Goldie M

[Goldie M]

Very cold today and they say we may get some snow. Plenty of birds in the garden but the water is frozen so we had to break it it up a bit for them to drink.

I went through my folder on last years Gate Keepers and both these shots were taken at the same time at Hall-lee-Brook, Westhoughton 20th August . One I put into Favourite's( Gate Keeper butterflies ) so this one is a side view if it helps at all Dave. Goldie

[David M]

Thanks for providing that image, Goldie.

As I suspected, the underside spots are equally as scanty as those on the uppersides.

Seems you happened upon quite an aberrant (not for the first time).

[Goldie M]

Thanks Dave, I think it's been my year for aberrants, trouble is I don't realise they are until some one tells me I'm still not too sure even now looking at it.
I can see the dark spots and I know the side ways view is differant , I'll just have to take more notice of the butterflies make up etc,in future. There are so many
things to look out for, on second thoughts, I'll just keep on enjoying them and if one turns out to be differant that will just had to the pleasure. Goldie

[David M]

Just take a look at the 'regular' images for the male of this species, Goldie.

You'll find that yours is quite far removed from them.

[Goldie M]

I will do David, I've just put the photo's into the species album, not sure if I should do, but I suppose if it's so differant it should be there. Hope I've not jumped the gun I'll go through my shots of the GKs and look for the differance , that should be interesting I've got loads I'm hopeless when it comes to getting rid of Photo's, I keep them on disks etc Goldie

[Goldie M]

In my Garden recently we've enjoyed watching the Birds. I suppose everyone's getting a visit these days because of the cold weather. It's been mild here for a couple of days now but last week it was bitter, it down went to minus 6 and so the day after we got lots of visitors. I've just put three or four in which I took from inside the house. One shot is quite interesting because I think it's a Coal Tit, I only managed to catch the top of it's head though because it was so quick. On reflection looking at the shot of a Coal Tit from close up his head seems quite Black compared to the other one which has got a White flash across it's head, that's got me guessing now Anyone help Goldie

[David M]

Nice shot of the Goldfinches, Goldie. I see a fair few here but never in the garden. Oddly enough, we've had a Red Kite hovering overhead for the last couple of days but no finches.

I put some pastry out yesterday morning but the only birds that ate it were the crows.

[MikeOxon]

Yes, that's a Coal Tit! The white strip is there in both pics - it's just the angle of the head that makes it look different. I do like the 'propeller' look of the Goldfinch wings

Not a great variety of birds coming in to my Oxon garden yet but there is a Blackcap over-Wintering and a Song Thrush visited yesterday - an increasingly rare sight.

Mike

[David M]

...and a Song Thrush visited yesterday - an increasingly rare sight.

That's another species I regularly see in the fields but which never seems to appear in the garden.

[Goldie M]

We had a song Thrush in the Garden yesterday but the Black Birds chased it a way. We seem to get a good number of different species it must be because we're not too far a way from Rivington and also Pennington Flash.
My Husband rescued a Black bird this morning in our Garden, a Kestral had it pinned behind a bush, poor thing was terrified my Husband scared the Kestral off and the BB flew off in the other Direction It was my Husbands good deed of the day he said I said it was the Black Birds lucky day

I took these of the Gold Finch looking for suet pellets with a Starling, no way could he frighten these little birds off Not too good a shot of the Great Tit although he did pose for me and of course my usual Blue Tits they come every day.

Could I just wish every one a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, lets hope the Sun shines for us all a little better in 2013. All the Best Goldie

[Goldie M]

I went to visit my cousin last Thursday, she lives in a valley in the West Pennine Moors. I was born in the same valley but moved a way. I can see the Moors in the distance from where I live but it's great to actually be on top of the moor after it's snowed. Luckily the road I go on cuts through the moor, when the snow gets really bad you can't get through so I took some shots while up there, glad I did for on the Friday they closed it.

