Sunday 18 March 2012

Sunday 18th. March 2012

Well , that's it , another season of hedgelaying with the Surrey Hedgelaying Group is over . And to celebrate the end of the season , we had a wet morning , albeit a rarity over the season , before retiring to the local pub for a meal . The new season can't come quick enough .
This morning started bright , with yet another visit from the male Blackcap , for once actually facing
 towards the camera , and whilst watching him having his breakfast , a couple of visiting Starlings
were shimmering iridescently in the early morning light . With cloud and showers expected by lunchtime , I headed off to the site I visited last Sunday and was lucky enough to find seven male Adders basking in the sunshine . Today , with the same sunshine , but slightly cooler , I didn't find a single animal . I moved on to a second site which had the same sort of conditions as the first , and did
find a couple of animals . The first , a large male , looked even bigger as he had flattened his body , thus exposing the maximum surface of his body to the warmth of the sun . The second allowed just a
head and shoulder shot , before he backed into the vegetation and was lost from sight . These two animals show just how variable males can be in colouration . On the way back home , I stopped off at the Common , and am very pleased to say that both LTTit nest are intact and hopefully the female will be egg laying now . Whilst on the site , I saw something moving in some long grass in the distance , and as I got closer , a Jay flew up into an adjacent tree . It then dropped down again , but out of my sight , so I carefully approached the area , got behind a tree , and waited . After a short
while , the bird flew up and into a Holly tree . As is my usual luck , the bird sat with it's back towards
the camera , but after a short while , it hopped to another branch and sat facing the camera . It sat giving a soft sub song , and some very unusual noises too . But , in that short time , I managed to get
a few of the best shots that I have ever got of the species . On the way back to the car , the air was full of the repetitive song of two , maybe three male Chiffchaffs , one of them sat high up in a Silver
Birch , I wonder if they were so enthusiastic in the cloud and rain this afternoon .

4 comments:

ShySongbird said...

Lovely photos today Greenie. I think the beauty of Starlings is very unnoticed by many people, the lovely plumage is shown to perfection in your photos. Lovely ones of the Jay too, I have never managed a photo of one at all!

Good news so far on the LTTs...fingers crossed!

Mike H said...

Great Jay shots Greenie, not an easy bird to photograph.

Phil said...

Well done with the Jay Greenie, not to mention the Adders again. Haven't seen one yet but will try very soon!

Warren Baker said...

I havn't had much luck at all with Jays Greenie, even when they've visited the garden I failed to get a decent photo, you did well!