Sunday 31 March 2013

DIDN'T I WARN THEM THIS WOULD HAPPEN...

PRAY I SAID... BE ON YOUR GUARD I SAID...

I said ... EXERCISE THE DEVIL!!

OK now I am done spoofing Jeff Wayne and his War of the Worlds just for a cheap giggle...

Yep I told a few animal hobbyist pals that the would guy right back on animals and wildlife protection.

After all with what they were doing to disabled people it was bound to be going on and more than it states here.

Just takes a little thought is all.

LMAO


Wednesday 27 March 2013

TREECREEPER - CERTHIA FAMILIARIS

Stunned that I not only saw this species again but that I also got photos of it this time and even a video, albeit it somewhat jumpy and no idea why.

Very happy I captured this bird and that leaves only one birds up there I have not even identified let along captured in film whether it be still or moving film.

These normally corkscrew round tree stumps or branches. I had to look twice at this one as despite my excitement and reaching for my camera he was not doing the usual TIGHT corkscrew I spotted last time and often just went up one side. Maybe in the cold winds they only find food on one side?

Almost hidden you can see his tan and black striping.

Must have seen an insect in this shot?!

You see him there off to the right in the picture but the last photo he is not so easy to spot?!


Fabulous Pattern and Colour this one, very white breast

Spot the Treecreeper... well go on then?! LOL!

Friday 8 March 2013

COUPLE OF BIRD VISITORS AND ONE NEW!!!

Well I caught something, or a couple of things, in my garden this morning.

I was about to get ready to go out and I noticed something new but turned out to be a recent visitor but still new and I was hoping they would return. Well they, or I should say IT returned as there was only one and this was the Siskin.

Now while I was waiting for it to return I saw something, breast and belly only, that was the wrong colour for the Siskin and thought, eh? Now what immediately popped into my head I than shook my head and thought ...noooooo.

A few minutes later it was back and my thoughts were yessssssssss! I was right.

Now the odd thing is I have placed a new feeder in the garden and this species of birds is the first one to see use it?! Mad.

I also know full well they live nearby and I have been trying to get shots and videos of FOUR species of Birds and have two so far and a couple I never expected.

I will not state what it is yet and will leave this as a little surprise but I have got two maybe three shots but are all rubbish but you can clearly see what it is.

Also if goes like lightning and I saw something that did a figure of eight flight of around 6 laps at very high speed but at the leaf trees it went THROUGH a tiny hole and not around the tree as it did at the leafless end. Good luck catching them Sparrowhawks?!

I do know there are sparrowhawks around here too but you rarely glimpse them.

I am hoping to get two or more shots and a VIDEO?!  

I also now believe it might actually be living in a Pine Tree nearby and which can be seen from my garden as that is where it was coming in from before racing back again with food!

Wednesday 6 March 2013

LONG TAILED TIT FEEDING & VIDEO

While first waiting for the Bearded Reedlings and then moving over as a Reed Bunting had darted over and dropped deep into reeds a Long Tailed Tit, there are many of them up there, actually fed which is about the only time they stop for two minutes?!




VIDEO...



WIGEON & VIDEOS

Failed to spot this group of Wigeon were there and only while using up time waiting for light to start to fade that I realised they were about!



VIDEOS..






SHOVELLER DUCK & VIDEO

Started jaunt around a lake to do one circuit back to Reed Buntings and the Bearded Reedlings, this was last before I sat in wait before the Buntings appeared.






VIDEO



REED BUNTING - Emberiza schoeniclus: & VIDEO

Yes well after returning and waiting I finally got photos AND a video of that elusive make Reed Bunting!

He was not as elusive as the female, or hen, and I did see her briefly.








VIDEO OF REED BUNTING MALE




MISTLE THRUSH or SONG THRUSH - Turdus pilaris or philomelos & SONG VIDEO


Here is a photo and then a video of a Mistle Thrush that caught my...EARS! Well I think its a Mistle Thrush?! lol!

