Kingfisher

I've been watching a Kingfisher recently, having discovered an area that one likes to frequent. It gives a bit of cover, so I am not too visible to the bird. It happily flies in to perch and then does a spot of fishing. Now obviously, with a bit of cover it was quite difficult to get clean shots without branches in the way, but that still beats watching it fly off to the other side of the universe before you've even caught sight of it.

This was my best effort on a very grey day. Can't wait to get back after lockdown in better light.

 These are what you usually get to see, if you're lucky. Very twiggy but such a lovely bird.

Home Birding - Lockdown 2

 When I was 'lockdown birding' in the Spring, I didn't expect I'd be doing the same thing in the Autumn, but here I am doing exactly that. I have enjoyed this week though with some different birds to watch from my lounge window. Goldcrests have made an appearance. Wrens have been squabbling and there have been plenty of Coal Tits on my window feeder. Yesterday I even had 3 male Blackcaps turn up. Much easier to see at this time of year than in the Spring, when they like to sing from within well leafed trees and hedges. These were feeding on the berries of the Dogwood.

Blackbird numbers have been swelled recently by an influx of the continental race from Europe. They look much darker than our own Blackbirds and have almost black bills. They have been feeding on the berries, but always harassed by the locals.

This female was hanging around with one of the continental males, so I assume it is also from across Europe somewhere.

Here you can see this male has a black bill and no yellow eye ring.

Taken on the same day, this is one of the local British Blackbirds with it's distinctive yellow bill and eye ring.