Breakfast at the Cafe.

Blackbird ..........Turdus merula

Photographic Model.

Blue Tit .........Parus caeruleus

This garden bird shot has also been featured on the Baywatch site.

In The Evergreen

Blackbird .........Turdus merula

At the Cocktail Bar.

Long-tailed Tit ......Aegithalos caudatus

A Quiet Moment.

Dunnock .....Prunella modularis

Swinging Blue Tit

Blue Tit......Parus caeruleus

New Year ..New Lists.



Life List.

The coming year I hope to add greatly to my life list and pass the two hundred mark.

Rather common birds like Mistle Thrush, Brambling, Tree Sparrow and Green Woodpecker should hopefully soon be added to the list along with Goosander and Jack Snipe.



The Garden List.

Unless we get invaded by Corvids and Gulls it is a little difficult to see what we can hopefully pull in...maybe a Nuthatch if we are really lucky.



The Photographic List.

I am going to try and photograph as many species as possible in 2010 and have set a target of one hundred and twenty.



The Year List

To see as many different species of birds as is possible.

Christmas Greetings

Blackbird at the Table.

Blackbird ..........Turdus merula

Starling at the Table.

Starling .....Sturnus vulgaris

Garden Firecrest.

Firecrest .........Regalus ignicapillus

Visiting Again.

Song Thrush ..........Turdus philomelos

The return of our old friends continues with the arrival today of a Song Thrush. Although Angie has heard them ...they have not been seen in the garden for a good few months or more.

Maybe he/she will hang around for a while now....hope so.

Scrubbed up and on the Pull.

Chaffinch ......Fringilla coelebs

Return of the Natives.

What an amazing day in the backyard garden . First up was the Goldcrest followed by Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Blackbirds , Starlings, House Sparrows ,Robins and Coal Tits. Next came the male and female Blackcaps, a Redwing in the trees, fleeting foray of a Firecrest, the return (as predicted) of the Bullfinch (male) and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. The total species counted by Angie today was twentyfour.
An amazing week has seen the return of the Goldcrest, Firecrest, Blackcaps, Bullfinch and G.S.Woodpecker to the garden.
We are now waiting for a Siskin and I am trying for a Nuthatch to add to the count.

Lucy

Long-tailed Tit ..........Aegithalos caudatus

Taken from the Slow Shutter Shoot.

Bluey on the Posing Pole

Blue Tit .........Parus caeruleus

Blacky and Bluey from yesterday's *Slow Shutter Shoot*

Blacky on the Lookout Log

Blackbird ......Turdus merula

Male Blackcap

The slow shutter speeds were not ideal.....but it is far better than the Goldcrest.

Judge Dread

Blackcap .........Sylvia atricapilla

Goldcrest.

Goldcrest ........Regulus regulus

Okay...I know I was not going to post it but I thought it at least shows we sometimes have to shoot in conditions far from ideal. The speed was 1/40 sec at F9 (must have left it on that the last shoot) and the ISO was 3200 and it was hand held. The 80-400mm lens was fully extended.

Little Dinkies

I was alone in the house and deciding what wonderful creation I should have for breakfast when I saw a movement in the leafless Honeysuckle. Firecrest was my initial reaction as I rushed to get my camera. The bird was still there when I fired off a half a dozen rubbish photographs at 1/40 sec. Although the photograph are not worth putting on the blog they clearly show it was a Goldcrest. That confirms we now have a Firecrest, Goldcrest and a male and female Blackcap in the back garden. Bullfinch's next and a Woodpecker.

Great Spotted Woodpecker .

The photograph of the male Great Spotted Woodpecker is from the archives.

Unfortunately the one that visited the garden last winter was never photographed.

Maybe this year we will remedy that omission.

One More Returns.

Things are starting to hot up on the garden front. Last Friday saw the return of both the Blackcaps and yesterday it was the Firecrest that arrived back in the garden (Angie managed a few photographs as he moved between feeders) so things are hotting up. A Greenfinch also made an appearance but they are few and far between at the moment.
What arrives next? .
My guess ..Bullfinches before Christmas.
Also it would be nice to confirm the sighting of the Goldcrest ..which of course could have been the Firecrest .

Chaffy.

Chaffinch ........Fringilla coelebs

Picture from the Past

Nutty. Photographed early on in the year.

Now we have two seed raiders and they are as angelic as Lara Croft.

Return of the Native.

A couple of our garden regulars have returned from their holiday abroad and again graced our small garden. First to appear was the female which I saw attacking a bamboo feeder filled with fat balls which I had cleaned and filled up only yesterday. While I was relaying this information to Angie at lunchtime..lo and behold up pops the male as bold as brass. Angie dashed off for her camera but he had long gone before she got back....Still the Blackcaps have arrived and hopefully we will be photographing them in due course.

Robocop Returns

Robin ...........Erithacus rubecula

No garden would be complete without a Robin. We are indeed lucky we have two and they seem to get on very well.

Goldy (2)

Goldfinch ......................Carduelis carduelis

Goldy (1)

Still keeping with the back garden theme.

Perky Pinky.

Long-tailed Tit ............Aegithalos caudatus

Winter Garden Birds.

This year has been a little slow with the return of the natives to the garden. A lot of species are still missing namely....Blackcap, Collared Dove, G.S Woodpecker, Siskin, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Jay ,Bullfinch and Firecrest also the Greenfinches and Goldfinches visiting is rather spasmodic .
The number of Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Chaffinches and Great Tits has increased while the likes of Sparrows, Starlings ,Blackbirds, Dunnocks, L.T Tits, Magpie and Woodpigeon have at least remained the same or increased slightly.

Yesterday I saw two Robins perched together on the same branch not four inches apart. I always believed the Robin was a solitary bird and very territorial during the winter months so I was surprised to see this.
The previous day I noticed a movement in the wood pile and the leafless honeysuckle.it was one of our usual small birds that visit us continually throughout the winter months.. but a Goldcrest or Firecrest I am not sure which. I raced down the stairs to tell Angie. Maybe I should have stayed put and identified the bird before moving, as it happened ..Angie caught a glimpse of it and confirmed it was one or the other.
Hopefully a photograph will follow shortly.