Well today was far better, I got out of the house much earlier, and freezing though the day was, the wind had dropped and the two hour walk I had was most pleasant.
I ambled by the lake and photographed the mature and juvenile black headed gulls, admiring the subtle differences between each birds head and wing markings. A young looking heron was strangely sat in the field at the back of Grange Road, while long tailed tits zupped through the hedgerow, again avoiding my camera.
Same for the great tits a little further along.
Sadly although winter berries were plentiful, there were no winter thrushes to be seen eating them. Instead it was chacking blackbirds scolding me as I walked by, perhaps afraid I wanted to drive them away from their bounty.
Back into town, and I found goldfinches at a garden feeder! At last, good shots of a pretty songbird!
But the most memorable bird I encountered was a very noisy gull of some kind - a yellow bill making me think it is a common gull - strutting around making a tremendous racket on the Sconce playing field. "Yark!!!" it kept crying, reminding me of Kehaar the gill from Watership Down. Which is ironic really as Kehaar was a black-headed gull, but they are all as quiet as mice.
I had a rabbit called Captain Campion. Nicked his name from Watership Down. Makes a change from Bigwig.
Si
All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 23.11.15
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| Obligatory squirrel shot, from the cemetery this time |
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| Black headed gull on the water |
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| And another, less prominent head markings |
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| Juvenile |
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| A more juvenile youngster |
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| Female mallard loving it! |
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| Field heron |
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| In the air |
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| Goldfinches |
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| Looks like he's saying something! |
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| Busy eating! |
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| Kehaar the strutting common gull |
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| Macro moss treat |
Field Heron - a lifer for sure!
ReplyDeleteLOL Wilma! It's a field heron in the sense it is a heron in a field. Looks like a youngish grey heron. Not sure a "Field heron" is a thing!
ReplyDeleteI loved watership down. Lots of birds here on the feeders and a grey heron on the lake too. How are you feeling pre marathon? Wishing you lots of luck with it - looking forward to hearing how you get on.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see the feeders are seeing some action.
ReplyDeleteGoldfinches seem to find sunflower hearts irresistible.
nice pics
I enjoyed your gull shots, Si, and glad to hear it was a better day!
ReplyDeleteThank you for you comments, not my feeders alas, felt as if I was stealing their birds when I took the pictures! Always good to be outside.
ReplyDeleteIt seems you're referring to a quote from the book "Watership Down" by Richard Adams. Kehaar, the seagull character, often exclaims "YARK!" as a vocalization of surprise or alarm. Here's a comment you can use in response to this quote:How long are web series
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