Show Us Your Bird & Wildlife Photos

[Martyn Pitt]

Martin. Fabulous pictures as always.I'm always amazed how good nature's camouflage is. The reed bunting is exactly the same colours as the reeds it takes its name from.

Steve

The reed bed is right in front of a hide, there were two Reed Buntings about 10m out from the hide, they were not easy to spot, the movement of the reed stem was the thing that gave their position away, indeed excellent camouflage.

 

Snipe are tricky, I once watched one fly in towards the shoreline in front of me, all the way through the air, the moment it landed by some reeds and stood still I lost sight of it, until it moved.

 

Owls are unbelievable, great bird bird, stands on a branch at the junction with the trunk and disappears from view 

Edited December 6, 2014 by martyn pitt

[Winsford Soul]

The reed bed is right in front of a hide, there were two Reed Buntings about 10m out from the hide, they were not easy to spot, the movement of the reed stem was the thing that gave their position away, indeed excellent camouflage.

 

Snipe are tricky, I once watched one fly in towards the shoreline in front of me, all the way through the air, the moment it landed by some reeds and stood still I lost sight of it, until it moved.

 

Owls are unbelievable great bird bird, stands on a branch at the junction with the trunk and disappears from view 

Martyn as you say snipe are extremely difficult to see. The picture I posted earlier in this thread with the cropped and uncropped versions just go to show the camouflage.

Steve

[Guest]

Nice to see the owls are back!

 

http://youtu.be/iGwtgPe8vbA

[Amsterdam Russ]

Earlier on in the week I found half a year's worth of photos on an external hard drive we no longer use. Among them was a this one, taken four years ago when we lived next to someone who bred and raced pigeons. They were let out twice a day like clockwork — once in the morning and again early evening — so it was a simple matter to be in the right place with the camera when the conditions were right.

 

 

 

[Amsterdam Russ]

With the weather marching coldly and decisively towards winter, I thought I'd put out a couple of net bags of bird seed on the railings of our back balcony.

 

Next morning I found a couple of jackdaws greedily tearing at one of the bags with the other one having disappeared. Not a good start. Late in the afternoon, though, I spied a male chaffinch having a good feed.

 

 

This morning the jackdaws are at it again. Seeds and bird droppings are everywhere and it's obvious that the not-so-little blighters have tried to hack through the top part of the mesh with the purpose of separating the bag from the railings. Greedy sods. I just pity the poor person who might happen to be strolling below when they succeed!

 

Day two and it looks as if these standard mesh bags are just going to fall foul of the jackdaws every time. There's no way to scare them away for anything longer than a short time as our building seems to serve as a central gathering point for them.

 

Time for a rethink on avian food delivery systems. Any suggestions?

 

 

 

 

[Martyn Pitt]

Russell, there are  various designs of bird feeders available.

 

In fact putting out the feed in those nets is asking for trouble, always a danger the smaller birds will get their claws tangled in them.

[Peter99]

Russell Gilbert, on 09 Dec 2014 - 10:22 AM, said:

With the weather marching coldly and decisively towards winter, I thought I'd put out a couple of net bags of bird seed on the railings of our back balcony.

 

Next morning I found a couple of jackdaws greedily tearing at one of the bags with the other one having disappeared. Not a good start. Late in the afternoon, though, I spied a male chaffinch having a good feed.

 

_DSC1889-web.jpg

 

This morning the jackdaws are at it again. Seeds and bird droppings are everywhere and it's obvious that the not-so-little blighters have tried to hack through the top part of the mesh with the purpose of separating the bag from the railings. Greedy sods. I just pity the poor person who might happen to be strolling below when they succeed!

 

Day two and it looks as if these standard mesh bags are just going to fall foul of the jackdaws every time. There's no way to scare them away for anything longer than a short time as our building seems to serve as a central gathering point for them.

 

Time for a rethink on avian food delivery systems. Any suggestions?

 

 

martyn pitt, on 09 Dec 2014 - 11:13 AM, said:

Russell, there are  various designs of bird feeders available.

 

In fact putting out the feed in those nets is asking for trouble, always a danger the smaller birds will get their claws tangled in them.

Yep, same when using fat balls - always remove the mesh.

 

My arch enemy in terms of bird feeders is my resident squirrel - very clever, strong teeth and extremely tenacious!

 

As much as he is a pain I do enjoy watching his antics.

 

Peter

[Amsterdam Russ]

Russell, there are  various designs of bird feeders available.

