As I've been wandering and driving around the patch, I couldn't help but notice just how many Rowan trees there are with a lot of berries on them. This is supposed to be a sign of a hard Winter ahead, or maybe just a sign that it's been a good year for Rowan? Either way, there's a lot so I've been keeping an eye on them (ish) and I've seen a few Bullfinches, lots of Blackbirds and of course, I spotted the first Nuthatch on the patch on one the other week.
Yesterday I was driving along the top lane heading for Backwater when I noticed large flocks of birds flitting over the tops of all the trees there, had to be Fieldfares and Redwing
They were, a LOT of them but keeping their distance except for ...
Just after 9 o'clock yesterday, I managed to get a few shots of one of them, a Fieldfare.
It sat very nicely, watching its buddies disappearing down the lane while I snuck open the car door and leant out, click, there goes the neck again!
Maybe I need a pope-mobile type car
I like to try to keep some context in some shots, so that one is hardly cropped at all, to show the distance for the lens.
So I set off for the reservoir, had a great walk, not a lot of bird photo opportunities but a beautiful, blue sky, freezing walk
More to follow
A nice set of photo's Scozmos.
Well captured Scozmos. The last one is my fave out of these ...
Ooh, lovely; have't seen any winter thrushes yet so thanks for sharing yours ! very nice photos.
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Regards, Hazel
So continuing the tale (eventually) I took a wander down the lane later the same day to the spot where I saw the Nuthatches, there are a good number of Rowans there that the Winter Thrushes seem to like so ...
First sighting, albeit through the branches, a Fieldfare getting stuck in. We have hundreds of them around at the moment, both Redwings and Fieldfare in various flock sizes which means we also have a lot more Sparrowhawks than I've ever seen before!
None of them are that keen on being seen are they?
A Redwing, once again hidden behind branches so, I'm standing very still and moving soooooooooo slowly ......
That doesn't really work, I need to rely on them being really hungry OR ..... get a hide
Bit better
Better ...
Ahah!
I did like that one so ...
Hmmmmm
Meanwhile ...
I'd found a sweet spot to stand still in.
I loved that one ... What you got???
A couple of Fieldfare popped back.
It was starting to get busy in there.
Once they've either settled or accepted my presence, they just get into the eating thing.
If you look at the number of blank stalks on those branches, they'll soon have these trees stripped bare.
Sorry, Redwing-fest but I was happy to get so many nice shots. I stepped back, to the other side of the lane and looked to my left ...
What A Cutie! Just standing there munching on an Acorn, I stand near a beautiful old Oak tree and that's where he/she was.
I was creeping slowly closer when it decided I was close enough and dashed further up the tree.
And sneezed! At least that's how it looks
Now I'm taking a guess it's a male ....
Forgot where he hid them??
The thrusheswill certainly make all them berries dissappear soon enough! Awwww what a cute Squirrel, I need to get back to Loch lomond or Loch leven to see them again soon
(Pardon the Scottish Accent)
Looks like you still have plenty of berries Scozmos, they are rapidly disappearing around here. Always nice to see a red squirrel, lovely photo's.
Cracking photos cosmos, love the red berries and Redwings, cute squirrel
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.