Small Stuff

After Uni yesterday I did my usual Monday afternoon pastime of watching Short eared Owls but unlike last week when it was sunny and the owls came close this week it wasn't sunny and the owls didnt come close. As a result I didn't get any images of note, this being the best new image I could get:

Still, it'll only be about a month now until they're gone again from this area so I'm determined to enjoy seeing these birds whilst it lasts, it really has been a cracking winter for them.

So this morning I had planned to go back armed with a full day in which to get some better images - a final flourish if you will. Unfortunately it was dull, misty and most importantly freezing cold this morning and I baulked at the prospect of spending a whole day outside as I reasoned I wouldnt get any images anyway.....that and the fact im a wimp. So a change of tactics were in order and instead I hopped over the border into Warwickshire to a feeding station I know near Brinklow. Well the term feeding station is a bit rich, its simply a few trays fixed to a few trees in a car park next to a canal. This description is deceiving however as the car park and canal are next to a sizeable chunk of mature (im not sure if its old enough to be termed "ancient" or not) woodland and im not sure if the station is maintained or regularly replenished but if you bring along some seed and nuts from home you can attract all sorts of species. So I did just that and a few minutes after filling the trays all sorts of goodies were turning up to feed just a few feet away from the car which I was sat in with the heaters on, lovely it was!

Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Marsh Tit

Marsh Tit

Nuthatch

"Britains ancient woodlands need YOU!

Nuthatch

Chaffinch

Moorhen

Blackbird

Brown Rat

Squirl

In addition to the photographed beasties a pack of Long tailed Tits were around although I bungled all my attempts at photographing them, stuff like Dunnock, Robins, Blue Tits and Great Tits were also present, a Greater Spotted Woodpecker never quite plucked up enough courage to visit the feeders and a Jay flashed past once. Not a bad mornings birding all from the comfy warmness of the car!