Garden Goings On

Still in lockdown, still not going out with the camera. So I have resorted to poking the camera lens out of the lounge window on my lunch breaks, as I am working from home. Thankfully there is a lot of activity out there at the moment, and the cold weather is helping to keep the birds very interested around the feeders. Coal Tits and Long-tailed Tits are busy on the fat blocks, but far too quick to capture as I stand at the window. Blue and Great Tits are always around and the odd Redwing pays me a visit.

I tried to pick out the easy targets, and some of those happened to be the ground feeding birds.

Dunnocks are looking good at the moment.

Female Blackbird.

Not exactly a bird, but I couldn't resist this little guy.

Robin

A distant Treecreeper has been a nice surprise visitor on a few occasions. Tends to move around with the Long-tailed Tit flock. 

Long-tailed Tit. Apologies for the blur. I am hand holding without a rest or monopod.

A Lovely Winters Day

Just after Christmas we had a nice amount of snowfall. By nice, I mean not enough to keep you indoors for days or the roads clogged up. It was just enough to enjoy a nice morning walk before it started to melt. So I was out early to see what birds it would bring out to play. I headed to Lapwing Lane pool, which has a really nice perimeter walk and a good variety of habitat, and then just down the road to Redesemere lake. First thing I noticed was how nicely the snow reflects light onto the underside of birds in flight. Buzzards and Geese looked very good in particular. 

Where the snow didn't reach, the frost took hold.

There was a lot of activity, as is always the case on a cold day. The birds seem to take more risks to find food. They will stay around longer as you walk by them rather than dash off at the first sign of a human form. This makes photographing them a little easier when utilised with fieldcraft.

Blue Tit

A Dunnock trying to find a patch where there is no snow.

Greylag geese were particularly busy on this morning, but looked fantastic with the snow reflecting.

The Kingfishers perch was well protected from the snow, and again, she was very active.

A Robin in snowy wintery conditions. One of those moments that looks like a classic Christmas Card.

Elton Reservoir

Elton Reservoir in Bury is a great place. It attracts most of the common water birds plus good numbers of rarities and less common stuff. Any visit there brings reward in one way or another, be it some good birds, good pictures or just a nice pleasant walk.
At the car park area there are lots of feeders that are regularly topped up by a local birder. These have brought in some good birds during the winter months, in the shape of Brambling, Willow Tit and Lesser Redpoll. I managed to see a Brambling while I was watching, but it was camera shy.

This very nice looking male Bullfinch was a pleasant surprise.

 A nice Common Buzzard overhead.

A Dunnock on territory and looking very nice too.

There were three Goldeneye on the water, but sadly they didn't hang around.

Burton Mere

A nice Spring time visit to Burton Mere is always a good trip out. The sun was shining and the birds were nice and active on the reserve just by the Dee Estuary. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary this day, but it was nice to be out with no rain, snow or wind and good light.

I managed to add a few year ticks too, in the shape of Curlew, Pintail, Marsh Harrier and Oystercatcher. The elusive Cetti's Warbler was once again added to my 'Heard Only' list for the year.

This Dunnock was in fine voice in the warm sunshine.

A Little Egret on a fly past.

A Little Grebe with a fish almost as big as itself.

Some soon to be departed Pink-footed Geese flying over the marsh.

A very good looking Shelduck.

A Teal in the fantastic light.

Dunnock

It's that time of year on my patch, that no matter when you go out you're pretty sure to see the same variety of birds and not much else. There's not much anticipation of finding something new or unusual. It's just how it is in autumn and winter here. On a recent walk along Old Hall Lane I was accompanied by the usual Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tit flocks for visual stimulus. Chaffinches, Robins, Blackbirds and Mistle Thrush kept my ears energised. Then there's always one bird that you know is in the hedge but you can't be sure what it is. You know it's nothing rare, but you need to see it just to confirm it's a Wren or something similar.
Enter the Dunnock, and it's conspicuous 'tseeep' call. I'm pretty sure they could stay undetected if they kept quiet, but I had to see where it was. I waited for a good five minutes leant up against a post trying to keep myself out of sight before it popped up on top of the hedge. We both shared a moment and then went out separate ways.
Like I said before, nothing unusual or rare, but it still put a smile on my face. Job done.

The Dunnock

One of those little brown jobs seen regularly on my walks is the Dunnock. It's actually a bird that I like a lot. I came to appreciate it a lot more a few years back, when I had one visit my garden regularly. I say one, it could quite easily have been two, three or four different birds. Anyway, up until that point I'd not really paid too much attention to the Dunnock, but this one intrigued me. Usually found flitting and skulking in the undergrowth, it had made it's presence known to me. To start with I noticed the song. It was different to most. Not like the Wren or the Robin, but given in short bursts. It came with such regularity that it put a smile on my face just to hear it through the kitchen window.
So although it's not a very colourful bird it's one I have a soft spot for.

You'll have to excuse the annoying stick in the way.



Winter Treats

Having not been out recently, I have looked back at some shots I took around the same period last year. I came across some Brambling and Siskins up at Dovestone Reservoir. Feeders are put out and topped up all year by the RSPB, so you are usually guaranteed to see something around them.
The good thing about the winter conditions is that the birds will quite often come to you if you are patient enough.

Brambling

Siskin

Brambling and Siskin

Robin

Dunnock

Sunny Days

Luck seems to have been on my side just recently. By that I mean that it has been pretty dry and bright at the weekends. It always makes birding so much more fun. The birds are easier to see and tend to show more. Add to that some nice cold weather and you have all the ingredients for some great birding and better photos.
Here are some pictures taken on my patch in Woodford last weekend when on my Winter Thrush survey.

The first Redwing sighting of the Autumn for me.

There were a good flock, but a little too far away to get decent shots.

Dunnock

Tree Sparrow

Robin

Reed Bunting

Garden visitors

The cold mornings always attract more birds to the feeders and the garden in general. So I thought it would be rude not to take advantage of that, and took a few pictures of the birds that visit my garden.
Dunnocks are ground feeders along with Robins, although Robins seem to be getting more adventurous and are having a go at the feeders too.

The Dunnock

 

This Robin managed to grab itself a beetle in the grass.

This Great Tit spotted me while tucking into the sunflower hearts.