Kicking off this year's odds and sods with Starlings in a rainbow on that extreme rarity: sunshine.
It was early morning, with the sun barely cresting the tree line. We were able to get out for our morning walk as it wasn't raining. This photo is my trusty Canon 80D and Sigma 18-300mm lens zoomed in at 300mm.
Pulling back a bit.
And finally all the way back.
Oh, 2024 got off to a good start with this.
So far my cat, perhaps two neighbouring cats visiting our garden, a local fox and Tawny owl, and this trap have accounted for at least five of the beasties. Sightings of rats in our garden are getting rarer, so I think I'm winning. Two rather timid and wary rats, that I know of, are proving more elusive to catch. I've resorted to buying a lethal trap. The trap was triggered, yesterday, but no rat, sadly. Though a mouse might have triggered it, and was small enough to be within the kill bar.
90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.
I think they're nesting the other side of the wall he's on, in next doors garden. We appear to have blue tits in our box again, and blackbirds in the honeysuckle/jasmine mass (about 3 foot above the goldfinch)
Least we know there is some breeding going on...look forward to seeing the wains ;-)
(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
And our evolving Collared Dove from the other day..
And it's learnt to feed from it too, not just perch, and the other collared dove we get sits under the feeder and mops up what this one spills!
Thanks Linda.
Lovely little bird, well caught
A beauty
PimperneBloke said:And it's learnt to feed from it too, not just perch
He's a clever one PB
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
A few photos from yesterday around and about:
Mandarin duck
Whitethroat
I believe based on its song this was a Garden Warbler
Nice photo of the mandarin Mr Kes, only ever seen one once in the wild.
Love the Mandarin duck, they're very picturesque. I have seen them in the wild twice. On one occasion it was on the local radio that a pair were on a pond in a park in Preston, about 20 miles away, so I jumped in the car and went. I was lucky, (for once), it was a nice day and got some decent shots. The other was on a river close to me, and it was well moulted - it did look odd! I will see if I can find a photo.