A Ball of Cute

 I am sharing some more recent images today, but will go back to some of my older files in the coming days.

These pictures were taken at Martin Mere early  in January. It was a very cold and dull day and so there is quite a lot of noise in these images. Even so I was pleased to capture these few shots of one of my favourite native birds, the Long-tailed tit. It is so cute and as they fly around in little family groups chattering away they are absolutely adorable. 

I haven't done much wildlife photography for quite a while and so I am looking forward to warmer days with better light so that I can get out and if I am very lucky get some better pictures than these. For now though, please enjoy the Long-tailed tit. If these don't make you smile you need to give yourself a really good talking to because they are gorgeous.

Nuthatch

 

I really love nuthatches, there is something bout the way they move about the trees often hanging upside down and almost always on the move. I love their colours and the bandit face mask.

I think the first time I photographed one was in the walled garden at Royden park not far from where I live, it was feeding at a bird feeder and going back and forth to a nest. I have a nice memory of seeing several in the grounds at Sizergh Castle too and I sat for ages watching them.

This one was spotted in Boilton Wood at the edge of Brockholes nature reserve near Preston. It is probably my favourite shot that I have captured of a nuthatch because of its pose, the colours and lighting which is enhanced by the early morning sun behind me and the carpet of bluebells in the background.

Gold Crest

 A few weeks ago I saw a pair of Goldcrests while I was out for a walk, I managed to get a few photos on my phone's camera because they had flown onto a bush right next to me and stayed around for a little while. I wanted to go back and capture some more images using my DSLR so I went back to the same spot and waited.

Although it was a sunny day the light in the woodland was not that great and also the large number of dog walkers on my chosen day meant there was a lot more traffic than on my previous visit. The birds did appear after a short while but they were more skittish and wary than the last time so I was pushing my equipment to get these shots. They were all taken at 560mm F8.0 1/1000 sec and 10,000 ISO. Due to the high ISO there is a lot of noise in the RAW images so I have removed some of that in lightroom resulting in some loss of detail. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to see these beautiful birds again and I am fairly pleased with the above images. I am sure to go back again in the hope of getting some more, and better, shots of these stunning little beauties.

Siskin

 This little bird was so hard to photograph, it was impossible to get close and it was constantly on the move. However I did manage to get a few shots and of them one was useable.

At first I wasn't sure what this was but having looked closer I am fairly confident this is a Siskin. It is really lovely and I am glad I persevered.

Siberian Bugloss

Very often the common names for plants are much more interesting than the formal names and this is certainly a case in point... The scientific name is Brunnera macrophyla, it is a type of forget-me-not or heartleaf and I believe this variety is the Siberian bugloss which is as I say a more interesting name than its scientific name would suggest.

The flowers are quite delicate and you can see from the first image one tiny flower that has been knocked of its stem by the rain. The flower itself is intact but is held in place by the drops of rain.

Willow Warbler

 I wasn't sure what this was at first, it was a toss up between a Chiffchaff or a Willow Warbler, the two species are so alike they are often mistaken for each other. from a physical examination they can be identified by the number of flight feathers or the colour of their legs and few other subtle differences, but the easiest way to distinguish them, especially from a distance is their song. Willow warblers have a much more melodious song whereas the Chiffchaff has a much simpler call.

I am fairly sure this is a Willow warbler and this one with a beak full of tasty grubs was hopping around this lone hawthorn bush waiting to feed its young. 

Myosotis...

These are such tiny little flowers but they have such a big impact. Forget-me-not or scorpion grass as they are also known flower between April and July so these were early bloomers and added a lovely splash of blue to the woodland garden. With the sunlight on them the petals almost sparkle. They really are little gems.

The name Myosotis comes from a Greek word which translates as "mouse ear" and relates to the shape of the leaves rather than reference to the flower itself.

Little Beauty

 So I only have one photo for today.

I recently went to a spot where I had previously seen a couple of pairs of Goldcrests and I was hoping that I would get a chance to photograph one as they are beautiful tiny birds and I have only seen them a handful of times. 

I had waited for a little while and although I could hear one rustling around I almost gave up because it was almost impossible to see. I was at the point of moving on when this bird flew past me and gave me a brief chance to snap a few shots. Sadly I couldn't get a clear shot of its wonderful gold crest from which it gets its name but even so I was quite pleased with this one image. 

It is Britain's smallest bird at about 9 cm (3.5 inches) so you can understand why they are hard to spot. They prefer coniferous woodland and they feed on insects and spiders. This species is increasing in population so the chance of spotting them is possibly increasing but you have to look hard because they are so small. I hope this wont be the last shot I get of one...

Long Tailed Tit

One of my favourite native species of bird is the long tailed tit. These tiny birds gather in family groups and small flocks and they fly around noisily chattering to each other. At the end of the day they will roost together in trees and bushes all huddled up to stay warm.

There really is no other bird quite like it, it is amazing how much cute you can get in such a tiny package.

Little Beauty

So following on from yesterday's post here are a few more shots of the stunningly beautiful kingfisher that made my day.  

As I said yesterday conditions weren't perfect and so I have had to compromise slightly with the settings to get the shot. 

When you consider that this bird is only about 16cm in length (that's the size of a sparrow) you will appreciate how difficult it is to photograph. That, it's incredible speed and the fact that despite its electric blue plumage it is actually very hard to spot means I was absolutely thrilled to get these shots at all. All that beauty tied up in such a tiny little bundle...

