Redwing - A nice Christmas present

Boxing Day morning was a lovely bright affair, but when it's Christmas and you have a daughter, it's difficult to get out bird watching, plus there was wine to be drunk. Fortunately for me the birds came to me this year. I had myself around a dozen Redwings visiting the berries on the trees outside my window. Unfortunately I couldn't open the window as they would take flight instantly, so I took a few pictures through the glass. I don't like doing this, but needs must.
I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and I wish you all a Happy and healthy New Year.

Moorhen

Quite often, those birds that we see quite frequently are taken for granted. I admit to that myself. I rarely point the camera at the Starlings or the Crows for example. But all birds have their own beauty. Such as this Moorhen. Close up, you get to see that it really has a lovely plumage, where from a distance it just looks black as it hot foots it away from you.

One beating a hast retreat.

Pochard

I found this lovely Pochard at Martin Mere while trying out my new lens. It really is a nice bird. I'm starting to find that new lens gives me a much better picture than previously. I can also get a lot closer to the subject

Whooper Swan

One of the joys of winter are the swans and geese that visit our country. The Whooper Swan is one such bird that I love to see. Probably because they are so easy to photograph. There's no skulking around in bushes and hedges. There they are right in front of you, as bold as brass. You can't mistake them can you? Well, not unless it's a Bewick Swan, but that's for another day. Here is the big beast in all it's glory.

This guy was a bit feisty and in mid argument.

A juvenile.

Something rather elegant about swans.

With a Greylag Goose for size comparison.

On take off. You can see the splash behind where the feet have been.

Pintail

I came across quite a number of wintering Pintail at Martin Mere. One of the smarter looking ducks in my opinion. The male is really handsome and the markings look very sharp. They also make a nice change to see on the water as opposed to our more common birds.

 



   

The female Pintail. A little less colourful (well, a lot less)