Shooting Birds....

Some pictures of small birds, Great Tits, Blue Tits,Coal Tit and Nuthatch. A good couple of hours messing about with the new camera.

Short-eared owl

A couple of short-eared owls local to me are proving to be tough to catch up with. Attempts to photograph this owl at the moment have been thwart with bad weather, I assume keeping the owl tucked up somewhere warm and dry.

I'll keep going until I get a picture of her (or him).

It was nice to meet and put a face to the name - Tony hardy on Mcr Bird Forum, thanks for the chat!! I'm not a contributor but a keen reader of the forum.

On another note it saddens me greatly to see news like this from Pennington Flash - 5 Pink Footed Geese shot and their breasts removed and carcasses left behind - who would do such a thing, with this and someone setting one of the hides on fire earlier in the year I think the current lack of a on site warden needs serious attention.

I believe if you see or hear anything you can let the people know in the golf shop who have the number for the ranger service.

New Zealand Bird of the Year Scandal

New Zealand Bird of the Year contest rocked by voting scandal

Vote-rigging hits the prestigious New Zealand Bird of the Year contest, with supporters of one species accused of fowl play

Read more here

Stretford Sunset - This evening

Short Eared Owl - Chorlton Ees

2-3 hours today expecting to see a Short Eared Owl and we caught a Kestrel and Long Tailed Tit instead, have to come back tomorrow now.
Met up with Tony Darby- thanks for the chat.

 

Jacksons Boat

Lane by Cow Field

Garden bird survey aims to solve goldfinch mystery

While many of our familiar songbird species are in decline, one avian character in particular has been spotted increasingly frequently in UK gardens - the goldfinch. 

Read more on how to help BTO get to the bottom of why these birds are doing well....here

Rare red-necked phalaropes 'best Scottish season in years'

A bird described as an "extremely rare" visitor to the UK has had one its best breeding seasons in years in Scotland.

Read more here 

A couple of extra gifts.....

Camera bag and hide clamp. Didn't I do well :o)

Bird News - Facing Extinction

Four UK bird species including puffins 'face extinction'

Puffins are among four UK bird species now at risk of extinction, according to the latest revision of a global conservation database.

Atlantic puffins, European turtle doves, Slavonian grebes and pochards are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species for birds.

Read more here

Some favourites

Looking back through my collection of images and some favourites - enjoy.......

Stretford (Canal / Meadows /Victoria Park)

Azure Damselfly

Toms Sunflower / Bee

Meadow Cranesbill

Victoria Park

Roses Victoria Park

Bridgewater Canal (looking towards the Whitehouse Boating Club)

Broad Ees Dole (From the hide)

Chester Zoo

Birds in General

Little Grebe

Magpie

Mallard

Canada Geese (Dambusters)

Mute Swan

Green Sandpiper (Pennington)

Pied Wagtail

Cormorant (Kinmel Bay)

Plover & Sanderling (Kinmel bay)

Common Tern (Kinmel Bay)

Hilbre Island

Hilbre Island

Plover / Dunlin (Hilbre Island)

Turnstone

Chaffinch (Pennington)

Great Tit (Pennington)

Juvenile Moorhen (SWP)

Bullfinch (Pennington)

Robin (Leighton Moss)

Female Pheasant (Leighton Moss)

Robin (SWP)

Leighton Moss