Robin Singing and Preening

I filmed this co-operative bird in Singleton Park, Swansea, back on April 6th. Camera used was a Canon 7D with a Sigma 500mm lens:

Robin Making Strange Noise

This Robin stopped by for some peanuts on my walk around the park today, and then proceeded to make this very strange sound:

Anyone heard one make a noise like that before?

Robin, with Tawny Owl Hooting in Background

I post this clip, not for its quality, but mainly to show Stifyn, whom I met in the park yesterday. I've heard the occasional Tawny Owl in Singleton Park over the last few years, and even saw one a couple of months back, but thought I was hearing things a week or so ago, when, on at least two successive days, I heard an owl hooting as early as 5.30 p.m. 

Anyway, here's conclusive proof that I've not gone (totally) mad. I was filming this Robin in the Ornamental Gardens area, on Wednesday, April 18th, when an owl hooted nearby. The 'too-whit, too-whoo' occurs after about 13-14 seconds:

Anyone else heard Tawny Owls hooting during daylight?

European Robin Singing

A Robin softly singing in the local park, filmed this past Sunday:

Birds of Forest Farm

Besides the Bittern, there was plenty of other wildlife to enjoy at the suburban oasis. It started almost as soon as I arrived, when I spotted a Weasel scampering up the far bank of the stream that runs along the path between the two hides.

Anyway, a few bird shots, just presented in the order in which I took them:-

A Long-tailed Tit feeding on food put out by visitors:

This is a great location for Bullfinches, which are quite scarce where I live. Here's the beautiful male:

The ubiquitous Robin:

Reed Buntings are common - surprise, surprise - in the reedbeds here. Here's a male:

The milder weather has stimulated many birds into song, including the humble Dunnock with his tuneful warble:

Male Mallard on the Glamorganshire Canal:

This Water Rail was scurrying through the undergrowth near the canal:

A Long-tailed Tit collecting lichens and mosses for its nest:

The reeds cast lovely reflections in the water. I just waited for a Moorhen to swim across:

Mallards enjoying some post-coital relaxation:

A Magpie:

Female Bullfinch:

Hen Reed Bunting:

A few shots of the stunning cock Bullfinch to finish:

Birds on a Fencepost

I went round to Bishop's Wood on the Gower Peninsula today, taking my newly-repaired trusty Canon 40D for a tryout. I was hoping to photograph a Marsh Tit, which can usually be seen coming to food here with commoner species. Of course, whenever I turn up with all my gear in good light, the quarry I came for is nowhere to be seen. Instead, I had to make do with shots of the usual woodland species such as this Coal Tit:

The most common and boldest of the birds were the numerous Nuthatches:

A few Blue and Great Tits popped down for some peanuts, but they were surprisingly timid, and seemed easily scared by my camera's shutter, so I didn't get any decent shots of them.

However, just before I left, a Robin appeared:

A few Chaffinches, Magpies, Jackdaws, Wrens, Jays, as well as one or two Goldcrests, were also around. I heard a Green Woodpecker calling from the woods, and a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker; a Fox trotted though the trees about forty yards away at 3.30 p.m.

I managed a few shots of the sunset over nearby Caswell Bay, but I'll post those another day.

Robin, Nuthatch, Grey Squirrel

Wow, a bit of sunshine today, so I headed down the park with my camera for an hour or so to see what I could see. 

I've seen two or three Jays there recently coming to peanuts thrown down for them, but either the weather was very dull or I didn't have my equipment with me. I was hoping to see them today, but there was no sign of them, so I had to make do with the usual cast of Blue, Great, and Coal Tits; Robins; Nuthatches; Chaffinches; Magpies; etc.

I put some food in a hole in this log, which soon drew down a Robin and a Nuthatch:

Unfortunately, they were soon chased off by one of the many local Grey Squirrels:

An Hour in the Park

A few shots from yesterday in Singleton Park, Swansea.

A bit dark in this wooded area opposite the Ornamental Gardens, so shutter speeds were low and ISOs high, but I managed a few shots, albeit some of them are a bit grainy.

A Magpie showing of its iridescence:

I caught this Blue Tit in a quirky pose:

A squawking sound in the canopy alerted me to the presence of this Ring-necked Parakeet - the first time I've seen it in a few months, and in exactly the tree in which I saw it for the first time:

Nuthatches were keen to come down for the peanuts I put down for them, although it was difficult to get a shot without a nut in their mouth:

This Robin would probably been better in a vertical composition, but I didn't have time to turn my camera round:

A couple more Blue Tits to finish:



Park- and Shore-birds

I went into the Botanic Gardens in Singleton Park for half-an-hour or so before they closed this afternoon.

Here are a few of the shots I took:-

Blue Tit:

Coal Tit:

Male Chaffinch:

Robin:

Magpie:

After the gardens closed, I walked along the seashore to Blackpill, where it was high tide. Here, there was the usual large gathering of Oystercatchers; smaller numbers of Curlews; a handful of Ringed Plovers and Dunlins; half-a-dozen Knots; and a flock of several hundred Sanderlings, of which this was part:

Birds in the Park

This lunchtime, I went down into my local park with my camera, and a bag of peanuts to feed the birds. Here are some of the results.

Blue Tit:

Robin:

Male Chaffinch:

Another Robin:

Female Blackbird:

Nuthatch:

I then tried taking a few backlit, 'contre-jour', pictures.

Great Tit:

Nuthatch:

Eventually, I managed a shot of the fast-moving Coal Tit: