BIRDS! G.C. Bird Survey photos.

Thank you Strongy - although they are not a patch on your beautiful seabirds! The magpie and collared dove are taken in my mum's garden through the patio window glasss on full zoom, so they become somewhat more 'misty' than they should be - but the birds around here are very nervous and don't stick around too long on the bird table - especially as the day before yesterday, mum and I saw a Sparrowhawk land on top of the bird table for a few seconds and then take off again! Didn't have camera to hand though sadly....

Borrower - get the birds to come to you now! Do a 'Whiley' and go out and get loads of seed, nuts, fat balls and suet cakes - you'll soon have them flocking to you


PS: I thought I had better post a collared dove pic - I had been considering whether to let Shiney post a photo of his cat Oscar in lieu of a 'live' collared dove!!!!!

 

Borrowers, I am lucky in that where I am is a stopping point for migrating birds, autumn and spring, and our living room window looks out towards a wetland RSPB reserve so I have seen nearly 50 birds species from here, many flying over the marshes, so yes I am lucky. I can't always get a good photo though. There are birds that I never see (owls for one) but others do.

 

Chew Valley Lake, Somerset. April 2008.

Can anyone help with identification of this pretty duck???





Also don't know the breed of this pair ???









Tufted Ducks - male (black and white) and female.

 

Cookie - great photo's of the tufted ducks! The others are Heinz 57. Farmyard duck/mallard crosses!!

 

Ooooops !

Didn't realize we had mongrel ducks!

Ah well, still learning I guess!

Glen, thanks for your kind words on my pics - coming from a photographer of your calibre is especially chuffing!

Thank you!

More pics to post...

 

MUTE SWAN: Chew Valley Lake. April 2008.

There was a lot of chasing and fighting going on over the ladies - I only managed to catch the aggressor in this chase - as you can see from the water, the chased individual had already scarpered!



COOT: Chew Valley

Here's one for Kedi-Gato - she commented on Coot feet and up 'til now had never seen them this close up! Hope you enjoy Kedi - they are wonderful flappy feet aren't they!!!



MUTE SWAN: Chew Valley

Seen here in a wonderful nest in the reed beds.



LESSER BLACK BACKED GULL: Chew Valley

I was surprised to see so few gulls on this lake - especially as nearby Bristol has a massive urban gull population.



BUZZARD: Chew Valley

The Buzzards are almost becoming the ubiquitous bird of Britain - thankfully!



JACKDAW: Mums garden. N.E.Somerset

 

Great shots Cookie keep em coming.

 

Thanks Nutty!

It would be lovely to have your robin, blackbird and any other bird pics you've done here too. It doesn't matter that we've already had these species of bird - your photos were amazing in the intimacy they show with the birds.

Go on ... be a devil!!!

Kath

 

Ahh Glen...

The strong but silent type.....!!!!!

 

Ahh Glen...

The strong but silent type.....!!!!!

 

GREAT CRESTED GREBES: Chew Valley Lake 15/04/08

















The last pics show a Grebe with an enormous fish - it must have tried for about 10 minutes to swallow it whole - I don't think it managed to in the end!

Fantastic birds to observe.

 

Because Im a newcomer here Ive had a lot of catching up to do,having to go right back to the begining to see what ive missed. All your birdie photos are absolutely brilliant. Thanks 02

 

Hi cookie,blackbird is down like a shot everytime I go in the greenhouse she loves he mealworms,it's difficult photographing and feeding her at the same time,i'm working on a collard dove at the moment i'm within 6 feet of her,will try some pics.

 

Great news Nutty! Look forward to seeing what you can show us!

I thought of you with your blackbirds yesterday. Mum leaves out some cat biscuits for a local stray who passes us by and has become very friendly. I saw our female blackbird scooting up to the cat dish and running off with the biscuits and gobbling them up! I guess they are full of protein and fat so will be very concentrated energy for this time of year - bit concerned as biscuits swell up in the stomach and was not sure if they may distended a little bird stomach too much. Needn't have worried - she was back again this morning doing exactly the same thing!

Hills Feline Maintenance cat biscuits - rabbit flavour - if anyone else has a hungry blackbird!!

 

STARLINGS: Mum's Garden, N.E.Somerset. April 2008.









A vastly underrated bird. The colours of plumage are beautiful in the sunlight - irridescent greens and purples. Yes they are noisy and quarrelsome but the vast murmurations that occur over Dartmoor and the Somerset levels before roosting are an amazing spectacular to watch.