ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Thursday 25 December 2014

CHEATING. (25/12/14)

It is the day and it’s a beautiful sunny one. Two much breeze for good reflections in the loch and though there is a bit of inversion mist it is too high to make for either good landscapes or lochscapes.

Yesterday I moved the van a bit. I now have a bush next to the feeders and the van window has a grand view of the bush. I know it’s cheating but it does mean I can take snaps of the birds without getting frozen. It’s a little Christmas present to myself. I think I have now got all the visiting birds with the exception of a Greenfinch, Siskin and Great Tit. _MG_1133    Dunnock, there are at least two of these but they are either gay or I can’t tell the male from the female. Not to worry it’s a miracle I know it’s a Dunnock.

_MG_1134     Male House Sparrow. There are dozens of these and they are eating me out of house and home.

_MG_1143      Robin, there are at least three but if they aren’t bullying each other they are chasing the Dunnocks away.

_MG_1146       Male House Sparrow. I trimmed this bit of twig and it works a treat. It is uncluttered and the little darlings sit on it.

_MG_1159       Well some do. The Goldfinch refuses to pose out in the open. There are about a dozen of these and again I can’t tell the sexes apart.

_MG_1166        Coal Tit. There is only one I suspect but again they all look the same to me.

_MG_1170      The light looked grand on this Robin and it was a good bird it sat on my trimmed off perch.

_MG_1171     Longtailed Tit. I can set my clocks to these they come in droves at 1010h GMT and 1425h GMT. I don’t know how many there are but they are little beauties.

_MG_1178       This one was so good it used the perch. I suspect because the bush and feeders were full of it’s fellow LTTs.

It is cool here and the cloud is clinging to the snow. That is a sign of higher than average avalanche probability. Maybe not but I’m sure someone told me it was.

Have a good day.

36 comments:

  1. Brilliant bird photos and the dark light evokes that feeling of Winter ~ perhaps it is just because you are shooting through glass?

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    1. Carol, I have the window open and my woolly or wally hat on but it is a lot warmer than sitting outside. These are not straight from camera. They are going in a wee book so all have to be tweaked a bit. The hit rate is pretty low I ditch about seventy five percent.

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  2. These are exceptional. From the various details you caught to the lovely shallow depth of field.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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    1. Mersad. purely accidental. I'm hoping for six prints from three days messing.

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  3. You have got it right, have a beautiful day today.

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    1. Bob, it is a miracle I did. The day is looking good I'm just off out for the last walk of the day.

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  4. ツ Passei para uma visita. Belíssimas fotografias!

    FELIZ NATAL!!!
    ✿╯BOAS FESTAS!!!
    ╰✿╮

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    1. Magia, estou feliz que você fez. feliz Natal

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  5. So glad you moved the van. What a beautiful, beautiful set of pictures of happy birds.

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    1. Joanne, the Starlings have just been. I'm filling the feeders twice a day but the Starlings are not Italian and don't know to limit themselves to decimate. They come in and hoover up the lot. Watching birds is better than TV. They don't like Niger seed Niger seed is expensive so even Starlings aren't all bad.
      The birds have a hard life. The small ones have to eat their body weight just to survive a cold night.

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    2. I feed the birds year round, and have six or seven different feeders. I have niger for the finches, but in a mesh feeder only they can use. You have a bigger variety of birds than I have. Your coal tit is my chickadee and your gold finch does not resemble mine, except perhaps size. I feed mostly safflower and a rich mix for the bigger birds. Then, there is the ground crew of doves and squirrels who keep it neat underfoot.

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    3. Joanne, I'll have to start looking at the ground feeders and the ducks. It's great to have so many around.

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  6. Your own mobile bird hide, brilliant, as are the photos.

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    1. John, it is an excellent set up. I wish I could replicate it for the Goldeneye.

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  7. Great bird photos. You haven't done this for a while. The coal tit looks very much like our black capped chickadee. I had many chickadees and nuthatches at my feeders this morning but I didn't take any photos. Enjoy your day.

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    1. Red, there are so many good bird photographers that I am superfluous. The light is perfect for them at the moment.

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  8. Adriaan what is this lovely

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  9. I know this is a bit late, but enjoy what remains of the day, have a large glass of Bells if that your tipple. Great bird photos too.

    peter

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    1. Peter, it is but I stopped drinking it some months ago. I am on Czech Lager nowadays or fruit teas. I think I may be turning into one of them.

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  10. That's an excellent perch for the birds Adrian. Exceptional pictures.

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    1. Keith, and toastie warm fingers as a bonus. The Starlings have found the set up now so that has added to the chaos.

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  11. Enchanting shots! And I have trouble creeping up on magpies and galahs. Kookaburras are fine - they sit for a long time. Hope you've have a happy Christmastime. Jean

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    1. Jean, that is the beauty of this system. No creeping up or sitting about required.
      I hope you had a good day.

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  12. HI Adrian. All fantastic shot. I love the way you have set up that perch and then you are able to stay in the van to photograph them. Perfect hide..I hope you enjoyed your Christmas Day yesterday.

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    1. Margaret, it is and old rose bush. I just broke some twigs off it to give a clear view.

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  13. That perch is worthy of some macro images, I like lichen. However the bird images are superb. The Dunnock is a lothario it often has more then one female on the go during the spring

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    1. Douglas one thing the woods are not short of is Lichen. The Dunnock must be a glutton for punishment.

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  14. Vayaaa buena colección de pájaros!!!
    Un abrazo.

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  15. Great shots but then you don't need me to tell you that. What I really love is your twig perch with the lichen. I shall away to the Lewis Castle Woods to find some to replace my apologies for perches.

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  16. Graham, it will be worth the trip. The birds like a good stick.

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  17. I am enchanted at these pictures. I think you are a very good photographer. Is the booklet finished yet?

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    1. Raffaela, yes part one is finished. I'm just working on part two and also adapting the pictures to go on a touch screen information station.

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