 

In fact putting out the feed in those nets is asking for trouble, always a danger the smaller birds will get their claws tangled in them.

 

Yep, same when using fat balls - always remove the mesh.

 

My arch enemy in terms of bird feeders is my resident squirrel - very clever, strong teeth and extremely tenacious!

 

As much as he is a pain I do enjoy watching his antics.

 

Peter

 

I've been putting out mesh balls of bird food for some years and never once had a problem. In our old place, we had a bird table as well the mesh balls and I have to say the table was hardly popular with our garden visitors at all. 

 

Now that we don't have a garden, dispensing options are limited because there isn't the space on a balcony. Next time I'm at the country's largest garden centre, which happens to be just a few kilometres from us, I'll see what they have available. Acting as a human scarecrow has given the jackdaws some pause for thought this morning. They've not been back since our last encounter. Of course, it's only a matter of time before they build up enough courage to return...

Edited December 9, 2014 by Russell Gilbert

[Winsford Soul]

I've been putting out mesh balls of bird food for some years and never once had a problem. In our old place, we had a bird table as well the mesh balls and I have to say the table was hardly popular with our garden visitors at all. 

 

Now that we don't have a garden, dispensing options are limited because there isn't the space on a balcony. Next time I'm at the country's largest garden centre, which happens to be just a few kilometres from us, I'll see what they have available. Acting as a human scarecrow has given the jackdaws some pause for thought this morning. They've not been back since our last encounter. Of course, it's only a matter of time before they build up enough courage to return...

Russell. Can you fasten a couple of brackets to your balcony to hang the bird feeders off. If not fasten a few sturdy branches to the balcony to hang the feeders off. The name of the seed feeder is called commonly a Niger seed feeder, you can also get them with a larger outer cage to stop the jackdaws and similar for Peter to stop the squirrels.

Steve

[Amsterdam Russ]

Russell. Can you fasten a couple of brackets to your balcony to hang the bird feeders off. If not fasten a few sturdy branches to the balcony to hang the feeders off. The name of the seed feeder is called commonly a Niger seed feeder, you can also get them with a larger outer cage to stop the jackdaws and similar for Peter to stop the squirrels.

Steve

I certainly need to look at options that go beyond just tying a ball of seed to the railings. The jackdaws did come back (of course) and actually hacked the remaining bag of seed from the railing rather than just simply split the mesh open with beak or claw.

 

Naturally I expected the bag and its contents to have dropped down onto the pavement below and spilled everywhere, but no, the whole thing had disappeared. Clever, clever buggers!

[Winsford Soul]

I certainly need to look at options that go beyond just tying a ball of seed to the railings. The jackdaws did come back (of course) and actually hacked the remaining bag of seed from the railing rather than just simply split the mesh open with beak or claw.

 

Naturally I expected the bag and its contents to have dropped down onto the pavement below and spilled everywhere, but no, the whole thing had disappeared. Clever, clever buggers!

As you very well know all members of the crow families are extremely clever. I love watching them looking at things and titling there heads from side to side working things out, you can almost hear the brains ticking.

Steve

[Amsterdam Russ]

As you very well know all members of the crow families are extremely clever. I love watching them looking at things and titling there heads from side to side working things out, you can almost hear the brains ticking.

Steve

Agreed. Thing is though, our building serves as jackdaw central. They're always about in number and also roost in the eves. If it were just a couple of pairs, I wouldn't mind so much, but when it comes to putting out feed for other birds, it's always going to be a battle! 

[Suzannek]

Our bird feeders are fine, we get jackdaws, magpies and jays as corvid members visiting the garden, yet still we get a large number of garden birds. We have a suet ball feeder, meal worm feeder and wildbird seed feeder

[Martyn Pitt]

I had 15 sightings of Kingfishers, most of which were flying along the ditch that runs alongside the footpath around the reservoir. How they were going to see any fish in there was beyond me as it was the colour of cocoa.

 

Never had that many sightings of them before, shame I could not get one to pose for me 

 

We also now have 3 Little Egret visiting us, managed to get this one in flight

 

 

[Winsford Soul]

I had 15 sightings of Kingfishers, most of which were flying along the ditch that runs alongside the footpath around the reservoir. How they were going to see any fish in there was beyond me as it was the colour of cocoa.

 

Never had that many sightings of them before, shame I could not get one to pose for me 

 

We also now have 3 Little Egret visiting us, managed to get this one in flight

 

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Martyn. Are you sure it wasn't the same kingfisher just doing laps of the reserve. Sorry mate that's all I could come up with.

