Wednesday 20 January 2016

The Treecreeper in the Old Wood

For most of the day today, I was barely in the house, despite the lies my new fitness band seems to be telling me about my activity levels. I had a run late on as the sun set, producing a beautiful golden-pink sky reflected into the mirror surfaces of the two lakes. I had a little cycle around too, looking for goosander and pochard.

But earlier than that, I was down at Sconce and Devon Park for a cup of tea and a walk and of course a spot of photography.

I wandered first alongside the River DEvon, staring into the tops of the alder trees that line the water's edge. So many people have been posting pictures of redpoll and siskin in alder trees lately, I was hoping to see one of these attractive finches for myself; either would be one of those "lifers" proper birdwatchers are always going on about.

Typically of course, I had no joy.

So it was into the the sun streamed old wood, with its monstrous tall oaks and ground cover of leaf litter for the blackbirds to vandalise. There were lots of birds to be heard, with the repitivive "deeee-dooo" of the great tit the most prominent, but they weren't pausing to pose. Luckily, as I was scanning the trees, a flickering movement on a bough drew my attention to a small scuttling bird making its way rapidly along the limb. It was of course a treecreeper, a busy little bird with a long curved beak for picking out insects from tree bark, and a stiff, almost clawed tail that helps it climb trees.

I'd seen one before, on exactly the same tree, a few weeks ago but had been unable to get a shot of it. Today, with better light, I was rather more successful.

Enjoy the shots!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 20.01.16






12 comments:

  1. I sometimes spot a tree creeper scuttling like a little feathered mouse up our old crab apple trees. You were lucky to get a photo. Ours is gone at the slightest disturbance.

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  2. Lovely to see the Tree Creeper. I haven't seen one yet this year. You did well to get photos :)

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  3. Tree creeper and nut hatch are still on my "wish I could see list" so well spotted

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  4. Well done on the Tree Creeper- not easy to photograph. I've seen two, one in the garden here which was a treat. Usually I hear them rather than see them.

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  5. It seems to favour the oaks in the wood, from my own spottings and the reports of others. They are like feathered shrews!

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  6. They really are a nice little bird aren't they Si? We have one who comes almost every day to our Scots Pines, going round and round the trunks, so you have to watch carefully to spot him.

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  7. Well done excellent photo's. I have heard them described as tree mouse
    because of the way they appear to crawl up the tree trunks. one of my favourites

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  8. They are so well camouflaged! Having a bright sun helped spot this one.

    So glad you like the shots.

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  9. lovely photos, treecreepers are such sweet little birds

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  10. Cute little birds! I've never managed to get decent shots of them.

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  11. Hello Gunilla, thank you, and thank you for stopping by!

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