I know that at my age, I'm not suddenly going to become the next Haile Gebreselassie.
This morning I made it to the park to see if I could earn my cup of tea with some good bird songs. Thanks to my youtube studies, I was tentatively able to identify a willow warbler's song in the old oak wood, but not some of the other calls I was hearing. Wasn't able to clap eyes on it however, the increasing amount of leaf cover in the trees is making it rather harder to spot birds high up.
Luckily, this didn't stop me from making a sighting of a blackcap after it launched into song in a tree I was walking past. Indeed it wasn't alone, there was another bird higher up in the tree but I couldn't identify if this was a male or female.
I shall tell the warden to keep an eye out for a nesting pair, just on the off chance.
Sadly although the bird was easy to track through the trees by its singing, it was harder to get a good shot as it was always on the move, and had an irritating habit of hiding its head in the leaves. But I still got some shots, my first of this species, and you can still see it's a blackcap!
I hope.
Si
All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 24.04.16
Such pretty little birds aren't they? Thought you might be in the London Marathon.
ReplyDeleteWell done on getting the photos - Blackcaps are such lovely birds. Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteThank you my friends, no London Marathon for me, it's all but impossible to get into unless you can raise £2000 for a charity beforehand, and I'm way too shy to do that! Half marathon in August for me this year.
ReplyDeleteYou don't make life easy for yourself Si ;-). Blackcaps can be notoriously shy and tricky to photograph. I really like your images though - you've captured its pretty colouring and, of course, that little black cap.
ReplyDeleteI have never had any luck with photographing Blackcaps so super well done managing to get these pics. Also well done ID'ing a Willow warbler by song alone. It can be overwhelming at first trying to learn bird songs but with time it can become one of the most important of all birding skills, especially in woodland!
ReplyDeleteHope you are well and have a great week :-)
Thank you! I'm going to practice the birdsong, I now know that the bird that makes a racket like a child making laser gun noise - "pooo-peeow-poo-pooo" type thing - is a dunnock. I'm always hearing that in the old oak wood
ReplyDeleteWell done, I know they are really hard to photograph. They are hard enough to spot!
ReplyDeleteI love blackcaps and you did well to get these photos!
ReplyDelete