Todays sightings

With the weather warming up, sightings are Improving daily. My daily afternoon Raven watch, at the top of my patch, threw up a nice surprise today!

While looking at the Ravens, in their daily courtship aerial display, a larger and whiter shape came into view.

Moving position ever so slightly, to get the best views, a male Rough-legged Buzzard was gliding on a thermal breeze. Showing a lighter phase belly, clear black carpal patches, a fanned white tail with 2 black bars underside & a hooded look to the head and neck.

Showing for 5-6 mins, good observations were had against a perfect clear blue sky.

 Species showing were:

Nutcracker..Blackbird.

Blue, Sombre, Marsh, Great & Long-tailed Tit.

Hawfinch..Fieldfare..Chaffinch..Brambling..Serin..Starling.

Hooded Crow..Magpie..Jay..Raven.

Goshawk..Rough-Legged Buzzard.

Grey-Headed, Black & Great-Spotted Woodpecker.

Yellowhammer..Goldcrest..Bullfinch..Wren.

Tree Sparrow..Crested Tit..Mistle Thrush.

Little Owl..Goldfinch & House Sparrow.

A good days birding, well afternoon I should say, until dusk which is about 6.30pm now.

With the promise of the next 5 days being, clear, bright and sunny, I am expecting to find more good birding!!

Winter's Wren.

09/02/2012.
-8 degs & dropping, Wind NNE biting cold.
A dense cover of cloud all day.
A constant light fall of snow, lays winter's carpet. With bitter coldness that has a winter smell and the feel of soft flakes on my face, I watch as two Ravens fly low on the ridge. I watched as they grew small in the fading grey light, until just a distant echo!

Walking I came to a stone wall, where still last summers grasses hang from it's edge, like tendrils of some dying creature. There were some hole obvious, and it was from one that a male Wren appeared. 
The smallest of bold, with much quickening of wing and a standing tail erect!

I decided to stay and observe for a while, I marvel at his traversing & searching among the dead tendrils, foraging for a food to keep out a winter night's grip.

A russet brown energy, bar marks compliment his creamy eye stripe that is ever so evident.
His long down curved bill, purposefully probs for a spidery delight. 
For this time of watching, all else is forgotten, in timeless motion I watch & write. To take note, to admire and learn, to observe the smallest of small, yet the loudest of all.

This shy elusive singer, can be heard all year long. Hidden from sight so as not to be seen, but to hear his, excited, rapid and vibrant verse, so loud from so small, it not to be missed.
Then all of a sudden, with a "whirring" of wings, into dusk's dull light he's gone, I am left with cold breath and alone, but evermore fulfilled! 

Cruel weather breaks, for a day!

It's a day, when the sky touches the earth, there is no space between. Heavy snow has rendered the land a bland whiteness. Severe minus temperatures has frozen the ground making walking difficult to bloody dangerous, every footfall sounds like walking on a million packets of cornflakes. 


The good news, today the skies parted, lunch time revealed a brilliant deep blue sky. White fluffy clouds floated in periods, casting walking shadows across the snow.

Ok, time to get out birding, now where has my wife moved me bins this time? Out the door and bang, it was like being hit with the arctic tundra, it was so cold my teeth hurt!
Still, been there, done that, I can do it. Decided to walk up to the beginning of my patch, which is about 300mts from my front door.


Not more than 50 mts up, Lesser-spotted woodpecker, brilliant, my favorite Woody, great views for around 10 mins, then I turn round and to my left is my flock of Long-tailed Tits, this is a family group that I have been observing for the past 2 years. 
I love these birds, so I savor the moment, well 15 moments actually, taking notes to continue my observations on them.

Just when I was ready to try and go further, two things became apparent. First the weather was starting to deteriorate, cloud dropping and light becoming that magical crappy colour, but secondly, and most importantly, 2 Rock Buntings landed on a snow bank back down the track, just outside my house. 
Taking my life in my hands, and with all the trained skills of a complete idiot, I started to jog, run, ok stumble and slip my way back to the house to get......yes me bloody camera!


Just to put things straight, I am a field observer and have been for the past 48 years. I am not a photographer, but I do take photos from time to time, and I so wanted the Rock Buntings in my folio. 
So doing one of the most spectacular slides across our frozen tiled walkway that has ever, not been witnessed, I hit the door with the force of an out of control, train, no still "Idiot",  and shout to my Alison to, how did I put it...... oh yes...."chuck us me bloody camera hun"


Now armed with the tool for the job, I stealthfully, re-slide my way back to the frozen arctic that is still waiting back outside.
I had some amazing views of this handsome Bunting. I managed to get to within 5-6 mts of them and got some very nice pics.
I stayed there for as long as my already numb fingers would allow. 


With the weather now returned to it cruellness, which at the moment seems to have been here forever, I return to the warmth of the Indoors.
Log fire roars in the hearth, a hot chocolate is on the table, with a chocy biscuit of course, next to my computer, and a big warmest of all hug and soft kiss from my Ali.

Not waiting too long, I download my pics, and here are the results.......hope you like them!!!!!