Watermead car park - 27 March 2013

With my back giving me some gyp, I decided to set things up in the Watermead car park so I could stay seated in the car. We positioned the car about two and a half metres from a fence post and loaded the post top with wild bird food. I hadn't got back to my seat in the car before a Robin came and sat on the fence looking at me.

He obligingly hopped up to the post when I picked up my camera, the wind was lifting his feathers but he didn't seem to mind.

1/250  @ f6.3, 1600, 400mm  

A blue tit followed and though usually nervous and away before you can focus on them, this one posed for me.

1/320  @ f6.3, 1600, 400mm 

What followed was interesting, three female Blackbirds, all looking different, wanted to occupy the area around the post and a male was kept busy trying to chase two of them away. He was faithful but two of the females were determined to lure him away.

1/200  @ f7.1, 1600, 210mm 

This was the partner of the male trying to get a good feed.

1/125  @ f7.1, 1600, 400mm 

1/100 @ f7.1, 1600, 400mm 

These two were the contenders who only had to show their faces for the male to chase them away.

1/160  @ f7.1, 1600, 400mm 

This handsome male was keeping watch in all directions for the usurpers.

1/200  @ f7.1, 1600, 400mm 

A Dunnock often found himself being chased off when the male blackbird caught a glimpse of his brown back and attacked before he was sure of his adversary.

1/160  @ f7.1, 1600, 400mm 

Great Tits are always a welcome and handsome sight and like the Blue Tits are often nervous, I only got this one picture of him and he was gone.

1/250  @ f7.1, 1600, 400mm 

Of course the Robin is the exact opposite, he is happy to pose and in this case sing while I took his picture.

All taken on my Canon EOS 7d with an EF100 - 400mm L series Lens.

Around Watermead park 20 March 2013

We decided to take the bikes out for an airing round watermead park. I'm trying out a new "hornless" saddle - it has two pads that sit against the buttocks and needs to be set lower and further back than a conventional seat. It went well but needs a minor adjustment to move it further back, but on the whole it was good.

On the ride round we saw very little wildlife and we were on the last stretch of our route back to the car park when we stopped at the "beaches" 

I liked the reflections this Grebe was making, he was on his own but making a lot of noise.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/2656 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/2656 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

A Canada goose flew in but turned away rather than land in front of us.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Back at the car park we were getting ready to load our bikes when a robin came to see if we had any food for him. This shot of him with a meal worm in his beak was taken at around six feet (two metres) away. He was so close I had to step back to be able to get him in focus, the minimum focus on my lens is five feet. Robins always were feisty. 

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/160 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

 Emboldened by the robin this Great Tit was only a few feet further away, he hopped onto the fence and then, before I could get the camera on him he hopped onto Maja's bike rack, then the seat and back to the fence.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/160 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

 This Dunnock wasn't long in following them and as we spread some bird food on top of a fence post they all got a good feed.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/160 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

As we were leaving some pigeons landed and frightened the small birds away.

Nuthatch - 13 March 2013

We went back to the stump in Swithland woods yesterday, my intention was to video all the birds and the speed with which they raided the food pile.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/400 @ f5.6, iso 1600, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Apart from a brief visit from a coal tit the only visitors were four nuthatches and they were not staying long, but I did manage to get some flight shots as the sun started to set over Old John.

Who you calling shy? - 28 Feb 2013

We decided to go back to the stump in the Swithland woods and were glad we did.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

As usual the cheeky Robin was first to take advantage of the free feast.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/320 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

The Nuthatch having made sure all was safe by watching the Robin's reconnaissance dived in next, taking the Robin by surprise and putting him to flight.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/320 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

The Robin can always be relied upon to be a bit feisty and came straight back, forcing the Nuthatch to stay at the side.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/400 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Then they all cleared off when an unexpected visitor arrived.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Jays are said to be shy birds.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

But this one wasn't he returned several times and stayed long enough for me to take thirty pictures of him in a variety of poses.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/400 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

But all good things come to an end and he departed, only to return again as we were leaving.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/320 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

In between the Jay's visits a Blackbird, a Great Tit and a pair of Chaffinches stopped by.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/250 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/250 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

I took so many pictures it's taken me until today to sort them out.