Bad Tempered or Good Parent?

 

I visited Martin Mere twice in March and in the resident collection of birds from around the world there is a pair of Coscoroba Swans, a species native to South America. It is the smallest variety of swan although is larger than most geese, and I think it is a very good looking bird. The female was (as you can see) on the nest, and the male was dutifully patrolling the perimeter warding off any potential threats. He was quite aggressive and I definitely didn't want to get too close. He seemed quite grumpy and bad tempered but I guess you could argue that he was taking his role very seriously and doing his best to protect his future family.

Although unrelated I have included an extra image below, this time of a Moorhen also sat on its nest. It is that time of year and I look forward to seeing lots of new life as spring really gets under way. 

On a different note I wanted to say thank you for taking the time top view this blog. Even though I haven't actually posted anything since 24th January it is really gratifying to see that the blog is generating some traffic. Here are a few stats: In February there were 11,470 visits, in the past week there were 7,480 visits and in the last two days alone there have been 941 visits. I am really happy with that and hopefully this will continue. I don't make any money from this site, it is purely about sharing images that I have taken. So thanks again for stopping by.

Fledgling

 One of the nicest surprises during my recent visit to Ness Botanical Gardens was to spot this beautiful fledgling robin. I had stopped for a moment in the shade of a thatched shelter on the edge of the rock garden overlooking a pool. I could hear a rustling sound above but in the shade it was hard at first to spot what was making the noise. It was in fact two little robins that had clearly just fledged and were exploring the space above in the moss and straw of the roof. 

This little fellow had, I think, been feeding on bugs and spiders because as you can see it has some spiders web stuck to its beak.

You can get a sense of scale when you look at what it is perched on... its feet are tightly holding onto an LED light from a string of garden lights. The light fitting itself is about half the size of a typical matchstick, so not only can you see how small the bird is but also you can gauge how light it is given that it did not move the light or the cable at all.

As an adult this bird will have a striking red breast and a  beautiful song that will captivate anyone who sees and hears it. But, as a fledgling it would be easy to miss or overlook. I wonder if like the ugly duckling in the famous fairytale and song this little bird does not see its potential. 

A Very Hungry Caterpillar

 

This is the caterpillar of the Grey dagger moth, it was one of several that were making a meal of our small willow tree.

The gets its name from the black dagger like markings on its dusty grey wings, but the caterpillar as you can see is very brightly coloured with a striking red and yellow colour scheme and a dramatic black hump a short way along its back.

This is a fairly common species and can be seen munching on leaves through the summer months from July to October before they find shelter under loose bark or in rotten wood in November where they overwinter as pupae before emerging in spring as a moth.

Hey! Toad Face!

 I got a few strange looks from people walking by as I lay in the road and then on the grass taking pictures of this toad at its eye level but I think it was worth the effort.

I spotted him on the road at first and realised from its clumsy gait that it had been injured somehow, possibly by a heron or other bird thinking to make a tasty meal. It had a nasty looking sore area on its back and was moving slowly so I took pity on him and gently carried him over to the grassy hedgerow. I watched as he disappeared under the hedge then shortly after as it emerged into the open and with a flick of its tongue caught a fly. He then started to move off in the direction he had originally been traveling.

Did you know that common toads live between 10 -12 years, as long as they don't get predated of course?

I love wildlife and I love getting up close to take pictures like this. It was one of the highlights of my day out

Solution

 Yesterday I posted a couple of close up images and asked you to try to guess what it was. No one actually tried to guess but never mind. Here is the solution to the puzzle I set.

It is a rather handsome cock pheasant that was strolling along a woodland path as I was walking back to my car. I was used to seeing hundreds of these as a teenager in the fields around my home in Lincolnshire. I don't see so many where I live now but I am always impressed by their stunning plumage.

Little Grebe

 

A couple of years ago I sat in a hide at Mere Sands Woods watching a pair of little grebes gathering material to build their nest and feeding right in front of the hide. They are such cute and wonderful little birds.

It was nice yesterday to watch this little fella fishing at Burton Mere. Everybody else around me was trying so hard to spot the Bittern (see yesterday's post) that they hardly paid any attention to the little grebe right under their noses. As tiny as they are these birds are so graceful and they are excellent at catching fish, they dive gracefully and you can follow a trail of bubbles in anticipation of where they will rise to the surface once again. They are constantly on the go though so even when they bob back to the surface they are not there for long.

