Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Great Spotted Woodpecker .........Dendrocopus major

Photographed this morning. The bird has played hide and seek with me for somewhile now...but today I finally outwitted it.

Bluebells and Pheasant

Pheasant........Phasianus colchicus

Photographed locally today.

Taking a Bath.

Song Thrush .....Turdus philomelos

Meadow Pipit.

Meadow Pipit........Anthus pratensis

Photographed today at Carloggas Downs.

Today's Heron

Shame about the harsh lighting.

SQUACCO HERON

Squacco Heron.....Ardeola ralloides

Young Starling

Starling .....Sturnus vulgaris

The bird in the photograph was one of eight youngsters that spent the day learning how to feed themselves....the way it is going we will soon have a roost.

Everyone Loves These Guys.

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

Male Chaffinches.

Chaffinch .......Fringilla coelebs

Change of Approach.

Latin Identification

Nuthatch .......Sitta europaea

Life Ticks

Yesterday's evening visit to Walmsley Sanctuary produced two life ticks.
A Lesser Yellowleg and a Hobby.
I left my camera behind but it did not really make much difference as the Lesser Yellowleg and the pair of perched Hobby's were out of my photographic range.
Still two life ticks sure made up for it.

Dipper.

Dipper...Cinclus cinclus

Photographed at Ninestones.
A rather strange shot( heavily cropped) but as good as I hoped for at the distance.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker ......Dendrocopus major

Managed to photograph three of the big four at the site today:-

G.S Woodpecker

Jay

Nuthatch.

The one missing was the Green Woodpecker.

A Quiet Moment.

Wren...Troglodytes troglodytes

Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler .....Phylloscopus trochilus

Photographed at Ninestones.

Thanks to you All.

Today Sarita from Cuba became my one hundredth follower. I am very pleased the blog has proved a hit not only with the British but also on an International level.
Having so many followers gives me that added incentive to carry on and hopefully improve the blog.
Reading other peoples blogs provides useful information and greatly increases ones knowledge of this fascinating hobby and I feel it gives one added impetus to go out and better our photographic and fieldcraft skills as well as respecting the varied natural beauty of our own and others lands.

Thank you to all visitors old and new.

Nuthatch

.Eurasian Nuthatch....Sitta europaea

Managed to entice the Nuthatch onto the ground...the lighting is always poor as the ground is adjacent to woods either side. Probably as good as I am likely to get in the conditions and with the equipement I use.

Plan Awry.

Well! ..It was one of those days when things did not go according to plan.
The alarm sounded at the crack of dawn and we were on our way to Welltown Manor close to Boscastle hoping to catch sight of the American Vagrant.. White Throated Sparrow that had been showing well yesterday.
Unfortunately for us and all the other early risers the bird had not read the script and did not show.
After three and half hours watching we gave up and headed off to Walmsley Sanctuary. Very Little was seen and the only really notable bird was the Wood Sandpiper which was a Year tick for me.

Although bird wise it was a disaster sort of day....neither of us took a single photograph..it was not all doom and gloom.
At the Manor we met Monts (The Lanner Janner) and his friend Mark. Although over the last year we have often commented on each others blogs we have never met until today. It was nice putting a face to the Blog Monts.

I would also like to thank the owner of Welltown Manor for allowing us access to his property...a true gentleman who even apologised to Angie and myself for the non appearance of the bird during our visit.
Thank you Sir.

Getting Closer.

Eurasian Jay......Garrulus glandarius.

The Jay landed in a tree adjacent to where I had parked ...I managed a quick burst of shots and it was game over as he flew off into the wood . I am still hoping he will land on the ground close by .