Swithland Woods

On the off chance we visited Swithland Woods on Thursday and while Maja walked through the woods with Skipper, I stayed in the car and was rewarded with a mixture of wild life calling at the stump.

The Blue Tit was first, being fairly common that didn't surprise me.

1/250 @ f 6.3, iso 800, 400mm

The next visitor was a surprise, I've never seen them around here before. It is a Marsh Tit and he kept coming back as did other.

1/200 @ f6.3 iso 800, 400mm

Later there was a moment of tenderness between two Great Tits. They both appeared to be adults so not a parent and chick -  a bit late in the year for that anyway.

1/640 @ f 5.6, iso 800, 400mm

The Nuthatch wasn't his usual feisty self, usually he rules the stump, but this time he flitted back and forth a few times but was in evidence as much as usual.

1/50 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

The table cleared quickly when the squirrel arrived, but some got used to him and returned for a quick mouthful.

1/160 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

All taken on a Canon EOS 7d and EF 100 - 400mm L series lens

Small Bird Central - 2 May 2013

Swithland woods just before it gets too crowded at bank holiday, was quiet and the car parks almost empty. Surprising then that at times it was like Piccadilly Circus with cars some leaving others arriving.

It didn't disturb the birds too much though and unusually it was a Coal tit that came to the stump first. It also broke its established habit by staying around for a while.

1/640 @ f7.1, iso 200, 400mm

It was followed by another tit, this time a Great tit ...

1/1000 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

1/1328 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

he departed when a Robin turned up and appears to be leaping for joy at the sight of the table of food before him.

1/1000 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

The Chaffinch refused to go to the stump, he stayed on the ground and picked up anything that fell off.

1/1328 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

The Coal tit came back for more and again stayed there long enough to pose.

1/1328 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

I know some of my blog followers like Nuthatches (and why not) so here are a few of the next visitor, followed by one of it in a tree.

1/1000 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

1/1000 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

1/1328 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

1/2000 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

1/640 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

The blue tit is always quick, he never waits around for long but I did get one shot of him.

1/1000 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

A movement in a tree nearby attracted my attention to this Coal tit puffing out his feathers.

1/1000 @ f7.1, iso 400, 400mm

All taken on a; 

Canon EOS 7d, with an EF 100 - 400mm L series Zoom Lens.

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.

Small Bird Central - 27 January 2013

Friday morning and the snow was still frozen to the ground, we visited Swithland woods. Maja took the dog for a walk while I remained in the car. On her way out Maja spread some bird food on the stump of a tree that we'd parked close to.

For five minutes I was thinking "Oh well if the birds don't come I'll take some photos of the snow laden woodland." Then the avalanche started, birds were flying in from everywhere quicker that I could focus on them they fed and left. The first to arrive was the robin.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/250 @ f6.3, iso 400, 400mm

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400, L Lens
1/1000 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

He discovered the food on the ground first and was soon watched closely by the magpie.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/100 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

The Carrion Crow wasted no time in getting to the main source of the food.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

A feisty Nuthatch, always ready for a fight, saw off the crow and took possession of the stump. Another Nuthatch quickly followed but peered over the edge to be sure the other one had gone before climbing up and feeding

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/640 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400 L Lens
1/800 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

A great tit came for a look but retreated to a tree until the Nuthatch left.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/500 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

When the Robin settled in the tree, I couldn't turn round far enough to get a picture through the front window. So I opened the rear sliding door, half expecting the sound would scare him off. I was wrong, he just sat and looked at me.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/2656 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

Not the sharpest of the pictures but I love the pose of this blue tit, I was lucky to get him like this and to be honest I didn't know I had until I saw it on the computer.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/800 @ f6.3, iso 800, 390mm

I was just wondering why I hadn't seen a chaffinch when this one arrived for her share.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/320 @ f6.3, iso 800, 400mm

This Robin was surprised when the Nuthatch landed just before him and he had to do a flypast.

Canon EOS7d, EF 100 - 400mm L Lens
1/640 @ f6.3, iso 800, 390mm

But not being a bird to back down from a fight, he returned to press his argument.

I took nearly 300 pictures in about three quarters of an hour, but the light was variable and some of them were too dark despite a picture taken a second later being bright and clear, see the reflection in the Crow's eye, yet the next one of him was unusable.

They were coming in so fast it was difficult to get a picture before the next bird came along, a really great morning, particularly when I remember all those months without a decent sighting.

From a sunnier time - 27 December 2012

The weather at the moment isn't conducive to good wild life photos. So I decided to look back over the year, to some of the interesting pics of the summer and autumn.


These two of the blue tit are favourites of mine, they may not be technically perfect, but the action in them is interesting. The first one, as you can see, is about to take off. He seems to be working his wings up to launch speed.

This one is interesting because of the folded wings, it was difficult to get him properly framed, so the tip of his tail is missing. He was dropping like a stone before spreading his wings to settle.

This mallard chick was very precocious, always off on its own and that's what allowed me to get such a good shot.

This young Fallow Deer in Bradgate park was asleep, I managed to approach behind a wall and as I took its picture it looked around with the dopey look that seemed to ask 'who woke me?'

Finally for now this autumn picture of Thornton reservoir and an angler trying his luck.

Watermead Saturday - 30 June 2012

There weren't many water birds about today, probably didn't like the wind. But in the car park, I put out some seed on the fence post and just had time to pick up my camera before the first Chaffinch arrived. That was a male, a female soon followed and another male. There followed a bit of a discussion about who should be feeding there.

Canon EOS 7d, EF100 - 400mm L lens
1/160 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

This was a later visitor and he arrived with what looks to be an Emerald Damselfly firmly clamped in it's beak, I suppose it wanted some meat with it's veg.

Canon EOS 7d, EF100 - 400mm L lens
1/80 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

The Great Tit went straight for the nuts when the chaffinch wasn't looking.

Canon EOS 7d, EF100 - 400mm L lens
1/80 @ f6.3, iso 1600, 400mm

And this malting Blue Tit wasn't too sure what to do, so it stood there looking scruffy.

sparsity of waterbird life at watermead - 12 April 2012

I don't know why but the lakes seem empty at the moment, unless they're all hiding around their nests. The smaller birds are still active though. A blue tit was the first to visit the feeding post at the car park, but he was so fast I couldn't get a focus on him.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/80 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm 

This Dunnock was the next visitor, he nipped in before too many birds assembled and didn't come back once he'd had his fill

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/80 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

A magpie flew in skimmed the post with his feet, scattering the feed,  and flew away again. I don't know why he did that, it looked like a clear case of bullying to me. But the Robin made the best of it and collected the spilled mealworm from the ground. I like the way the feathers, at the ends of the wings, stack like lolly sticks on this pic.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/100 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

The Chaffinch was next and for once he stood up to the Robin and got a good feed.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/125 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm 

I don't know if it was the same Blue tit as came first, but this one dropped something and stopped looking for it, long enough for a picture.

Canon EOS 7d, EF 100 - 400mm L lens
1/100 @ 6.3, iso 400, 400mm

The Great Tit is another fast food addict who slowed down and even sat on the fence for me to get his picture.