Steve

[Guest gfarrington]

thought about you steve on fri as i got into work & was about two foot away from a red squirrel , as we eyeballed each other i tried to get the phone on video , but it made a run for it, jumped out of the bin (someone left it open) must have leaped about six foot away then ran up the nearest tree

[Tattoodave]

thought about you steve on fri as i got into work & was about two foot away from a red squirrel , as we eyeballed each other i tried to get the phone on video , but it made a run for it, jumped out of the bin (someone left it open) must have leaped about six foot away then ran up the nearest tree

Reminds me of a story from my past, heading through Hyde Park on my way to Victoria station to catch a train to Gatwick for my return flight to Toronto after a 100 club allnighter I thought the noise emanating from a rubbish bin would be a relatively harmless grey squirrel, so I thought I'd give it a scare and kicked the bin, only to see three enormous rats leap out, gave me the scare of my life.

[Guest gfarrington]

lol , btw puts my(long ) journey to the 100 club from the north west into perspective 

[Tattoodave]

lol , btw puts my(long ) journey to the 100 club from the north west into perspective 

I used to come to the UK for the summer and work the winters in Toronto, but would fly in just for an allnighter a couple of times a winter, red eye over and awake all the way back, sleep on Monday, work on Tuesday. Simples

[Tattoodave]

Foxtail Agave, flowering last week at the local nursery

Bignonia with a darker flower than usual at the nursery

Cassia corymbosa at the nursery

Poinsettias at the nursery

Solandra grandiflora flowering just up the road at El Zoco

 

Sorry about the pictures being sideways, it's late and I'm tight

[Martyn Pitt]

Martyn. Are you sure it wasn't the same kingfisher just doing laps of the reserve. Sorry mate that's all I could come up with.

Steve

We think there were 4 or 5 about today, (they come up from the nearby canal).

 

The guys that do the bird ringing at Belvide have ringed 11 Kingfisher this year, so they have obviously had a good breeding season.

[Martyn Pitt]

A Grey Wagtail walking on water, well the ice that had formed at the margins, good job I was wrapped up warm 

 

 

 

 

[Tattoodave]

A Grey Wagtail walking on water, well the ice that had formed at the margins, good job I was wrapped up warm 

 

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432_056.jpg

Ice?

[Martyn Pitt]

Ice?

Ice baby 

 

It was -2° first thing yesterday morning, there was a thin ice on the water around the margins.

[Tattoodave]

Ice baby 

 

It was -2° first thing yesterday morning, there was a thin ice on the water around the margins.

The only ice I see now Martyn is from the freezer

[Martyn Pitt]

This time a Pied Wagtail from yesterday

 

[good angel]

Reminds me of a story from my past, heading through Hyde Park on my way to Victoria station to catch a train to Gatwick for my return flight to Toronto after a 100 club allnighter I thought the noise emanating from a rubbish bin would be a relatively harmless grey squirrel, so I thought I'd give it a scare and kicked the bin, only to see three enormous rats leap out, gave me the scare of my life.

That reminds me of someone telling the RSPCA that when he goes into the park at night he feeds night squirrels so they set up night cameras,he was letting rats run all over him and feeding them.....Errrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Tattoodave]

That reminds me of someone telling the RSPCA that when he goes into the park at night he feeds night squirrels so they set up night cameras,he was letting rats run all over him and feeding them.....Errrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Send him to Rajasthan, the Karni Mata temple, that would suit him fine

[Ncfc]

Saw a peregrine scattering the wigeon on the broad i was fishing yesterday!It was then seen off by a pair of marsh harriers.

 

Made up for a poor days fishing as peregrines are not common in Norfolk.

[Martyn Pitt]

It's great watching these wonderful creatures take off

 

 

[Peter99]

martyn pitt, on 15 Dec 2014 - 10:01 AM, said:

It's great watching these wonderful creatures take off

 

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Yes it is Martyn

 

I live near the Grantham Canal - it runs at the back of my house, and there are a number of resident breeding pairs. I remember one year watching some cygnets learning to fly - they were actively being taught by their parents. Amazing stuff.

 

 

Peter

[Winsford Soul]

1st ever kingfisher picture

Female brambling ?

