Something Creepy

 Isn't this little chap adorable? 

This is one of my favourite woodland species, a Treecreeper. Although they are quite widespread (214,000 pairs in the UK) they are really difficult to spot. They are very small, and they are constantly on the move as they almost scurry up and down tree trunks and along branches in search of food. They cling tight to the bark, often using their tails to give additional support, their brown plumage is perfect camouflage and that curved beak is just right for probing the cracks in the bark for the insects that make up its diet.

When I spotted this one I was also pleased to see a second treecreeper further up on a neighbouring tree which is unusual as they are normally solitary birds; although as we are at the start of spring it is possible this was a breeding pair out foraging together. Anyway whatever their story I think this is a little woodland gem and I am definitely very pleased to have captured these images which I can share with you.

Red Panda

These are absolutely, definitely one of my favourite mammals.

I think they are great to photograph because they have so much personality.

This one was in the Tiergarten, the Zoo in Vienna 

You have to admit they're so cute.

Creepy Little Fella

Maybe it is unkind to call this cute little bird "creepy" but he is a Tree Creeper so it is an accurate description. I have only photographed one once before and it was a lousy shot, low light, quick moving subject so grainy and blurry. On this particular occasion although the light wasn't great I did manage to get three quick shots. Using a high ISO the pictures are still quite grainy  but with a little bit of work I have been able to reduce some of the "noise" and produce soft but usable images.

He didn't stay still for long and quickly made its way around and up the tree trunk out of sight but it was a genuine thrill to see it and capture these pictures. You have to agree he is pretty cute. You may be able to make out his long claws/toes perfectly adapted to clinging to the bark enabling him to move nimbly and quickly up and down in his search for insects in every crevice. Hie curved beak is also perfectly adapted for the task of winkling out food from the tightest spots.

Noisy Nuthatch

I have seen nuthatches many times and they are really beautiful birds. 

I love the way they cling onto the bark or branches of trees lying flat against the surface or hanging upside down, they are so agile. I love their black mask giving them the appearance of a bandit.

This particular bird was spotted during a walk in the New Forest, I was actually stalking a herd of Fallow Deer at the time and it was pretty wet and grey so the lighting wasn't great. The noise in the title to this post doesn't relate to the birds' song but to the "noise" in the image because it was shot at an ISO of 20,000 so inevitably it was very grainy and nowhere near as sharp as I had hoped it would be. 

I had almost discarded these shots as worthless but after a little bit of tweaking in Lightroom I have found that they could be salvaged and they are closer to what I had pictured when I took the shots. I really like the poses in both shots so I am glad I was able to "rescue" them. Now that I know how I will be able to go through some older files and see if I can apply this fix to other shots that previously I had discarded.

Small and Chunky

According to the RSPB pocket guide to birds of Britain and Europe "Small and chunky" are the words used to describe the Stonechat, seen here perched at the top of a Hawthorn bush on the open heath land of the New Forest.

This is a male as you can tell from his black head and throat, his white neck and his rust red chest. 

This perch is typical for the species that like to sit high up on bushes  surveying the land round about and calling out Tsak, tsak-tsak before flying off in search of spiders and insects to feast on.

He really is quite a handsome bird and it was great to spot him while out walking with my son.

Knock On Wood

As I walked along the path at Burton Mere in search of a Merlin that I knew had been spotted nearby I was distracted by a loud hammering sound above me. At first it was quite hard to pinpoint the source because the knocking was reverberating around the woodland. I was really pleased when I did eventually spot it, this beautiful Great Spotted Woodpecker.

It was moving quite a bit and using my long lens handheld was quite tricky but I am happy to have got a few half decent shots.

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

Tree Shells

The title for today's post was suggested by my youngest son and I think it fits really well as these bracket fungi do look rather like shells clinging to the trunk of the tree.

I am feeling a bit rough today and I don't have a lot to say so I will just leave you to enjoy the pictures.

"Beautiful Squirrels"

These rare Prevost Squirrels ( Callosciurus prevostii) or Tri-Coloured Squirrels from South East Asia belong to a genus of squirrels which are collectively known as "Beautiful Squirrels" and it is easy to see why.

