Last few of the year?

photos taken with iPhone and Hipstamatic app

End of year

Cow parsley


Flock of Woodpigeons


Ivy in a brief bit of sunshine


Wintry farmland

That was about it.

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM

A Day In Bed(fordshire)

Long-tailed Tit collecting moss for nest

We had quite a nice day today, despite staying within the notoriously bird-free boundaries of Bedfordshire. We started off at Swiss Gardens, Old Warden. It was full of birdsong, including Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Song Thrush, Great Tit, Robin and Wren.

I found myself paying close attention to the luxuriant ivy that grows up many of the trees there. Eventually our searching paid off and the Firecrest was relocated several metres off the ground. Firecrests traditionally join roving flocks and choose low-level foraging, but this one has a head for heights and prefers its own company.

We also encountered that well-known woodland bird, the Mute Swan. There was the rhythmic 'whoomph-whoomph-whoomph' of swan wings, followed by a loud crash as one of a pair collided with a tree on its way down to the lake. Fortunately it seemed uninjured and permitted us to herd it towards the water.




We stopped off at the 'Raptor Watchpoint' on our way westwards. A burst bin-bag of glamorous shoes on the roadside intrigued me; it was hard not to imagine who they'd belonged to and why they'd been abandoned in the middle of nowhere...


Darren's written about our day on Bedsbirds.

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM

Butterflies

Wall Brown (living up to its name)

Small Tortoiseshell

Small Copper

Red Admiral

Peacock

These were all taken on our way to the mythical Nanjizal valley (with the exception of the Small Copper which was at Nanjizal Bay). It's amazing what a south-facing granite wall, covered in flowering ivy, can do...

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995

Fowlmere

Chiffchaff. Darren managed to 'pish' this bird - it's the first time I've ever seen pishing work. It sat right up and cocked its head towards us.

Common Darter. No pishing required

Hawthorn leaves

And stunningly bright berries

Ivy - leaves and flowers

Phragmites

Southern Hawker

Umbellifer of some description (Cow Parsley, I suppose)

Distant new galaxy, or spider web?

Motion on water created by whirligig beetles

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM

New era

I've been thinking about getting a proper camera for a long time, and I've finally done it. I served my digiscoping apprenticeship and decided it was about time I jumped on the DSLR bandwagon.

These are early days. I haven't got a clue of which settings to use; I just know I need to get close. It's not been hugely successful so far, but it's great fun - feels like the photographic equivalent of go-karting!

Now I just need to find some nice, cooperative birds.

And so, at The Lodge this morning...

Blue Tit. Some nestbox inspection going on


Robin preening

Frosty ivy berries



Dunnock singing

Bramble leaves

Wouldn't be complete without some sunlit leaves, would it?

And from yesterday...

Greylag Geese

Bullfinches munching on ash keys

photos taken with Canon EOS 30D, EF 300mm f/4L IS USM, Extender EF 1.4x II

Sleeping beauties and other things

When I got to work this morning, it was beautifully sunny. Cold, but sunny, so I went for a quick walk around the garden. I found these wasps clinging to the ivy flowers for dear life. They were almost completely still, except for a few wiggling antennae and twitching thoraces.




I went back at lunchtime and found lots more wasps, looking much more lively, feeding on the ivy nectar. At this time of year, it must be a lifeline for them.

Vine leaves on the turn






Common Darters are still around in good numbers. Every day, I think 'they'll all be gone tomorrow', but it hasn't happened yet.

Red Admirals are probably the most numerous butterflies

Several Commas seen today, too.

Holly berries

photos taken with Nikon Coolpix 995