Wednesday 29 October 2014

LOCAL BIRDS


I made the most of the warm and sunny weather (it’s raining now!) that we’ve had over the last few days and managed to get out and about and photograph some of the local birds.

Local Birds 3  Corn Bunting 1
A Corn Bunting glowing in the early morning sunshine.

I found this pair of very confiding Stonechats…

The male
Local Birds 4  Stonechat  male 1

Local Birds 5  Stonechat  male 2

The female
Local Birds 6  Stonechat  female 1

Local Birds 7  Stonechat  female 2

I was very lucky to catch up with, what was a lifer and the highlight of the show for me, a reasonably rare (although there have been quite a few reported around the country just recently) Great Grey Shrike.

Distant views at first…
Local Birds 1  G G Shrike 1

It was very flighty but I did manage to get a little closer…
Local Birds 2  G G Shrike 2

Over four days of ‘local’ birding I managed to see fifty two different species of bird, all within a twelve mile radius of home. It was a good and enjoyable few days birding.

11 comments:

FOREST SNAPPER said...

Well done to you Trevor with the Shrike and what a great header too.



peter

holdingmoments said...

Getting to be quite the local twitcher.
Well done with the Great Grey Shrike.
Hope you counted them all. :-)

Douglas Mcfarlane said...

I'd be happy with just the Stonechat but to get a shriek and a Corn Bunting all within 12 miles of home us a bonus. Are Corn Buntings regular around your way or just an occasional visitor?

ADRIAN said...

The shrike is a ticker or pacemaker or just a rare and cracking bird. If you find another one I'll send more toffee. Not for a Shrike. An Albatross. Two packs if one hoves into camera range.
Have you shared them with her indoors?

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful images Trevor, the Grey Great Shrike is my favourite.

Roy Norris said...

Super images Trevor and some really nice captures for you. Corn Buntings are rare now and I never get to see a Stonechat anymore.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Hi Trevor. That Grey Shrike was a great find. You must have been cuffed about that lifer. Great shot of the Stonechats. Funny how very often they are perched on barbed wire. Have a great week.

Stewart M said...

The shrike is a very good looking bird - nice to find one on your patch.

Feel free to link this post up to Wild Bird Wednesday (along with about 50 other bird bloggers) on my photo-blog.

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

The Herald said...

Thanks Peter...[;o)

Thanks Keith. Yeh, I'm on nodding terms with most of the grown ups now.
Damn!..should have taken my clicker!...[;o)

Douglas, The Stonechats posed well but the Shrike was the star.
There are a couple of sites locally where you can see Corn Buntings for most of the year. These I saw at a new site (for me)there were two separate flocks with around 15 birds in each...[;o)

Adrian, it was good to see the Shrike and get a few photos!!
I wouldn't start buying in the toffee just yet, but I have polished up the bins just in case that Albatross decides to put in and appearance, you never know??
Luckily for me her who should be obeyed wasn't too enamored with the toffee...another result!...[;o)

Thanks Bob...and mine!...[;o)

Thank you Roy. We're doing quite well for Corn Buntings, there's a couple of sites locally and there's also a few Stonechats around at the moment too...[;o)

Hi Margaret. Yeh, I was really pleased to be able to 'tick' off the Shrike and get a few photos. I guess the barbed wire is just another convenient branch for the Stonechats?...[;o)

Stewart, thank you. The Shrike was the star of the day!...[;o)

Ruby said...

Lovely little birds!! Very beautiful pictures Trevor!

The Herald said...

Ruby, thank you...[;o)