Chester Zoo has a family group of five with three young being born earlier this year. I wouldn't be at all surprised if those numbers increase in about six weeks time given the activity going on in the enclosure during my visit to the zoo yesterday...

Climbing High

It is Christmas Eve and by now hopefully everyone is ready for the big day tomorrow. I for one am ready to put my feet up and take things easy, for a while at least. I still have time to share a picture with you though...

I took this one earlier this year during a visit to Chester Zoo. I hope to go back to the zoo later this week to see how all the animals are doing and hopefully see some of the recent arrivals. For now here is a super cute bear cub up a tree which I am sure will raise a smile.

I hope that you enjoy this picture and I wish you all very best wishes for the season, Merry Christmas 

The Holly and ...

... the Ivy

I don't know about you but when I think Ivy I think Green (a bit like the second of today's images) but how about the lovely rich colours in the first shot, there is so much red and so many shades of green it is simply beautiful.

That's A Long Tail

Today I spent about 20 minutes taking pictures of some of the wasps and bees on the Lavender and Fuschia in my front garden and I am looking forward to seeing how they turn out. 

For today however how about this shot of a Long-Tailed Tit? I love these little birds, they're so cute and they fly around in noisy little groups. This one was part of a lively group that was feeding on the bright berries in this Hawthorn tree. It was quite difficult to get the shot because it didn't stay still for very long and I had to keep changing position to get a clear line of sight. It was worth the effort though and it was a nice reward during my evening walk.

Look Mum, I'm up a tree!

This cute little fella is an Andean Bear cub and was one of the reasons for my decision to visit Chester Zoo. I wasn't entirely sure I would get to see him but I was lucky because he was out with his  mother enjoying the fine summer sunshine and exploring the enclosure. He was turning over stones and rolling around and climbing the tree. He went to the very top with ease, it was coming down, as he is in this picture that seemed to give him more of a problem. It was very entertaining and a great photo opportunity.

Woodland Bandit

In the shady woodland the colours of this little Nuthatch seem a bit muted but he really is a handsome fellow with his blue-grey and buff plumage. 

This shot is the right way up, I haven't tilted or turned the image at all it is as the bird was, sneaking around the trunk of the tree looking for seeds and berries. Of course there were no seeds or berries on the tree but there were plenty to be found on the ground and on a feeding table nearby. But as I was also there armed with my camera this fantastic woodland bird was taking a cautious approach. Given that the banding around his eyes look a bit like a burglars' mask the stealthy approach seems quite appropriate.

Courtship

Ok so I know this isn't the sharpest image but I was so pleased to capture this moment that I wanted to share it. It is after all undeniably cute.

I had been watching the bird on the right flying about collecting seeds and stuff and then noticed the other fly up to this high branch where the other bird joined it and offered tasty morsels of food. I was puzzled to see this as clearly the birds are both adults and anyway it is a little early for Blue Tits to be fledging. I wondered if perhaps the bird on the left was from an earlier brood but of course it is only April so again that would not explain this behaviour.

I spoke about this to a friend who regularly has Blue Tits nesting in their garden and they reported having recently witnessed similar behaviour so I decided to do a little research. I found an old research article which discusses this behaviour in detail and if your are interested it might be worth a look. 

It makes sense that while birds are nesting one adult bird will gather food and feed the partner who is sitting on the nest but here feeding behaviour away from the nest is part of the courtship rituals and is regarded as an important step in strengthening the bond between the adult birds. Perhaps it is the Tit version of taking your love out to a fancy restaurant.

Gotta Love a Tree Hugger

While camping lake side in the provincial park we were visited by lots of critters on a daily basis including chipmunks, skunks and squirrels. During our stay we saw grey, black and red squirrels but by far the most friendly were the reds, like this one that let me get up close as he posed for this delightful portrait. He had been active around the site all week but had been quite difficult to photograph because he was so darned fast so patience was the key to getting this shot. 

I think that you will agree he is adorable.