Little Birdies

 A little break from flowers for today (and maybe for tomorrow too) 

On May 1st I made the most of the sunny weather and visited Sizergh castle in Cumbria. The castle itself was closed to visitors but the gardens were open and I spent a few very pleasant hours there.

For a little while I sat in a quiet spot watching birds feeding, I had thought I had taken a lot more pictures of birds than I actually did so here are a few of the better ones.

First off we have a nuthatch. There were a few of them that were feeding on some seeds that had been scattered on the ground. They would fly in grab a beak full and then just as quickly fly off. This one took to perching in the tree waiting for its turn.

The Robin perched on the willow arch and then searched among the wood chippings for some tasty treats.

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.

English Songbirds

The first shot is of a Dunnock, not the most colourful bird but one that has a really beautiful song. It is one of the few regular visitors to my garden although this one was spotted at Brockholes.

The second shot is of a Whitethroat in full song. I wish you could hear the song while you look at the picture... why not click on this link for a sample...

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.

Songbirds of Skomer

It is probably fair to say that from April through July the main attractions on Skomer are the Puffins and the other nesting seabirds that make this island their temporary home. But, there are lots of other things to see, lots of other creatures that find sanctuary on the island like rabbits, grey seals and a host of song birds. It would be a mistake however to think that it is a totally safe place because the Black Backed Gulls are ruthless predators feeding  on chicks and the Manx Shearwaters so all the islands residents need to be very wary.

Walking around the island the air is filled with birdsong but it is very difficult to spot the birds as they flit around the bracken and heather. With a bit of patience however I managed to get a few shots of a Stonechat and a Meadow Pippit. These are really beautiful birds and the pippit has a beautiful and captivating song.

Fledgling

My recent posts of songbirds have proved quite popular and on Saturday I set out to capture some more wildlife shots. The forecast was for rain so my original plans had to change, I was keen to get out but didn't want to get wet so I settled upon Mere Sands Wood where I knew I would be able to shelter in one of the lake side hides.

On arrival I noticed a sign stating that a pair of kingfishers have been spotted around my favourite hide and so I went there first and set up ready with my finger excitedly on the button. Sadly I didn't spot any kingfishers, in fact from that hide there was very little to be seen so I moved onto a different hide in the hope of seeing some kingfishers or a bittern but after a rather long time with nothing much to see I set off for a walk in the woods.

It wasn't a total washout and I did manage to get a few decent shots. Today's selection was one of the last pictures I took on the day and I have to say it is one of my favourites (I may well share another view of this bird in a day or two). At first I wasn't sure what it is but it is of course a juvenile robin. It really is a beauty isn't it. 

I have learned that when robins fledge they stay on their parent's territory for a while and because the adult birds are so fiercely territorial they retain this lovely speckled brown plumage until they are old enough to fend for themselves and defend a territory of their own, otherwise they would be driven off by their parents and their chance of survival would be slim. 

Precious Songbirds

British songbirds are in decline and apparently Canada has a similar problem.

I spotted this little beauty when I stopped off at Silver Islet, it was hoping around in the scrub along the shore, and it had a most beautiful song. I have tried to identify what species it is and hopefully I have been successful. I thought it might be a species of warbler but it's not I wondered if it was a wood thrush but it's not. It is in fact a song sparrow. It certainly isn't the most colourful bird but it really is a cute little character.

In my search to identify it I came across a very short video from Feb 2016 which highlights the decline in songbirds and the first bird in the clip is the song sparrow and although it is only very brief you get to hear a bit of this birds' beautiful song so click on the link and take a few moments to watch.

Songbirds on Skomer

The first two of today's pictures are of a Dunnock perched on a fence post. I was alerted to its presence by its song and at first I couldn't see it until it settled on the post, just long enough for me to take these two shots before it flew off. I am really happy with these pictures as they are so sharp.

The final bird was a puzzle to me at first. I had been watching some skylarks and at first that is what I thought this was, it was too far away for a clear identification at first but now as you can see it is a Whitethroat. As far as I can recall this was the first whitethroat I had ever seen so I'm really pleased with this although as it was on a bramble buffeted by the wind it was hard to get a clean shot.