Friday 8th.January 2010

Today didn't provide the same sort of excitement as yesterday , and fewer species were seen coming to the garden to feed , although the sight of both foxes in the garden at breakfast time , did give a good start to the day . A poor shot I know , but they were chasing around the garden like mad , and the shot was taken through double glazing . Just one each of Fieldfare and Redwing were sighted in next door's garden , neither coming to feed in ours .
Lunchtime provided the laugh of the day , as , while we were eating , a male Blackbird appeared , disappeared , only to re-appear at the log standing on end with fat and seed in the drilled holes . He was flying up to the fat/seeds , grabbing what he could , before gravity brought him back to the ground , only for him to bounce straight back up again for another grab . This was what he was after , about 2 mtrs. up from the ground , and as can be seen , quite often he managed to grab a beak-full . The Great Spotted Woodpecker won't be too happy , as he spends quite a bit of time feeding on this every day .
After lunch , in a bit less grey period , I headed for Keston Ponds for a look around , not expecting much . I wasn't disappointed , as probably 95% of the water is frozen over and just one small area of the top pond has open water , probably kept open by the waterfowl themselves . One worrying sign , in the fresh blanket of snow over the frozen pond , footprints from one side of the pond to the other , unbelievable . No sign of the Grey Wagtail in her usual place , where water runs between two of the ponds , but in the little tunnel that carries the water , a set of icicles , with the water running below , were just waiting to be photographed . Apart from the odd Robin and a mixed Tit flock , I saw very little else , but on the way home along the bottom lane , I noticed a Fox bounding across the open paddock up on the hill . It would have made a good shot , but by the time I safely stopped , the Fox had reached the tree line . Almost home , I spotted a Redwing in a tree planted along the pavement , and as I slowed another joined it . I stopped on the other side of the road , and more flew in , and flew down to feed on a Pyracantha bush , in a front garden , overhanging the pavement . I stared shooting , and had managed 10/12 shots , when a car pulls in and parks , right in front of the bush , and frightened the Redwings off , not to be seen again . I am posting my favourite shot that I managed before the car arrived , another gymnastic effort , just like the male Blackbird .

Thursday 7th.January 2010

The workday up on Hayes Common was cancelled yesterday evening , mainly on H&S grounds and the threat of even more snow .
So my first decision this morning was 'in or out' . Given that all bodies of water would be frozen over and the ground completely covered with ice and frozen snow , I thought on balance , another day at the back bedroom window would be the most productive option . As it happened , I feel sure that I made the right choice , as 18 of the 19 species recorded yesterday , Wren being the exception , returned to the garden today , to be joined by 6 species that didn't show up yesterday . The usual garden species showed up as soon as the food went down , these included
the Robin , who thinks he owns the whole garden , and everything in it , and one of the pair of Coal Tits that seem to have been in the garden for most of the winter , and seem to have taken a real liking to the home made seed and fat feeder . After a no show yesterday , two male Blackcaps turned up for breakfast on the Callicarpa , one of them staying all day , and finding that a few gymnastic moves , provided the best tasting berries from the ends of the branches .
It wasn't too long before the jingling chat of the Goldfinches filled the air , as they came in good numbers to feed . Mid-morning provided the greatest excitement , when I just happened to look at the Callicarpa bush to see if the Blackcap was around , when I spotted my first Brambling of the year , a male sitting in the middle of the bush , thinking tentatively about joining the throng of Chaffinches feeding on the path . I managed to get three shots of him , and as I went for the fourth , he was gone from the viewfinder , I did get one other longer distance shot a bit later when he was in the Tamarisk , but he was scared off by a Jackdaw , not to be seen again today .
Very few Redwings were seen , Fieldfares did better with two hovering about the neighbouring gardens and a flock of 8 and a second of 15/20 , noisily flying over . I wished the Cotoneaster berries weren't covered in last night's snowfall , they might have spotted them and stopped . There again , there must some food left for when the Waxwings arrive ! One of the Fieldfares did come down to the ground , but was very nervous , moving all the time , but did settle for a second on a pile of snow , obviously to rest one leg . A spell of afternoon sun provided more excitement , when a Song Thrush flew up from the garden next door and posed for quite some time in the said sunshine . What could be better than that I thought to myself . Well , 15 minutes later , a movement down by the side of the rockery , turned out to be , probably the same Song Thrush , knocking seven bells out of a snail shell on a rock , to get at the meal inside .
All in all , I feel quite happy with my morning decision , I just wish the same could be said for some of the ones I've made in the past .
Now , in answer to fellow Blogger's questions -
I've always felt that my old camera was good on close ups , Dragonflies , butterflies etc , but the lens was not so keen on fur or feathers , and it always bugged me , so I started saving for a replacement .
The 'new gear' , is a Canon 500D , and after a lot of reading and head scratching on which lens to put with it , decided to go for a second hand off eBay , Canon EF 100-400mm. L Ultrasonic , Image Stabilizer lens , which I think is absolutely brilliant . I just hope that in time , I can get my head around getting the best from the pair of them . I am also looking for a Macro lens to make my 'new gear' complete .
And thank you for the kind comments on my first few efforts .

Wednesday 6th.January 2010

With a good 3 inches of snow falling overnight , and continuous light fall from daybreak onwards , needless to say , today's hedgelaying up on the Greensand Ridge went out of the window .

