www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I have yet to visit Gigrin but will do so some day. The kites must be a superb sight. The farm has its own website where you can pick up lots of news and facts about the farm (http://www.gigrin.co.uk)

@Shirley, I'm not particularly obsessed with great tits, just that apart from a robin, this was the first bird that I have yet to photograph with the new lens. The robin didn't turn out too well because I was too close to it and I hadn't learned how to use the new lens properly yet - the narrow depth of field of the lens coupled with my closeness to the robin meant that its head was tack sharp and everything else was a blur. BTW, how do you know the GT is a male? Is it because the black breast stripe is thicker than on females?

I am sure most of you know about other Red Kite hot spots (resulting from introductions). But just in case........

M40 cutting through the Chilterns at Aston Rowant but they spread widely nowadays and can usually be seen at eg Watlington, Benson and as far as Bernwood Forest. You cannot miss them if you travel along that stretch of the M40. Often a dozen or more at a time.

Rockingham Forest Northants between Oundle and Corby including the Purple Emperor site at Fermyn Wood where some Red Kites entertained the butterfly enthusiasts last July. Glapthorn (Black Hairstreaks) usually has Red Kite fly-overs. The birds can often be seen as well from the A14.

There are several other localities, eg Gateshead, parts of Scotland. And of course mid Wales where the colony centred around Gigrin Farm is the only survivor from earlier hard times. But today, there is complete inter-mixing of the colonies so doubtless, no pure bred British individuals remain even at Gigrin.

Jack

HI ALL,
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SHAUN

Hi all,

Couple of shots from today.

Black Bird


Blue Tit


Some excellent shots in this thread keep em coming folks.

Cheers

Hi Jerry,
The Blue Tit is fab! It that Eccles's famous post near 'the spot'?
Denise

Hi Denise,

Thanks. Yes that's the one.

Hi Jerry,

You have some very nice photos yourself and we may get some photos at the weekend, the artic weather is 'coming'. Lucky you seeing a butterfly end of November, there's been no sighting of any butterflies here in North Wales.
Regards Shirley

Cracking BT shot, Jerry.

How many L T Tits can you get on a fat ball ?,Took this today .
Shaun.

Never seen anything like that before. Fantastic
Regards Shirley

Me neither. What an incredible sight, and a great shot.

Thanks for the comments,
I was watching the feeders on Cannock Chase,when a party of about 12 turned up, as you probably know goldcrests, treecreepers and tits travel round in groups at this time of year so sometimes it can be very quiet the next its manic.A large group of assorted tits arrived.The L T Tits all made a b line for this one fat ball, by the time i had swung round with the camera I got 3 shots the one above being the best and this one the last.Although I have got video of 14 on one feeder in my garden.
Thanks again Shaun.

Hey Everybody
I can imagine we have some stunning bird images here! But I have a couple of not so stunning pictures of ducks at the local lake that need IDing! These also sounded different and I only heard these two dudes and none like them.

Dude number 1 - tried to steal my sandwich - remind me NEVER to take lunch to the lake ever again Dude number 2, I have a thought that this one may be the duckling of the pervious. This one was also very interested in my lunch. These were taken with my phone, so not the best things in the world, and it was raining and I was cold and wet. I didn't see the sky to know it was about to rain. So it came as a shock. I thought we had blue sky! That's what the weather guy on the local radio said before I left to catch the train! So next time they say it's sunny. I will take my coat!
Thanks
Em

This must be the daftest photo I've ever taken, kitten in the garden, took her photo it was almost dark but I turned the flash off incase it should frighten her, cunning plan, the cat is black

"Time to believe, Mulder...."

'The truth is out there' I want to belive!
I'm not the only X Files fan

Denise

I haven't been out since Tuesday as I'm stuck indoors with a cold, but I caught a juvenile swan taking off last month at Herriot's Pool, Chew Valley Lake:

Getting started..



Almost there..


Undercarriage up, and we have lift off!


Sony A700 + 70-210 F4 'beercan' - EXIF has details.

great pics everyone, love the long tailed tits. twitcher. I also like the tits (oh err... ) xmilehigh and eccles


Shirley, now we know we're not alone in the cosmos, hehe. I got a pic a while ago at night and noticed similar eyes in it, but found it was sheep nearby I must have got in the shot.

I like the swan pics, it reminds me of something I saw once. I did not have a camera then, but I saw a two swans (a pair I belive) at Strangford Lough near here, and one was feeding and it went upside down and got stuck, then its partner came over and grabbed it with its bill and pulled it ride side up and they swam around eachother.

Here is something I'd never watched happening before this summer. One great crested grebe was swimming around carrying two youngsters on her (his?) back while the other went off fishing for them. The pictures are taken with a compact - not as good for birds as it is for butterflies. But I thought what was going on was interesting anyway.




Guy

One great crested grebe was swimming around carrying two youngsters

I can't recall seeing that myself but it is apparently well documented behaviour. Rather sweet isn't it?

Jack