Formation Flying... Keep Up Back There!

 I am told (via Google lens) that these ducks are Gadwall and my perusal of various guide books suggests that is correct. In one RSPB guide they are described as "a rather undistinguished duck" but in another RSPB guide they are described as "elegant, exquisitely marked birds at close range". It has a similar appearance to a Mallard but is smaller in size, they are seen in much fewer numbers than mallards so I am quite pleased to have witnessed this small flock flying around at Mere Sands Woods in Lancashire.

They were quite a way off so there is not much detail unfortunately but what I really like about these images is the shapes of the birds in flight as they swoop and turn looking for a good place to land or rather splash down. 

You can see that many of the birds have open beaks and as they were flying they made quite a racket. I wonder what they were communicating to each other, and which bird was leading the conversation, I noticed that the bird at the back in each photo was not joining in and perhaps they were being told to keep up!

TITS!

 Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit and my favourite... Long Tailed Tit

I was able to get out for a couple of hours today to visit Mere Sands Wood where despite the biting wind the sun was shining  I was able to photograph a few different varieties of our beautiful birds.

These were all some distance away, at the limit of my lens in some cases nevertheless they are all rather nice.

A Few Days in December

 So, I know that we are now part way through January, almost a third of the way actually so it may seem a bit late to post something with a title "A Few Days in December" but that is what these pictures and those that I  will share over the coming days represent.

I managed to get out for just a few days last month, although I have had a fair bit of time on my hands the poor weather and a lack of motivation on my part meant I didn't get out as much as I would have liked and when I sat down to review my images I actually thought that I wouldn't have very much to show for it. 

As it happens on those few days out I did get more than a few shots and perhaps more important than the images themselves I had time to unwind, to reflect and to connect with nature in a way that I really needed. Although I had my camera with me the primary purpose was just to get out and enjoy being out, without putting any pressure on myself to get the perfect shot.

Above are a few images from my first day out, a short visit to Mere Sands Woods. The weather was not great, the lighting poor and I really should have used a faster shutter speed but as I say photography was not the most pressing thing for me, I really enjoyed my walk and mostly just watching. The pictures, well they are a bonus.

I hope that you enjoy the images above of a Great Tit, a couple of Blue Tits, a hungry Nuthatch and  of course, what winter walk would be complete without a Robin?!

Some of these images were made possible because someone had left out some seed on a tree stump where I stood a while and watched the birds come down in a frenzy to feed. 

The Robin shot was captured right at the end of my walk, I think it is quite a nice image but I had an even closer and perhaps more meaningful encounter with a Robin on one of my other days out, which no doubt I will tell you about in a future post.

Just Great...

I had a really good spell at Mere Sands Woods reserve yesterday during a brief respite in the horrendous weather we've had recently. I watched a lovely Little Grebe fishing and saw a stunning kingfisher fly directly towards me before it looped off around the mere. 

Then at a different spot I heard the tell tale call of another kingfisher and and after a few minutes searching the reeds I spotted it and spent the next 15 - 20 minutes watching it fish. It caught what appeared to be newts, eating one and after killing the second he hung it on a branch possibly to go back for later. 

Although I managed to get a few pictures it was too far away to get a decent clear image. I will have to save hard and maybe have to sell some gear to be able to afford a better lens and get the sort of images a fellow photographer managed to get (but his camera and lens set up would have been around £17K so I would have expected the sort of images he was keen to show off). 

That being said I don't think you have to spend such a huge sum of money to get great images and I think these shots of a fishing Great Crested Grebe are proof of that. 

I think these are such regal looking birds and they are so sleek as they dive in search for food, barely leaving a ripple as they break the surface.

Decoy Duck

This is not actually a decoy but is a living and breathing Mallard drake. He was sat enjoying the Saturday sunshine at Mere Sands Woods. He almost looks carved from wood and I think I caught him blinking or sleeping.

He was so still and the water was so calm I was able to capture such a good reflection.

Mutton Chops

I think you would agree with me when I say that the Great Crested Grebe is a stunning bird.

It is regal, sleek and streamlined and has the most beautiful plumage, and it has a fearsome beak which it uses to catch fish while swimming under water. 

It is known for its amazing courtship rituals when the adults perform a balletic dance. I had gone to Mere Sands today in the hope that I would witness this but obviously I had picked the wrong time. This chap stayed a safe distance away so getting the perfect shot was really difficult however I am fairly happy with these two.

I had a really enjoyable time at Mere Sands listening to the birdsong as I walked through the woods and sitting quietly and undisturbed in the various hides around the mere. There weren't that many different species of birds to see but it was so relaxing and a perfect opportunity to de-stress.

Down Low

Tamron 150mm - 600mm f/5 - 6.3

ISO 400   600mm   f/6.3   1/640 sec

When I first spotted this beautiful male Great Crested Grebe from my favourite hide at Mere Sands I thought that it might have been sitting on a nest but actually he is just sitting really low behind the reeds.  He's really beautiful and I hope that he found a mate although he didn't appear to be doing too well on this particular day.

Dabbling

The teal is a surface feeding duck dabbling on the surface for seeds or upending to feed just below the surface on small snails or insect larvae.

They are quite small and tend to flock together in small social groups.

As with most birds the males are much more brightly coloured that the females as can be seen in the second picture.

They really are beautiful birds but the teal also gives its name to a colour but looking at these pictures I wonder what the colour teal actually is. I am told it is the stripe around and behind his eye...

