Snow buntings in Cornwall Jan 2015

Male Snow bunting

Spent several hours photographing a pair of snow buntings at Godrevy in West Cornwall today with Dave Chapman.

They were very easy going and allowed us to get quite close. The light was variable but at least the rain stayed away!

Free running dogs and an annoying Pied Wagtail were the main disturbances to these super little winter visitors.

Male Snow bunting

 

Female Snow bunting

Male Snow bunting

Male Snow bunting

 

Male Snow bunting

More Redstarts.... Bodmin Moor.

Male Redstart with Large Red Damselfly

I couldn't resist having another go with these fantastic Redstarts. I needed some better pictures of the male bird and I was in position and taking photos before 7 this morning.

The weather was great although by about 9:30 it was very hot in my old Daihatsu which I was using as a hide, even with all the windows open.

By then the light was getting a bit harsh so I called it a day at about 10 a.m.  Job done!

Saying that I would rather have had the bird perching on a more tasteful perch but this is as it was with this old fence support hanging just above the nest hole so I went with it and thought therefore it must be natural... if they chose it!

Oddly enough the female bird always used the foxglove stem on her way to the nest but the male never did.

There was also another male bird hanging around and making unwelcome advances on the female whenever our male was away foraging!

Male Redstart

 

Male Redstart

 

Female Redstart

Great Spotted Woodpeckers

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker

 

These Great spotted Woodpeckers were feeding young in a hole in an oak tree on the outskirts of Wadebridge this morning.

Dappled light didn't make it easy for exposures but I guess we need to make the most of this beautiful sunshine when we can!

I'm hoping to have another session when the chicks put their heads out of the tree.

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Pied Flycatchers

Male Pied Flycatcher

 

I took advantage of the fine weather and took a trip up to Yarner Wood on Dartmoor today to try to find Pied Flycatchers and Wood Warblers.

I was happy after finding several pairs of Pied Fly's merrily feeding away and carrying food to and fro to their nestboxes.

They took virtually no notice of me although I did come with copious amounts of camo material and scrim to break up my otherwise attractive outline!

There were 3 pairs nesting along on bit of path in almost every other box. Those without Pied Fly's had great and blue tits in residence and I also found a nesting pair of Coal tits but they were in a natural nest hole in a stump of hazel.

As for the Wood Warblers they were vocal and it was great to hear but they were high up in the canopy and I couldn't get the camera on them.

All in all a successful day!

Female Pied Flycatcher

 

Male Pied Flycatcher

Male Pied Flycatcher

Male Pied Flycatcher

Female Pied Flycatcher

Male Pied Flycatcher

Pied Flycatchers

Female Pied Flycatcher

A few more images from our trip to Finland recently.

Pied Flycatchers were one of the commonest nesting birds we saw in the eastern border area with pairs in many of the available nesting boxes we found.

Here are some shots of both the male and the female although the male often passed food to the female away from the nest and she delivered to the nestlings.

Female Pied Flycatcher

Female Pied Flycatcher

Male Pied Flycatcher