Regular readers of this blog will remember the previous Garden Birds post I posted last week. In it I sulked and complained about the rain and the gloomy conditions, which meant I wasn't able to take any decent pictures.
Fortunately a few days later, the conditions improved. It was still quite chilly considering the time of year, so I put a coat on and grabbed a drink, and I went and sat in the corner of the garden and waited.
And waited some more.
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
We feed the birds in our garden, and we have done this for the past few years. Because of that, the local birds know there is food here if they need it, and sure enough, after 20 or so minutes this Male House Sparrow appeared!
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
I stayed as still as I could in my corner, and was able to begin watching the birds visiting the Feeders, this second House Sparrow perched on top of a nearby bush waiting his turn...
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
...and then getting squawked at... presumably due to not following the latest social distancing guidelines? I guess its just as hard for birds to keep up to date with the rules as it is for us haha!
Next to visit was a juvenile Starling. These birds are often seen on bird feeders, but this one was on the grass looking for food, presumably on the look out for small insects in the grass.
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris - Juvenile
This was one of several Starling youngsters to visit, and on the sidelines there were the parents keeping a very close eye on things. He does look quite grumpy in this shot...
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris - Adult
Then a pair of Goldfinches returned. They decided to ignore the seeds that we had provided, and instead they went straight to these Knapweed flowers and started picking the seeds out of those instead!
Makes no difference to me which seeds they eat. Most of the plants we have in the garden are chosen to benefit wildlife, so if thats what they want to eat then they can help themselves.
Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
Now we come to the end of the session. I had been sat still for nearly 2 hours now, and was thinking about heading inside, when I had the lucky opportunity to see this little Wren appear.
They are the UK's 2nd smallest bird species, and also one of our most common. They don't get seen very often purely because they are so small and so active; they never seem to stop moving.
Eurasian Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
I have seen them in the garden a few times, but never got a picture of it until now because they move so quickly that I can never grab my camera in time. This was my lucky day! I was in the process of photographing one of the House Sparrows when the Wren, appears from nowhere and pauses on the fence. I already have the camera in my hands, and the settings are already correct, so all I need to turn slightly to one side and CLICK! A beautiful picture of a fantastic little bird.
With the best picture I had managed in the whole session, I decided to end it on a high point and headed back inside to warm up.
Note: Binomial names of each species of bird checked at Wikispecies
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That wren look like a ball of fluff. these pictures are great you got talent.
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Wonderful photos of your garden visitors! That shot of the wren is beautiful!
Thanks for posting to the #featheredfriends community!
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Thanks again for the tip. The shot of the Wren shows how important it is to be in the right place at the right time! 😉
That is so true with many nature photos, isn't it?
Yep, and its the reason why nature photography can be so frustrating, and yet so rewarding too. You never know what you are going to see until the action unfolds in front of you
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