Willow Hide Blue Tits

Stunning Blue Tit

I spent some time in the new Willow Hide at Slimbridge, situated really close to the feeding stations, a little to close if im honest, the birds are really skittish of any movement in the hide. A lovely collection of 'Garden' birds visited in a constant stream. Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and even a rather quick Lesser Redpoll.

The light was beautiful, highlighting the last of the autumnal colours in the bushes behind the birds, so I made the most of photographing some rather photogenic Blue Tits.

Cock Chaffinch

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The Climb To Clee

The prospect of the afternoon off of work and the weekend spent with my girlfriend in Shropshire, cheered me up as I left Andover at half 12 and made the near on 3 hour journey north west towards Ludlow. The plan to drive through and spend a couple of hours on the Long Mynd, soon changed when I realised I was busting for the loo, not usually a game changer, but as I drove over the open expanse of Clee Hill 5 or 6 miles before Ludlow.

I decided with the clock just passing 3pm and the early November sun already dropping down low towards the distant mountains once I had got up on to the Long Mynd time would be pretty limited. So an impulsive turnoff to Titterstone Clee summit settled all doubts, firstly to relieve the bladder, and secondly in the hope in picking up some upland specialists. Ring Ouzel being number one on the wish list.

As soon as I parked up above the old quarry and stepped out of the car, The change in temperature hit me, to say the wind is pretty keen would be a bit of a understatement. It was freezing! I'm not sure if its the change in temperature and altitude or the fact that I'm overweight and physically unfit, but the fairly steep ascent up towards the radar station nearly killed me. 

After reaching the summit, I found a nice sheltered spot on the eastern face hiding from the wind and regaining my breath, the view from here is pretty spectacular and I chastised myself for not carrying my smaller lens as the afternoon sun covered the surrounding miles in gorgeous soft orange light.

On the bird front I must admit I was pretty disappointed, no Ouzels or Raptors in sight, the only activity, the 50 or so Ravens that flew, cronked and exercised rather aerobatically quite low over my head, even with a few impressive barrel rolls that sprung out of knowhere.

Ravens

Ravens

As I descended down the slightly more rocky south face I still held hope for a Blackbird type thrush, but nothing, just the sight of two distant Merlin being chased by 5 or 6 Ravens. Once back at the car I did swap lenses over, but having missed the best of the light I left a little annoyed having watched the Sunset from a high vantage point and not being able to photograph it. As usual a massive fail on my part!

Sunset In Wales

With pretty horrid weather all day on Saturday I didn't have the opportunity to get out with the camera anywhere, and resulted to photographing the odd garden bird from the bedroom window on Sunday morning as the Sky's cleared. Dunnock & House Sparrows quite vocal in the hedge at the back of the garden.

Dunnock

Cock Sparrow

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A Dorset Bird Saturday - Sep 12

After promising myself to be more frequent in my blogs again I find myself a month behind|! Apologies to all.

Other than the Short-Billed Dowitcher Dorset didn't overly have alot to offer in the exciting bird stakes. Radipole Lakes, House Sparrow population thrives on the discarded bread that the kids chuck off the bridge for the Ducks, however getting on the right side of the light to capture a picture of the extremely close Sparrows proved a little bit of a problem, the walkways in late september as well as being adorned by the buzzing of Dragonflies were aloud with the call of Cetti's Warblers, all the way along the reed beds they could be heard although I didn't see one of the illusive little Brown Jobs.

Large skeins of Canada Geese kept coming in to land on the water around the reserve and the sounds of honks in the sky would get me looking skyward to see another skein incoming above the surrounding chimney pots.

With the path to the hide closed due to flooding we made a slow walk back to the car, pausing to watch a Mute Swan swiftly hurtle up the water to intercept an interloper.

Cormorants 

House Sparrow 

Mute Swan on Patrol

After a grabbing a quick bite to eat and a paying for an extortionate car parking ticket we headed around RSPB Lodmoor, the Car Park already delivering a couple of birds, Black-Headed Gulls swooped low looking for discarded lunch, unsuccessfully returning to the nearby telegraph poles looking for the next target. More surprisingly a couple of Carrion Crows hobbled around on the ground, youngsters I presumed, but not a bird you see up close that often as there countryside cousins are rather crafty and cautious.

All the way around the Marshy ground and scrapes of the Lodmoor reserve, Grey Herons along with the odd Little Egret poised motionless waiting for fish, a couple fairly close to the pathways and seemingly not a bit bothered by the passer byes. The main scrapes seemed empty of many wading birds except quite a few Lapwing, either in summer plumage or juveniles they stalked slowly around in the shallow water, enabling quite a few nice reflections. 

The only other bird seemingly enjoying the shallow water was Teal, lots of odd pairs popped up all the way around the reserve. We did get a brief glimpse of a Marsh Harrier as it lifted up from the middle of the reed bed, doing a quick circuit and disrupting the majority of the gulls before returning back out of sight.

Black Headed Gull

Carrion Crow

Grey Heron

Lapwing

Drake Teal

By the time we had left Lodmoor and taken the scenic route around to RSPB Arne the light was starting to fade and the weather changing for the worse, not a lot showing close up, but Advocet, 
Bar-Tailed Godwit, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Teal & Mallard all showing out on the Middlebere Chanel.

I did manage a new tick on the species list for 2012, when we made it round to the hide overlooking the salt marsh and distant Poole Harbour beyond, a juvenile Spoonbill could be spotted stood amongst a group of 13 Little Egrets.

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Birding About

Here is a selection of Bird pics from last weekend. Taken whilst out and about around the village. Looks quite promising that there is a Grey Wagtail pair nesting on the Riverbank at the bottom of the garden so Im hoping too get some better pics in coming weeks.

Cock Chaffinch

Dunnock

House Sparrow

Cock Sparrow

Chiffchaff

Grey Wagtail

Mistle Thrush

A Quiet Week

Having been out a couple of times last week, to Anton & Rooksbury Mill LNR's spring seems to be in the air, all the ducks having paired off and the smaller birds already starting to build there nests,  Most of the winter inhabitants seem to have disappeared too, leaving the photographic opportunities to a minimum. So below is a few shots I took this week.

Kestrel - In the tree at the bottom of my Garden 

Kestrel - In the tree at the bottom of my Garden 

Wren - Anton Lakes LNR

Drake Gadwall - Rooksbury Mill LNR 

Gadwall - Rooksbury Mill LNR 

Cock House Sparrow - Next doors gutter