Since I put the feeders up in the car park at work we’ve had lots of wildlife popping in for a feed. Recently we had our first jay and then a wild Black rabbit, hopefully I’ll get pictures next time they come.
A regular visitor has been a male greater spotted woodpecker but it’s really nervous and doesn’t hang around for very long. Today however a female turned up and she was a lot more open to having her picture taken.
I’ve written before about the problem we have in the UK with mink on the rivers. they used to be farmed for their fur and many people including me thought it cruel and inhumane. However some misguided people thought freeing the animals was the solution except they released an alien animal into the countryside where they had no natural predators and preceded to decimate local wildlife. This one was on the river near me where I spend a lot of my time so its not something I wanted to see. However its not the animals fault its here!
Crazy lunchtime at the car park feeders today. First up one of the voles was happily grabbing a nut when the other shoulder charged him out of the wall! I’m sure I heard an eeek as he fell. No injuries though and it was quickly back tucking in. The woodpecker was flitting around and just as I got some pictures it was chased off by a chaffinch! Then as I packed up, switched off the camera and closed the car window it landed 5 feet away from me. It’s good fun this photography lark
I have seen pictures of birds feeding out of peoples hands and recently had heard of a robin on the local nature reserve which was doing this. There are quite a few friendly robins around but none had fallen for my charms ( or a handful of seeds) until yesterday.
The robin was sat very close in the tree and I slowly held out my hand to see if he was interested.
In a flash down he came, fluttered above my hand then settled on my fingers to take some seeds. The lightest of touch I could hardly feel he was there and then he was gone. Next time I need someone with me to take the picture, truly a magical moment.
Returning from a visit to our head office this week I knew there would be a good chance to see some Red Kites if I came across country to the motorway. Having spotted a couple I decided to pull over for a short break and see if I could get some pictures as they glided overhead.
Down in the valley a farmer was ploughing a field and I soon noticed that it wasn’t just gulls following the tractor to look for some treats. The ground was covered in red kites and at one point I counted over 40. They were in the trees, in the sky and in the field and I was mesmerised. Although some distance away I managed to get a couple of decent pictures before I set off North again.
Finally we had a proper winters day, freezing cold and lots of blue sky. The feeders at work are busy all the time now and need topping up every morning when I arrive. I have noticed there are at least two voles in the wall so I misplace a few treats for them as well (apologies for suggesting they were mice in an earlier post).
I also noticed yesterday there was a tiny shrew snaffling seeds but they are so speedy I haven’t got a shot yet….but I will. One of my favourites and now one of the smokers favourites is the long tailed tits. they are quite difficult to get shots of because they can appear “soft” in photographs but this one seems OK.
If you’ve got bird feeders in your garden you’ll soon realise that they can be really messy eaters. Bullfinches break the seeds scattering them everywhere, the tits grab and run spilling more than they carry and jackdaws can smash your fat balls to pulp.
At the car park feeders today I noticed we were now getting a few chaffinches visiting and as they don’t seem to like perching on feeders they were hovering around below picking up the other birds mess. But they weren’t the only ones!
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed some movement in the wall and as I watched our new cleaner appeared enjoying the seeds and nuts the birds left behind. One brown mouse.
If you live in England you’re probably as sick as I am of the constant wet, grey and miserable weather we’ve been having all Winter long. So when I looked out of the curtains yesterday and the street was almost dry and the sky had a strange blue tint I decided I was off out with the camera whatever happened.
I had decided that the next time I managed to get out I would visit the RSPB reserve at Blacktoft Sands in East Yorkshire as I had read it was a good place to spot Marsh Harriers a bird I’d never seen. Its only an hours drive from home and is different to other reserves I’ve visited in that it’s predominantly a large reed bed with expanses of open water, In front of these lagoons are spacious and dry hides with big windows and unbroken views.
I spent the first hour or so visiting each hide to get the lay of the land and then sat down to photograph a few new birds. The first were a couple of shelducks which are quite large and brightly marked ducks who were hunkered down from the wind on a small island. It took me a while to spot the 6 or 7 snipe sheltering as well and they were soon joined by wigeon and teal trying to get out of the draft.
Moving down to the next hide I finally spotted the marsh harrier hunting low over the reeds looking for an early lunch. They were a long way away and I was willing them to head my way so i could get a decent shot. I had to settle for distant and cropped I’m afraid.
They were though a joy to watch and at one point three were hunting close together.
A fly by from one of my favourite subjects certainly made me smile and some formation flying from some black tailed godwits gave me another new bird I’d not seen before.
An excellent day out and I will be returning again as soon as the rain stops!!
I’m really enjoying having the feeders in the car park at work. It’s like my own private nature reserve and more and more birds seem to visit every day. Today I had 12 different types of bird pop in for a snack and as I drove into the car park I followed a great spotted woodpecker as it flew from tree to tree before grabbing a few peanuts. I haven’t got a picture of him yet but I’m sure I will sooner or later.
The smokers in the office seem to be enjoying having something to watch as they slowly kill themselves and I’m constantly being asked ” what are the little fluffy brown ones?” or “what’s the one with the red tummy that’s not a robin?”
I’m the car park Chris Packham!
I don’t usually notice the flowers as I’m too busy trying to spot the wildlife. But in the meadow on the local nature reserve I took a moment. I think this picture ignores all the rules of photography but hey who actually cares.
Wildlife Pirate 