Spring is coming.
15th March 2024
Susan and I have only just finished completely redecorating the interior of the house and it has taken six weeks of hard work. However, it is finished now and we have started to go out birding in the locality. Fortunately last week we were lucky to come across two Willow Tits.
Notice the extensive sooty black cap, prominent black bib, large white cheeks, buffy underparts and a light wing panel.
They always look a warmer colour than the Marsh Tit, which could be a confusion species.
These little birds are on the 'Red List' and as a consequence have become quite difficult to see nationally.
However, encouragingly the days are now noticeably lengthening, despite the horrible, gloomy and wet weather we have been enduring for months. The land is sodden and everywhere you walk is just mud – disgusting.
Around our garden finch numbers are building - Goldfinches and Siskins in the main. Each year at this time they come to the bird feeders to fatten up ready for breeding. This morning in a rare couple of hours of brightness I set up a lens and camera in the permanent hide in my garden. Traditionally the finches were quarrelling over the seeds and I managed to capture a few flight shots using the method I explained in a previous blog post.
In order to capture these flight shots;
Canon R5 and Canon Rf 100-500 zoom lens.
Details - 5000/sec - ISO 2500 @ f8 for some DOF.
I have sold my Canon 7D Mk2 DSLR and I am now ‘mirrorless’ only, and for the first time in twenty years I have one single camera, it feels strange!
Positively I can’t wait for the spring migrants to start appearing to put an end to this miserable wet winter…….
Notice the extensive sooty black cap, prominent black bib, large white cheeks, buffy underparts and a light wing panel.
They always look a warmer colour than the Marsh Tit, which could be a confusion species.
These little birds are on the 'Red List' and as a consequence have become quite difficult to see nationally.
However, encouragingly the days are now noticeably lengthening, despite the horrible, gloomy and wet weather we have been enduring for months. The land is sodden and everywhere you walk is just mud – disgusting.
Around our garden finch numbers are building - Goldfinches and Siskins in the main. Each year at this time they come to the bird feeders to fatten up ready for breeding. This morning in a rare couple of hours of brightness I set up a lens and camera in the permanent hide in my garden. Traditionally the finches were quarrelling over the seeds and I managed to capture a few flight shots using the method I explained in a previous blog post.
In order to capture these flight shots;
Canon R5 and Canon Rf 100-500 zoom lens.
Details - 5000/sec - ISO 2500 @ f8 for some DOF.
I have sold my Canon 7D Mk2 DSLR and I am now ‘mirrorless’ only, and for the first time in twenty years I have one single camera, it feels strange!
Positively I can’t wait for the spring migrants to start appearing to put an end to this miserable wet winter…….