And it was looking out of the window , that I spent much of the day , in between replenishing food and water for the birds in the back garden . I don't think I have ever seen food devoured so quickly as it was today , with birds in the garden uncountable at times as there were so many coming and going . I did get a couple of jobs done in the garage , during which time I might have missed the odd species , but the garden list today totalled 19 , which is 3 better than the bird survey at Down House the other day . Not so many Redwings today , although a couple were attracted to the scramble for food on the path , but never came down to ground , but the 3 Fieldfares spent most of the day fossicking on the ground under the Cotoneaster bush next door . No sign today of any of the Blackcaps , even though the Callicarpa berries were freed of lying snow by the Chaffinches landing on the shrub before settling down on the path to feed . Nothing outstanding , just a continuous stream of hungry , thirsty birds , some of which follow -

I was concentrating on taking this long range shot of the Fieldfare , that it wasn't till later , I noticed the Redwing with it's back to the camera bottom left .

Like yesterday's shots , all taken with the new gear , answering Warren's question .

Tuesday 5th.January 2010

Spent the day hedgelaying up on the Greensand Ridge , and the only thing seen was a brass monkey , looking for a welding torch .
I'm posting a number of shots , taken since New Year , whilst I am trying to get my head around the new gear that I asked Santa to bring me . Finding things quite different from my old gear , just hope I can get the hang of it .

Sunday 3rd.January 2010

The first bird survey of the year at Down House , was probably one of the coldest that I have ever done on the site . The sun was out , but the temperature did not creep into the positive range during the whole visit . Some excitement with the species found would have warmed things up , but a measly 16 , was probably one of the lowest ever recorded . The highlight , if you could call it that , was 5 Fieldfares that flew over calling , about five minutes from the end , and they were the only sighting of Winter Thrushes . It was really hard going to find any birds , and I even failed to record a Robin or a Starling . Things can only get better .
Back home , 12/15 Redwings and 2 Fieldfares have been gorging on the berries next door , my estimate of them lasting till next weekend doesn't look sound .
Apologies to those who have had enough of the Blackcaps on the Callicarpa , but when I got back from Downe , and was hugging a hot cup of coffee , I looked out of the kitchen window , to find the 2 males and the female all feeding together . I put the coffee down and rushed upstairs to the back bedroom window , and managed to get one hurried shot before they split up . Not the greatest shot , the males either side , and the female towards the top , just left of centre .

Saturday 2nd.January 2010

I had hoped to head for New Hythe today , with the promise of Goldeneye and Smew , but Carol needed some help shopping etc. so I had to put that trip on the backburners .
At lunch , just as the blue skies started to become cloudy , we had another visit from the fox , but this time it stayed right down the bottom of the garden , before crossing into next door's .
I set off after lunch for a look around Hayes Farm , in very crisp conditions , but at least the cloud rolled over and it was back to blue skies . For the first time this Winter , I found good numbers of Redwing and Fieldfare , pictured , feeding on the ground , before flying to the tree tops on my approach . I must admit that I didn't find many berries on the way round , these two species probably , systematically cleaning them out . Nothing really exciting or out of the ordinary , just clocking up the expected species . As I approached the Trout Fishery , the Egyptian Goose was feeding on the field alongside the lake , but it looked different to how I remembered it on my last visit . On the lake itself , still about one third frozen over , the white farmyard type Geese were all huddled together in one corner . Shortly afterwards , two anglers arrived and almost everything on the lake headed for the entrance , probably thinking they were going to be fed . On checking them all out , the Egyptian Goose question was answered , when two swam over . The darker headed one at the back is the one I usually see , the lighter headed one , the one I saw earlier . I am not sure , but I think the new one is a female and the original a male , anyway , he had a smile on his face . No new species found , I started back to the car , finding the last of nine rabbits , out feeding on the field edges . Almost back at the stile , a flock of 25/30 Finch types flew over and seemed to be going to roost in the trees on the boundary with the back gardens of the adjacent houses . I couldn't make them out at first , as they landed into the now very low sun , but from another angle , I was able to see that they were mainly Linnets with the odd Goldfinch mixed in .
The temperature was dropping by the minute now , but 28 species seen , not counting the farmyard types , plus another 3 from the garden this morning , sent me home feeling well pleased .

Friday 1st.January 2010

A VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL BLOGGERS AND READERS .



It took all of last year to get a garden tick for a Fox , so it came as quite a surprise when two Foxes appeared in the garden this morning . They stayed well down the bottom for most of the time , but one , I think the same animal that was in the garden before Christmas , did venture halfway up to the house , somewhat nervously . But , he didn't come any further , as he heard a noise from next door , which turned out to be the dog being let out into the garden , and immediately turned tail , and headed back to the bottom for cover , shame , as without the noise , he would have come much closer .
The cold and the overnight dusting of snow , brought all the usual birds to the feeders , and the male Greater Spotted Woodpecker seemed to be very partial to the seed/fat mixture , pressed into the drilled holes . Both male and female Blackcaps put in an appearance , as did several Rose Ringed Parakeets , and of course , the local Jackdaws came down in numbers , scaring everything else off . The Redwings and Fieldfares are still working their way through the cotoneaster berries , I reckon they will last about another week .
After visitors yesterday , I did manage to get out for a while this afternoon , and headed to Keston Ponds , wrong decision , as just about every family in the area seemed to be there , enjoying the Winter sunshine . I suppose I can't have it to myself all the time .