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.
Well found Mr Kes. I have not seen a Yellowhammer in a very long time.
Wot, more Wrens? Oh yes, plus a Red Spotted Woodpecker and bad photos of a silent assassin. But first, glad you liked the previous photos of robins and starlings.
We discovered that Mr Wren has a favourite tree to sing from, located in the back of a garden boarding a car park we walk through. On this occasion, Mr Wren wasn't hiding behind various twigs, and, more astonishingly, the sun was shining!!!
Sadly, the most spectacular singing pose was out of focus.
I tried to photograph this bird as it beat its brains out on a tree branch. Unfortunately, it was hidden behind branches for the most part. This is the best I could get with my Canon 80D.
We had just exited house for our morning walk, and gone no further than 20m, when I spotted some Starlings taking to wing from a house opposite. They wheeled around us. A flight of pigeons joined them. Most odd, I thought. Then I spotted it. A bird of prey, no doubt spooking the birds. Only after getting home and examining resulting photos, did I realise it was a Sparrowhawk. Do doubt the same one that took out a wood pigeon in our garden, and furnished Starlings with lots of feathers. All photos, bar one, heavily cropped.
Same a above but cropped even closer.
It wheeled right over a house and disappeared.
I felt I was doing great just managing to get the bird in frame with my Sigma 18-300mm lens extended to 300mm - where else would it be? My Canon 80D did remarkably well considering how small the bird appears in photographs.
Don't believe for a moment you had blue sky, Angus, unless of course you live near Snappy lol Nice set, thanks for sharing :o)
Thanks Snappy
The Weasel was back in the woods yesterday morning.
I heard a commotion with a number of wrens noisily warning. Then I spotted the weasel. So small yet still a danger to smaller birds as a predator. Fascinating how nature works.
Thats a great spot again Mr Kes :o)
Cracking photo - it looks as though he saw you, too
That's a great catch Mr Kes and to have seen it on two days...
Excellent Mr Kes. Well spotted ...
What a cute little weasel and fabulous photo, thanks Mr Kes
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Regards, Hazel