Friday, March 2, 2012

Sounds Of Spring

The morning dawned just a touch too breezy for ringing on the moss, where although the willow trees are in bud but no leaf to deter a breeze from wafting a net around. So in the sunny warmth the job was topping up the Niger seed followed by an hour or two birding.

Shy Yellowhammers are always a challenge to photograph, with today 10 or 12 individuals cautiously and almost noiselessly approaching the shooter’s pheasant feeders for left-over wheat on the grass below; wheat is a good size for a Yellowhammer’s chunky bill to tackle, as well as being a nutritious meal, and although the birds came back time and time again they proved very difficult to photograph.

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

The wheat proved an attraction to other birds too as Chaffinches, Goldfinches and a single Greenfinch came for a look. The local Linnet flock was back up to 100+ birds today, sticking to a weedy patch of ground, only flying noisily into the trees a couple of times when spooked by something unseen. Around the Niger feeders were the usual 8 or 10 Goldfinches, a few Chaffinch and brief calls of Siskin overhead.

Goldfinch

Greenfinch

A walk north and up the plantation edge found 3 Grey Partridge, 4 Skylark, 4 Blackbirds, 2 Mistle Thrush, a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk, then as the sun created the thermals the Buzzards came out to play. I counted 8 in the air at once, two groups of four with much mewing and calling as they sorted out their differences for the coming weeks. Click on the “xeno canto” button, there’s even a Willow Warbler in sweet song to remind us of Spring.


Buzzard

12 comments:

  1. Un buen trabajo mantener siempre los comederos a punto, unas magníficas fotos como siempre Phil, un agradable trabajo él tuyo. Un abrazo amigo

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  2. I love the yellowhammers, Phil. They're so pretty. And your goldfinch never ceases to amaze me with its red face (ours don't have red faces).
    Sounds of spring won't be heard here on the prairie for a couple of months yet.
    K

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  3. Phil that Goldfinch is incredible. I always enjoy your photos of them but this one is really very special. I had to play the voices of the Buzzards and my 9 month old kit-cat went looking around the room for them...too funny...silly cat-kitten;)
    We have had 75 to 100 mph winds in differen setions of the viewing area this afternoon, with many tornado touchdowns and some huge damgage, yet we are fine...only a few lost limbs for us...thankful, but others are not so fortunate tonight.
    Take care~

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  4. Passei para uma visitinha.
    Adoro pássaros e amei o seu blog.
    Só tenho uma coisa a dizer:
    muito, muito, muito lindo!!!
    Bom fim de semana!
    Beijinhos.
    Brasil.
    ♥ •˚。
    °° 。♥。
    ●/ ♥•˚。˚
    /❤
    / \ 。˚。♥

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  5. I've never heard yellowhammers before. I can imagine how pleased you were to take their photos!

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  6. Love the colour of the male Yellowhammer, really spring-like! Spring seems to have made its way around here too. Lots of skylarks are singing like crazy all day.

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  7. Beautiful photos.
    Regards and best wishes

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  8. Great series!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  9. Beautiful shots, Phil! I like that Yellowhammer!

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  10. Unas fotografías preciosas!! Como si los pájaros estuviesen posando para ti. Te felicito... Saludos desde Madrid.

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  11. Hi there - nice set of birds I have not seen for a while!

    If you have the time (or the interest!) you may find my post called "A Bird in the Hand - two dawns" is about banding in Australia.

    Stewart M - Australia

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  12. Your Yellowhammer is a gorgeous bird and I always love the Goldfinch. Great birds and gorgeous photos. Looks like you had a great day of birding! Happy Sunday!

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