Shelduck On The Wing

Today I wanted to continue the theme of birds in flight and today's choice of bird is the beautiful Shelduck. 

These were some way off and so I have cropped in quite close to get the best image. You can see from the first two pictures the fantastic markings on the underside of these handsome birds, seen here in breeding plumage. In the  first two images we have a male bird and in the other two shots there are two males and one female. The way they can be distinguished from each other is the male has a raised knob on its bright red bill.

These birds are more commonly seen around coastal estuaries so seeing them at Mere Sands was a treat. They will be busy rearing their broods of 8 to 10 young around about now. They like to nest in a variety of places including in holes on the ground, under brambles or between straw bales but they are also known to nest in trees.

They like to hang around in small family groups but can be seen in larger groups towards the end of the summer before the adults head off to the North Sea where they moult.

Living on the coast I am quite used to seeing these birds but surprisingly I haven't photographed them very often but having taken the time to find out a little more about them today I am inclined to go out and look for them again quite soon.

Friend Zoned

Something that I have wanted to photograph for a long time is the courtship ritual of the Great Crested Grebe and so when I spotted this pair of grebes I thought perhaps my luck was in.

The male was certainly interested and did a bit of flirting, swimming around the female for a bit but she clearly wasn't having any of it. Perhaps it was still too early in the season or maybe he just didn't do it for her because she swam off leaving him a little dejected and me disappointed.

I do like these pictures though, they are such beautifully elegant birds and they swim with such poise and grace and I particularly like the pose in the second image.

I also like the way the ripples in these pictures elongate the reflections of the birds.

Just a Shoveler doing what Shovelers do

Yesterday I posted a couple of pictures of shovelers in flight so for today I decided to share a few shots of a male shoveler on the water. I think these are really beautiful birds especially the male as this one in his breeding plumage, he is so colourful. Although their beaks are an unusual shape they are perfectly adapted to feeding on the food particles that they stir up with their feet which are working furiously beneath the water.

Often they feed in small groups because the action of their combined paddling makes the process more efficient but this one seemed quite content feeding on his own.

I like the sheen on the water and the reflections broken up by the ripples.

In Flight

I have lots more shots from Chester Zoo to share but I thought I would mix things up for today otherwise I might end up going off on another conservation rant.

Last week I went to Mere Sands again hoping to snap the elusive kingfisher but again without success. There were a few different species of wildfowl to see so it wasn't a total disaster and I decided that I would also try capturing some shots of birds in flight. I managed some cormorants and some shelducks and these shovelers. I like the shapes they make with their wings and I like the way they flock together. 

Because these are low resolution files they are not as sharp as the originals but  for me these pictures more about the motion and shapes.

Cuteness Up A Tree

Without a doubt today's choice matches yesterday's selection for cuteness. As I said then, the Robin is probably just about everybody's favourite garden and woodland bird but the Blue Tit is also probably high up on most people's list. I love it when I spot them visiting the feeders in my garden and I have friends who have them nesting in their garden year on year and it is always great to hear about the progress of each brood. 

This little chap was sat in a tree above my head at Mere Sands Wood and I almost missed him while I was looking in the lower branches and the bushes around me. I am glad that I did spot him though because he sat long enough for me to get some lovely shots

Everybody's Favourite

It would be hard to argue against the Robin being everybody's favourite bird and these three spotted in Mere Sands Woods help confirm just how beautiful and endearing the Robin is.

Last year I took a photo of a fledgling Robin in the same spot as the first of today's images and given how territorial Robins are I wonder whether this is the same bird, it is nice to think that it is.

The second of today's Robins was a noisy and curious little chap and he looks in fine condition.

As I was stood on the path watching the birds I spoke with a couple of other visitors to the reserve and together we tried to tempt one to feed off our hands. We managed to tempt him to  a small pile of seeds and mealworms on the floor at our feet but he couldn't be persuaded onto a hand.

Reed Bunting

The first of today's pictures is of a cute little male Reed Bunting with a beak full of seed, he really is a handsome chap but I think the female in the next two images is actually a much prettier bird.

They are so delicate and light and I love the way they cling to the reeds. I like the way they use their long tails to keep their balance and love the expression on the face, particularly in the third picture as the bird is looking directly at the camera.

Reflection

you would be forgiven for thinking this shot was taken at the height of summer but in fact it was taken on a very cold New Years day. The colours are rich and warm and the reflections are beautiful.

It's A Teal

Today I have a couple more pictures from my New Years photo shoot at Mere Sands. This is a teal which is the smallest common duck and generally can be found in marshy ponds.

This one was part of a small flock that were feeding in the shallow waters around a reed bed. Although it looks quite relaxed it was very alert and they are able to take off almost vertically if alarmed. Luckily there was nothing to spook this chap and the still water provides nice reflections and gentle ripples.Te

Tufted Duck

This is a lovely specimen of a male tufted duck. In winter its plumage is brighter and crisper than in the summer when both male and female tufted ducks somewhat drab and dull by comparison. 

I particularly like the first of today's images because the tuft is more visible but also because of the perfect ripple forming rings around the duck. In the second image the birds golden eye is sharp and clear. It is a similar colour the Chancellor Palpatine's eyes in The Revenge of the Sith.

These pictures were taken at Mere Sands on New Years Day, shortly before the cormorant pictures that I shared on Monday. I had a good few hours there and will no doubt be back there before long when the weather is good enough.