We've also had our share of Birds this weekend in the garden, Feildfare, House Sparrow, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, not to mention a Crow (hope he doesn't bring his mates) We've fed them with the usual bird food but also with cheese, that will keep the feathers on their chest Goldie

[Wurzel]

Some cracking shots over teh last couple of posts Goldie I can't work out whether my favourite is the action shot of the Goldfinches or the Mistle Thrush that's palying hide and seek

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Goldie M]

I thought the Mistle Thrush was a Feildfare Wurzal It was very big compared to the Black birds who were giving chase every time it landed I did wonder though about the missing red under the beak but thought it must be Female

Glad you enjoyed them any way I think my faourites are the Gold Finch every time Wurzal Goldie

[Goldie M]

Well! we got up this morning to at least 6inches of Snow and my husband had to use his snow shovel to clear a path down the drive, needless to say we're staying put for the day. Tonight the rain arrives acording to the forcast, so with abit of luck that should shift some of it. I think that's the worst part of Winter when every thing goes to slush it feels twice as cold.
The good part is the birds arrive in the garden. This morning the Mistle Thrush was back has were the Coal Tit and Great tit, there is one however I'm not sure of, I thought at first it was a Sparrow but it's beak seems too long so I'm not sure what it is. I also thought Pipin but I'm still learning about Birds so does anyone know what it is please?. I'm afaid my pic was taken through glass so it's not too clear. Goldie

[Nick Broomer]

Hi Goldie,
Your mystery bird in photo 3, is a Dunnock.
All the best, Nick.

[MikeOxon]

Hi Goldie,

there's a rather good free program from Microsoft called the Image Composite Editor. It 'stitches together' photos such as yours of your garden, in the same way that an iPhone or some of the most recent cameras can. Download from: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/ ... s/ivm/ice/

If the original photos aren't aligned exactly, then you will get a few blank areas (as in the case below) but, if you plan ahead when shooting, you can get excellent results. It almost makes ultra-wide lenses redundant!

Stitched with Microsoft ICE

It makes a nice overview of your garden (I altered the colour balance slightly,as well)

Just as you have the snow, it's melted here in Oxon. I was slightly disappointed by how few extra birds came into our garden. We had only a couple of Fieldfares and one Redwing, plus our over-wintering Blackcap.

Mike

[Goldie M]

Thanks Hideandseek I wasn't sure, I've taken some shots before of this bird but can never seem to get them just right, it's always too quick
Thanks Mike for the info my camera is supposed to make panoramic pic's with the soft ware I got with it but I've never tried it. Your free program sounds easier I must admit the shot looks great

We seem to get alot of differant birds in our Garden, my Husband thinks it's because we're in easy reach of Pennington Flash
and other bird sanctuaries. The weather has been abit wet and cold to venture to Pen Flash but we intend to go has soon as the the weather stays dry for a while.

We also want to visit Chester Zoo which is just down the motor way from us, I want to see the Butterfly house there so roll on the better weather.Goldie

[Goldie M]

Well we're into Febuary already, we've just been into the garden to tidy up, the wind took another of our fences out, when we looked under it ,there were a few Snow Drops unhurt, what a nice supprise. Our bulbs seem ok but I'd to replace a few that had got washed up with all the rain I dug deeper holes hope fullythat will do the trick.

We saw the Mistle Thrush again last week this time I got a better shot of it, it seemed to pose for me

I've got a dead tree out in the back garden in the Summer I grow a climbing rose's up it, in the Winter the birds use it to sit and gaze around Strangely, I've seen the Coal Tit even eating some of the litchen off it and once last Summer it got the attention of the Great Spotted Wood Pecker, so I can recommend a dead tree in the garden provided it's not too big.Goldie

[Goldie M]

After two weeks of flu, I'm finally on the mend and fed up of staying in It's really been cold here but at least the snow has stayed a way.
It's also made me take stock of where I want to go this year, I couldn't go out so the next best thing was to plan some holidays
So we've agreed, my husband and I on" Chichester " I can look at the South Downs and he can take in Portsmouth etc Plus we can go across to the IOW if the weather's ok.
It's years since I was down that way and I wasn't interested in Butterflies then, so I'm not too sure what to expect in June Goldie

[MikeOxon]

Good to know you are on the mend, Goldie. It's been so dull here with no incentive to get out!

We lived near Chichester many years ago and used to love walking on the South Downs. Plenty of places to visit, such as Kingley Vale (a steep climb up to the top of the ridge, where there are burial mounds) and, on the other (North) side of the ridge, there is Marden Forest, where I did some of my early butterfly-ing. Try to see the tiny church at Up Marden - a really isolated ancient church, behind a farm yard, complete with mediaeval wall paintings and, if you like old buildings, visit the Weald & Downland museum at Singleton, just North of Chichester. Just remembering it all makes me want to visit again!

Mike