Just as I got back to the car the sun nearly appeared

Here's a few from me from today at Pennington Flash

Steve

Edited December 19, 2014 by Winsford Soul

[Patto]

IMG_0419.JPG

1st ever kingfisher picture

 

IMG_0457.JPG

Female brambling

 

IMG_0469.JPG

Just as I got back to the car the sun nearly appeared

 

Here's a few from me from today at Pennington Flash

 

Steve

Brill Kingfisher Steve,but the other one looks like a female chaffinch to me not a Brambling

[Winsford Soul]

Brill Kingfisher Steve,but the other one looks like a female chaffinch to me not a Brambling

I wasn't sure I also thought it was a female chaffinch but when ive looked in my books its looking like a female brambling with having the white belly but it hasn't got the dark head patches that the brambling has. Will have to go back and take more pictures

 

Steve

Edited December 19, 2014 by Winsford Soul

[Winsford Soul]

Brill Kingfisher Steve,but the other one looks like a female chaffinch to me not a Brambling

Patto. Just been looking on the Manchester birding forum regarding Pennington flash and there no recorded sighting of bramblings there this winter,so I'm agreeing with you mate. Female chaffinch it is

[Martyn Pitt]

Female Brambling would have orange on it Steve 

[Winsford Soul]

Female Brambling would have orange on it Steve

Wasn't sure whether they lost the orange in the winter Martyn. It just seemed very white underneath. That's what had me thinking mate.

Steve

[Martyn Pitt]

Wasn't sure whether they lost the orange in the winter Martyn. It just seemed very white underneath. That's what had me thinking mate.

Steve

You should see some over the coming months, I always associate them with cold frosty days.

 

Nice to see you got your first Kingy 

Edited December 19, 2014 by martyn pitt

[Ncfc]

I had 15 sightings of Kingfishers, most of which were flying along the ditch that runs alongside the footpath around the reservoir. How they were going to see any fish in there was beyond me as it was the colour of cocoa.

 

Never had that many sightings of them before, shame I could not get one to pose for me 

 

We also now have 3 Little Egret visiting us, managed to get this one in flight

 

432_069.jpg

Mentioned earlier in the thread about the yellow feet and this photo shows them off nicely.

[Winsford Soul]

Forgot to add to my Pennington flash picture's by adding that it's only a 20min maybe 15 miles journey from home as opposed to the 1 hour / 60 mile journeys I normally make. So it's decided. Home patch for me. Looking forward to getting to know it properly.

Steve

[Guest gfarrington]

Forgot to add to my Pennington flash picture's by adding that it's only a 20min maybe 15 miles journey from home as opposed to the 1 hour / 60 mile journeys I normally make. So it's decided. Home patch for me. Looking forward to getting to know it properly.

Steve

did you not do nine holes while you were there, long time since ive played pennington, very ruff & ready course seven out of the nine holes involve water, we used to get there at the crack of dawn & on more than one occasion there used to be some bloke walking up the ninth hole pulling his trolley still in his suit from the night before probably lol

[Winsford Soul]

Gary. Couldn't play golf if my life depended on it mate. There's always some nice ponds and tree's on golf courses. Sorry .

Steve

[Winsford Soul]

 

Seen a Bullfinch today but didn't manage a picture

 

Here's one taken from earlier this year .. Sorry cant remember who was asking about them. or if I have already posted this

 

Steve

[Martyn Pitt]

My nemesis Bullfinches, especially the male ones, really skittish.

 

Still managed a couple this morning, a gentleman and his lady

 

 

[Winsford Soul]

My nemesis Bullfinches, especially the male ones, really skittish.

 

Still managed a couple this morning, a gentleman and his lady

 

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Stunning as ever Martyn.

Seen a few this last week but no picture's,you never know what tomorrow's walk may bring.

Hope you and Carol have a good Christmas mate.

Steve

[Martyn Pitt]

Stunning as ever Martyn.

Seen a few this last week but no picture's,you never know what tomorrow's walk may bring.

Hope you and Carol have a good Christmas mate.

Steve

Happy Christmas to you and Lou as well

 

Managed one of these as well, in the reeds in front of one of the hides, I was waiting for a Water Rail and this flew in, a few minutes either way and it would have been in some decent sunshine.

 

[Winsford Soul]

Just returned from a couple of mile walk round Pennington flash .certainly blew the cobwebs off.

No pictures but did manage to see a stoat.

Steve

[Ncfc]

23 cranes in v formation flew over boat today and also saw another bittern,fantastic morning to be out though the freezing fog made for crap fishing.

[Martyn Pitt]

Can't believe we don't have one of these for the festive period.

 

 

[Winsford Soul]

Just been told that there,s a pair of parakeets showing daily in a church grounds near me. Will have to go and have a look in the next few days.

Steve