A Good weekend - 3 April 2011

It looked as if the weekend was going to be fairly slow, around Watermead a lot of the birds from the winter have gone and we are back to the usual collection - with most of them not putting on a show. On Sunday I was cycle-walking Skipper, he likes that it gives him a good run and being a Border Collie it's something  he needs - lots of exercise.

As we reached the Thurmaston end of the main track, I heard a young mother say to her child, "look he's got a fish!" So I stopped and looked again at the lake, there right in front of us was a Grebe with a fish in its beak.
Before I could get the camera out it dived and shortly after a fish skipped across the surface, but then the Grebe resurfaced with an even bigger fish in its beak. This all happened in a few seconds and I was still astride my bike, but I took what pictures I could and though they're not the best quality I thought I'd show you these two.


Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/5000 @ f 5.6,  iso 1600, 400mm



Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/8000 @ f 5.6,  iso 1600, 400mm

They were the only pictures I got on the way round the lakes. But when I returned to the Meadow lane car-park I had some time to spare and a few bird nuts and meal worm in a container in the back of the car so I put some on a fence post at the end of the parking area and sat in the car with the camera at the ready.

At first nothing happened, but after about ten minutes a Robin appeared, it's usually Robins that get in first especially when there are meal worm about. He hopped about for quite a while, posing and sometimes seemed to be looking right at me.


Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/100 @ f 6.3,  iso 1600, 350mm

There was a brief exchange with the male blackbird, who came to investigate the food and took away a beak full.


Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/125 @ f 6.3,  iso 1600, 380mm

But then it started to rain and the birds disappeared, so I started to pack my camera away and turned to put it in its bag when I caught a movement in the bushes halfway down the car-park. A grey Squirrel popped out and ran down the fence, he looked around then ran towards me - so out came the camera again and I took some photos as he came closer.


Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/160 @ f 6.3,  iso 1600, 200mm

He ran up the fence, to where the birds had been, and feasted on the remaining peanuts. He stayed for quite a long time, despite the rain and hail. After about fifteen minutes he'd obviously had his fill. he climbed down and disappeared into the undergrowth.