to admire the inginuity of the mice. On checking the trap on one occasion I found it jammed open with loft insulation, and no mouse in sight. From the look of it the mouse had decided it might make a nice home, particularly as there was food at one end of it!

And the best way of getting the mouse into the trap...chocolate. We currently have it baited with an After Eight Mint!

Yet Another Sunset

What is it about sunsets? They only last a matter of minutes but its probably the most photographed time of day. My excuse, as if I need one, is that this is the first sunset we have seen for about a month!

And I managed to combine it with this overflying Mississippi Air National Guard Boeing KC-135 tanker (the military equivalent of the Boeing 707) , with the last vestiges of the suns rays illuminating the starboard side. Amazingly the pictured aircraft was built in 1957!

Grey Squirrel

Perhaps not the most well loved visitor to the bird feeders, but you have to admire their inginuity. We have 2 so-called Squirrel proof feeders. Well, they are sort of, but as the photo shows, they may be proof against adults, but certainly not against the young....see photo!

Moving on to the adults, we have one or two regular visitors, who between them eat most of the nuts in our one non-squirrel proof feeder. Feeding the birds can get quite expensive!

Starlings

It's that time of year when the Starlings get together in ever increasing numbers. We now see them in huge flocks on the fields arounds us.
When they are not feeding or performing their airborne ballet, they seem to like residing in some of the neighbouring trees.







Or maybe a quick visit to the birdtable!

Marsh Tit

Easily confused with the much rarer Willow Tit, this is a Marsh Tit. This is the first one we have seen this year. Despite their name they are more likely to be found in woodland as opposed to marshland areas. They are much scarcer than the likes of the Great Tit, Blue Tit, Long Tailed Tit and Coal Tit, so much so that they are on the RSPB's "Red List" of endangered species.