A Rarity

 

I spent a couple of hours at Burton Mere RSPB reserve today and I was thrilled to get my first ever sighting of an incredibly rare bird. In 1997 there were just 11 male birds in the UK and the species was on the verge of extinction but due to significant conservation efforts they are back from the brink; last year 198 male birds were recorded across 89 sites in the UK. Despite the growing numbers they are still very rare and understandably news of its sighting at Burton Mere had drawn something of a crowd. 

I really struggled to see it and needed a fellow photographer to point me in the right direction. Looking at the top image can you see what it is? Can you even see it?

To make things easier I have cropped the image, so take a closer look below...

Even cropped it is hard to spot the beautifully camouflaged Bittern. I know its not the best shot but it really was a long way off and it it is so well hidden it was the best I could do and I have to say I was totally chuffed to see such a rare bird, for the very first time.

Long Tailed Tit

 The long tailed tit is one of my favourite species of birds. They are very small and always on the move so very hard to photograph. I know these are not the sharpest images but I wanted to share them all the same since they are such gorgeous little bundles of cuteness. 

I could make excuses after all they were quite a way off, high above me and it was very cold so that combined with the fact that they hardly stopped still for a fraction of a second made it really challenging to get even these shots. However I wont make excuses and will simply admit they are not at the standard I would hope for and as always that will motivate me to go out and try to do better next time. And anyway they're not terrible and you can still see how lovely they are.

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...

Sweet Songbirds

 At this time of year with the buds emerging on trees and bushes it is still fairly easy to spot birds as they find a perch and sing out to mark their territory or try to attract a mate. That being said you do still need to be patient because they don't always stay still for long and it can be difficult to actually locate where a particular song is coming from. It can be really frustrating when you finally spot the bird and then it flies off to a new vantage point and you have to start again.

The greenfinch in the first of these shots was a case in point. I could hear him singing for ages before I spotted him and just when I did he flew off, luckily I was able to follow him and got close enough to fire off a few frames. I know that I probably don't see the full beauty of his vibrant plumage but I do appreciate what I see and being able to enjoy his song.

The bird in the next two images is a Dunnock. It is an easily overlooked bird given that it has fairly drab colouring but it has a really beautiful song which more than makes up for its lack of colour. It is still quite a handsome bird although in the second shot with it looking straight at the camera it does look a little fierce.

Going Going Gone...

 So yesterday I shared some pictures of a Common Crossbill, the first time I have been able to photograph these interesting birds.

Today I have shared a short sequence to show how the bird uses its unique bill shape to get hold of its food and how it twists its neck round while keeping its body almost completely still. I am not sure what it was eating but it obviously went down well. It also went down very quickly, in a matter of seconds in fact.

Loxia curvirostra

 The Common Crossbill.  I had gone out hoping to capture something different but although I could hear lots of birdsong I was finding it very difficult to spot anything. After a short while however a small flock of noisy birds settled briefly and I realised they were crossbills. I don't think I have seen them before and I know I have definitely never photographed them so I was thrilled to get this chance. 

They are not the prettiest of birds and this little chap is all fluffed up against the wind. It is easy to see why they get their name and that curiously shaped bill is exceptionally useful even though it looks like it might be a little clumsy. Tomorrow I will share some pictures of it putting that bill to use...

Fur Bee

 This is such a fluffy bee with a a great big walrus moustache.

It was a little bit damp and bedraggled but I am sure that after feasting on nectar from this thistle it would soon be ready to fly. 

On The Up

This tiny little fungus was almost completely hidden under some bracken. I love the way the cap flows upwards revealing the delicate fins beneath.

In the first image you can see a tiny seed caught between two of the fins and also two tiny little water droplets.

In the second you can just make out the twisted stem.

It is so beautiful.

Black and White in Colour (and black and white)

I love black and white photography and so when I spotted this beautiful black and white bumblebee i thought he was a perfect subject .

I thought however that i should show him off in colour against the flowers that he was feeding on. I think he looks lovely but actually I think it looks more stunning in black and white.

Let me know what you think.

This was shot hand held with my 100mm macro lens.