Not seen a Song Thrush in years and too big for a Redwing, too thin and light in colour for a Fieldfare.....hmm maybe it IS a Song Thrush after all?! LOL.




VIDEO WHILE SINGING



GADWALLS AGAIN

Always like seeing Gadwalls.

Here are two I saw today and one darker than the other...



POCHARD & CORMORANTS

Should have filmed this one, was being affected by fatigue by now and focusing on timing my return the the Reed Buntings and Bearded Reedlings and getting it just right!


Path towards Fishers Green in the Lea Valley Park

Always alot of Cormorants about, surprise there are any fish left?!

There are two lots of trees where they collect like this and a few electricity pylons too.


CHAFFINCHES - FRINGILLA COELEBS: & SONG VIDEO

Oops too quick with this one...

Will come back and add sonf once uploaded to YouTube!

I went back today to see if I could get to photo and film those Bearded Reedlings. I DID get a Reed dwelling bird but not them?! Was told someone saw them around 9am but nothing after that.

While there I get a series of more videos and pictures...






VIDEO OF SINGING CHAFFINCH




Tuesday 5 March 2013

GOOSANDER VIDEOS

Couple of Goosander Videos I took while up Fishers Green...

Be careful or they will...DIVE! OOPS!


40x Zoom and no DIVING?! HAHA!

LAPWING SHOVELLER ROBIN

A mixture of photos here with first up a Shoveller Duck...



Next up a collection of Shovellers and iif you looke you will see a few other bird species and among them are a few LAPWINGS


A path towards Fishers Green

Couple nice shots of a Robin who had been singing his heart out


THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE

No dancing or zooming through the water like a turbocharged torpedo but as well as the photos below I do have a video of another individual!

The Great Crested Grebe and as majestic as they look you shoould really see their courtship dance and even more rarely when they are under water chasing fish. They move at speeds that seem quite impossible and improbable! A brother and myself saw this taking place and a small roach leaping out the water. While standing on a bridge by the Bittern Hide at Fishers Green in Lea Valley Park we BOTH thought this fast moving missile was a PIKE?!

Even so we were amazed at the speed it was travelling but when it came up out the water with the Roach in its beak we looked at each other with awe.

All the years we have spent around animals both British and exotic and something we think of as an everyday species of British Bird wows us with something quite stunning indeed!



VIDEO:



EGRET

Sorry about pictures but spotted this Egret out of the corner of my eye coming down to a stream behind a line of trees.

So shot through the trees and would not have got anywhere near these shy birds. Do have a video at the bottom.




VIDEO:



THE SNIPE or JACK

I am going out on a limb here but...

You can see from the first two pictures I am trying to snap the Shoveller Ducks and I fail to notice in the picture to Waders with stripey backs and very long bills?!

I do end up spotting them though, though I think they are probably Redshanks, and the third picture concentrates on one of them.

At the bottom is a video!




VIDEO...I AM GUESSING THEY ARE SNIPE?! LOL!

THE WATER RAIL

While waiting for two hen Bearded Reedlings this Water Rail appeared instead!




Oh and a very clear video!!


THE TEAL DUCK

A favourite of mine since a kid due to that....TEAL stripe on their face!

When I took the picture they were very far away and had thought they were more Gadwalls. However and just in case I did take a video of them too?!




VIDEO FROM MY YOUTUBE

GADWALL & A DARK GADWALL?

Right a Gadwall and then some pictures of one that threw me somewhat as I had never seen one like that, if indeed it IS a Gadwall that is?!

It was very dark and i am not brilliant with Water Foul if I am honest and do not know if they change their plumage. Or perhaps just a freaky dark one or something else I am not familiar with I just do not know, lmao!!








 There are videos on my YouTube account







The DUNNOCK

With the Chaffinches and Tits was this Dunnock right outside the Bittern hide where I had been waiting for the appearance of two hen Bearded Reedlings I was 30 minutes late for?!

WAHHHHH!!!

LMAO!