Matchsticks in Negative

This tiny fungus made me think of matchsticks in negative. They open out to look like antlers.

I am always amazed at the huge diversity of fungi, it's no wonder I get obsessed.

Hairy Eyeballs? Yes!

So here are a couple of shots of a Speckled Wood butterfly. If you look closely you will see that the eyes are actually hairy just as part of the surface of the wings are also hairy. 

This specimen was seen at Bodnant in North Wales and being in the north this accounts for the brown colouring, southern varieties have a brighter, orange colouring but despite the different colouration they are the same species.

Blackcap

This is such a little beauty, a female Blackcap.

It was a real treat to capture this shot because these birds rarely sit still. Also as spring advances and the leaves and blossom fill out the branches the birds are increasingly difficult to spot. Early morning the air was filled with birdsong and the Blackcap has a beautiful rich clear song. As I walked through the woods I could hear them singing and as I approached their song changed to a warning "tac tac", it was really hard to see them, and just as I caught a glimpse they flew off to find a different perch. Spotting this one high up on a  hawthorn tree I couldn't believe my luck as she sat long enough for me to get a clear shot.

Little Jenny Wren

Walking through the woods at Mere Sands I was treated to the beautiful sound of so many song birds.

Spring has arrived and as the woodland comes to life with green shoots and blossoms you can feel a change in the air. 

One of the prettiest songs on my walk was that of the wren and I managed to spot a couple in the shade. They are very small, very timid and they move about very quickly making them very tricky to spot and even harder to photograph.

I love the way they use their tails to balance just before flying off. They are just so cute. 

I was curious to know why the Wren is known as a Jenny Wren so did a little research and dug up a few interesting facts.

They have a powerful song which I have mentioned already, but did you know they can hit two different notes at the same time?

They are quintessentially British birds and are one of our most common songbirds, in the past they were know as "King among birds". In German they were called "hedge king" or "kinglet".

They eat insects, spiders and even tadpoles but perhaps surprisingly they also like a piece of cheese.

The term Jenny Wren applies because they are fiercely protective of their young and the female in particular will be extremely vocal to alert her brood against danger, and this has led to a tendency to view wrens as female leading to the moniker Jenny Wren.

Little Blue

This little Blue Tit is just so cute. I was recently talking to a friend about how so many of our native birds lack colour when compared to lots of exotic species from around the world and yet when you look at some of the pictures I have posted in the past week, of Gold Finches, Lapwings, the Great Spotted Woodpecker and this little beauty today perhaps our birds are not so dull after all.

These birds are seem so delicate and small and yet they live outside in the harsh wet and cold as well as coping with the heat in summer showing that they are really quite hardy.

Rail Strike Bonus

No one likes a rail strike, however much you might sympathise  with the cause the disruption is always a little too much to bear.

Today's strike on Merseyside was no different and it meant that I had to make an unplanned trip taking my daughter to university. I had a few hours to kill so decided to head over to Mere Sands Wood, for a photo session.

I had been there last Friday and in the hope of seeing a kingfisher I'd sat for three hours in a hide with a couple of other photographers having been told one was a regular visitor. Sadly on that occasion I was unlucky.

I have seen kingfishers before but I have never been able to photograph one.

Until today...

I had been waiting for a while with very little to see and was almost at the point of giving up when I saw this little gem fly across in front of me and then settle on this perch. He was only there for about 30 seconds so I had to act quickly to get this shot. I managed to get a few pictures but I am going to save the others for some point in the future.

Last summer I got to photograph hummingbirds for the first time and today I got to photograph the iconic kingfisher. Hopefully I will have more opportunities in the future but I am sure I will never forget this fantastic first. 

Sweet Songbird

Another soft focus today for this shot of a male Linnet(Linaria cannabina)  in breeding plumage. These birds have a beautiful song and were once very popular as cage birds. Apparently they derive their scientific name from the fact that they like to feed on hemp and their English name from another favourite food which is Flax from which linen is made.

There was a 57% decline in numbers in the UK between the 1970's and 2008 but happily in some parts of the UK they are seeing an increase and I was pleased to see this little beauty helping to brighten up a wet morning at Brockholes. I recall reading a novel in school many years ago where one of the characters had a linnet on her hat, sadly I can't remember which book so actually that was quite a useless bit of trivia, never mind .

Not a Red Breast but a Red Bill

Some of the most popular posts on my blog have been pictures of robins, they're such beautiful and iconic birds. 

Well this is a robin but not the type we're used to seeing in our gardens. It is a Pekin Robin, also known as a red billed leiothrix or Pekin Nightingale, Japanese Nightingale or Japanese Hill Robin. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent and not in Japan so don't be fooled by the name.

It has been introduced to the Hawaiian islands where it thrives. It has been introduced to parts of France as well. There was an unsuccessful attempt to introduce it to the UK so the only place in the UK.

It is a little gem, I wonder if it will be as popular to visitors to my blog as our native robin red breast. 

Ruby Throated Beauty

I was so excited to see these beautiful hummingbirds up close and could easily have spent hours watching and photographing them. I know that I have shared some pictures of them before but I love them so much that I just have to share more. I like the "pose" in this shot with the curve of the breast and the way its feet are tucked in, but also if you look closely you will see the tip of the birds tongue peeking out.