Not Lepidoptera (Birds)

[Denise]

While on a birding trip to Norfolk on a rainy May afternoon, I saw this which made me smile.
Not an Avocet with six legs, but a mother sheltering her two young. Awww

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Pic taken with a compact and scope.
Denise

[Shirley Roulston]

A couple of photos from along the coast, a pair of Mallards and a Stonechat.

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Shirley

[eccles]

Today at Willsbridge was the usual robin in his spot.


and a coal tit, the first I've seen at Willsbridge since last spring. I know they're not especially rare but I don't see them very often there so it's nice to snap one.

[Jack Harrison]

The pictures just get better and better. Robins, despite being so common and thus tend to get ignored, must be one of our photogenic species.

Jack

[twitcher]

Yes I agree great pics!
Shaun

[Susie]

Beautiful.

[Shirley Roulston]

Our old favourite the BlueTit

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The pond just were we live suddenly had two visitors which we believe someone has put them in the pond and left them, which in actual fact are condeming the poor things to a certain death,Mr. Fox will have them sooner or later, as they is no island in the pond

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they do not fly very well.
Shirley

[eccles]

Well meaning people can be misguided unfortunately. The larger of two ponds in the local nature reserve has seen goldfish in it more than once, most likely deposited by someone who doesn't understand the ecology of a wildlife pond. Fish of any sort are extremely bad news in such a pond as they eat the eggs and larvae of many species. A heron has been seen hanging around the same pond, and we hope it's got them all. There is a danger though that the heron might pierce the butyl membrane of the pond whilst fishing as it is artificial (the pond, that is, not the heron )
Apparently, ducks don't do a pond much good either, presumably for the same reason as for fish, also there's pollution from their droppings. So if your pond is good for dragonflies, Shirley, then those unfortunate little ducks are bad news for everyone except the fox.

[Shirley Roulston]

This pond I'm refering to, last year it had marginal plants including ladies smock, all sorts of plants. Dragon flies used to come brown and blue, there were mosses, and grass all round the edge. Until! a member of the family who owns it decided to get a bull dozer in and clean it out, I tried to get in touch with the R.S.P.B. no luck, Defra not interested. All the plants were destroyed the ladies smock drowned I did get a bit and now the pond is like a big bowl of water, also this person has a thing about strimming and has strimmed everything to death. The edges of the pond are a smooth slippy surface which is very dangerous to children who come to feed the moorhens. I have been told its not my pond so its nothing to do with me This pond has a clay bottom and they are lucky there's any water left at all.

[Jack Harrison]

Shirley:

I have been told its not my pond so its nothing to do with me

That might be technically correct but your whole story shows just how ignorant some landowners can be. You never see a truly wild habitat that is neat and tidy; nature's way is to be scruffy as that suits the greatest number of species.

A pond in the adjacent village had a Terrapin for most of the 1990s. It might possibly have been a wild European Pond Turtle but much more probably was a dumped unwanted pet. Goodness knows what damage it did. But I do get the impression that things have improved since it disappeared about 7 years ago. Water Lilies were seen for the first time last summer.

Jack

[twitcher]

three photos taken today on cold Cannock Chase.Waxwings were just a bit off luck.
Shaun.

[Shirley Roulston]

Lucky you seeing these birds and getting lovely photos, the colours on the birds and the bracken are wonderful. Congratulations on getting a Waxwing.
Shirley

[eccles]

I'm jealous of that waxwing. I've never seen one. I don't know if I've seen the first one either. What is it?
I visited Backwell Lake in Somerset on Monday with xmilehigh. It was cold but brilliant sunshine so the photography was ok. I gave the new Sigma lens a real workout with a 1.4x TC attached. It'll do nicely, so long as it doesn't break down.

This little egret looks like it's settled for the winter as it's been here before.



Two grey herons shared the island with the egret.



A pair of shovelers turned up. I've never seen them there before. Does anyone know what the odd looking brown duck in the background is?



And there were several of these delightful little tufted ducks.



This pied wagtail was hurrying around between the parked cars looking for food.


All shot with Sony A700, Sigma 100-300 F4 zoom, Kenko Pro300 1.4x TC. EXIF not corrected by the TC.

[Shirley Roulston]

Nice to have more photos Eccles thought you'd emigrated somewhere. I think the bird from the top is a female Stonechat we get a lot of them along the cliff paths. Nice Egret, is that a little one or a cattle one? We are having a nice sunny day to-day.
Shirley

[Dave]

Hi - Eccles your mystery duck is a Mallard derivitive. Various strains have been produced over the years in captivity in much the same way that Canaries have been "mucked about with". They remain viable and interbreed with other Mallard types and produce all sorts of colours and sizes and often return to the wild. Well done on the Egret (it's a Little btw) absolutely my favourite bird. When I started birding in the 80's It took me two years to see my first one, at Foryd Bay near Caernarvon. Not through lack of trying they were just that rare.

Luv from Dave

[twitcher]

Hi Eccles,
Yes as Shirley says it is a female Stonechat.The Waxwings (5 in all) were a good sighting though not uncommon at this site,It could be your year to see them as a good Waxwing year is predicted and as the berrys in the north run out they should venture south.Excellent photos with the new lense especially the Little Egret (yellow feet)
Shaun.

[eccles]

Thanks for the comments and the ID confirmations, all. The mallard had me puzzled because it had an odd shaped head and beak. Fingers crossed for waxwing.
A local wildlife site that lies on the edge of the nearby ring road is looking good for winter birds. I saw my first redpoll today, and there were at least three birds of prey watching the road from the trees edging the site, one of which I think was a peregrine. Plus this buzzard.

[twitcher]

Hi all,
got this Treecreeper on cold Cannock Chase.Hundreds upon hundreds of Fieldfare and Redwings.Bullfinches in good numbers.
Waxwings have moved on,going again tomorrow.
Shaun.

[Dave McCormick]

Cool, seeing that treecreeper brought back memories of last winter when I saw a treecreeper here, I watched in on a tree for nearly an hour, going up and down the tree it reminded me of how a squirrel goes round the tree trunk and up and down. And he other morning I saw the first woodcock I have seen this year.

Also a neighbour of ours said he had not ever seen an owl in wild yet, but behold, that evening he saw three. One on a fence beide one road, turned a corner onto another road, and another one came out (both long eared owls) and then he went up another road turned right, up that road another owl flew past him, so he can't say he has never seen an owl anymore.

I really have to take my camera with me to this park near the college I go to, its full of various birds, muscavdo ducks, parrots, various types of phesant, pink legged geese, quails, chickens, guinie fowl and more (there is a small avery there) just got to avoid the "dive bombing" gulls that pass by (its not far from the sea)

[eccles]

Nice catch, Shaun. I've seen tree creepers near me but have had difficultly catching a photo of them so far.
I visited the WWT site at Slimbridge yesterday with xmilehigh. It was a glorious day and the cameras were out in force with lots of really big glass on display. I really thought that the guy in camouflage with camo-cover for his kit was overdoing things a bit though, especially since there were loads of other people walking past and the birds were so used to people. Still, I expect it kept him warm.
The real treat was this little chap who switched from three or four different perches hunting for small fish over a pond right in the middle of the park. A wonderful sight as they are so shy in my patch.