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

Tuesday, 3 February 2015

A RARE BIRD. (03/02/15)

Winter is well and truly here. We had a wonderful walk first thing through a winter wonderland. No wind, it didn’t feel cold though it is snowing hard.

_MG_2530       The dogs love this weather but they don’t like me brushing the snow out of their coats. It was cold enough not to stick too badly today.

_MG_2531      Loch Morlich is frozen over.

_MG_2532       The place is just perfect.

I got back and had a bowl of porridge then set about erecting the bird feeder. I have a big steel spike and a lump hammer but was making little impression until I boiled a kettle of water and that sorted the job. The new bird seed is a big hit, it has all sorts of goodies in it and it does have millet though not very much.

_MG_2536I have all the usual suspects with Coal Tits in large numbers, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Chaffinch and Mallard sweeping up. The Jackdaw is back and I hope it isn’t the little devil that ripped all the rubber from my wiper blade last year. I’ll have to try and find a perch for them as I don’t like to see the feeders in the shot. That will be easier said than done as all the sticks are buried under a foot or more of snow. This bird food seems excellent value at £15.45p a sack though it’s difficult to tell as the birds would probably eat anything in this weather.

I didn’t see anything on our walk but within ten minutes of getting the feeders sorted this little beauty flew in.

_MG_2534       A rare bird, a Crested Tit. I know it isn’t the best shot in the world but it is snowing hard and damn near dark. I was talking to Kath in the shop and she said she’d seen a Crossbill……Yet another challenge. We are going to look for it on Thursday as she has seen it in the same place twice. She hasn’t seen a Pine Marten but a Crossbill would be a nice bird to see. I can see me turning into one of those twitchers…….God forbid. Does twitching have a detrimental effect on ones eyesight? The ones I’ve met have been, without exception, a right shower of bankers.

There are two Crested Tits now, they have decided fat balls are the thing.

Have a good day.

Posted by at

40 comments:

  1. carol in cairns3 February 2015 at 12:36

    Fine shot of that little crested tit against the sniw backdrop Adrian.

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    1. ADRIAN3 February 2015 at 12:45

      Carol, the shot is identifiable. The little devils only live within a small area round the Cairngorms. I am like a dog with two tails.

      Delete
  2. Richard Pegler3 February 2015 at 13:56

    What a cracking bird that Crestie is, Adrian. With your skills, it shouldn't be too hard to electronically replace that feeder with a nice twig!

    Good luck with your attemps at Crossbill. You'll be a twitcher yet!!

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    1. ADRIAN3 February 2015 at 14:24

      Richard, I got a blurry snap of one last year. I could swap it but it's easier to get it in camera.

      I'll not be a twitcher but I have Greenfinch here. I rarely see them in Scotland but a friend in Braemar has dozens of them. I wonder why?

      I don't think the Crossbills like feeders so I may struggle a bit.

      Delete
    2. Graham Edwards4 February 2015 at 10:02

      In the summer of 2013 I had more greenfinches in the garden than I had sparrows.

      Delete
    3. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 10:58

      Graham, I must have got confused again but I was sure that they were a rarity in Scotland.

      Delete
  3. Joanne Noragon3 February 2015 at 14:06

    Such a liberal education; I had to look up "twitchers." It seems to me Britain and Scotland aren't big enough to drive long distances to find birds, and you cannot drive the caravan to Ireland or France. So, don't worry.

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    1. ADRIAN3 February 2015 at 14:27

      Joanne don't you believe it. Twitchers appear out of the ether at the first sniff of some strange bird.

      Delete
  4. The Herald3 February 2015 at 17:11

    I'm getting very jealous Adrian, first off you post super images of the Hair Ice and now you top that with an image of a stunning little Crestie....BOTH of which I've never seen!! People make special trips to Scotland just to see the Cresties and you've got them almost knocking on your door! (I won't even mention Crossbills and Pine Martens)

    Right!...I'm just off to book the boat, plane and snowplough..I feel a twitch coming on!...[;o)

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    1. ADRIAN3 February 2015 at 17:46

      Trevor, I have Crested Tits coming out of my ears. Common as muck they are.
      Get your bum up here. There are wild Reindeer, Arctic Hares and Ptarmigan both the latter are a bugger to spot unless they move. I think they change colour to stop the flocks of Golden Eagles eating them.
      Don't bother too much about the Ptarmigan it's just a Grouse that turns white in winter. I wouldn't mind seeing one.

      Delete
  5. Douglas Mcfarlane3 February 2015 at 17:14

    For the Crossbill try finding in the snow some of the cones from the spruce's nearby they love them even in the snow some fresh water might me tempting enough. Glad you got a crestie they're so gorgeous. To get rid of twitches just stand next to them and everytime you see a crow or blue tit just say "is that it" they'll get bored quick enough and keave

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    1. ADRIAN3 February 2015 at 17:54

      Douglas, Kath is nearer my age so I will let her find it. Ladies know best but thanks for the tips.
      Twitchers are funny folk.

      Delete
  6. timoebasilico3 February 2015 at 18:37

    Such a beautiful atmosphere! I love the dogs in the snow

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  7. Mersad3 February 2015 at 18:46

    I love the snowed in forest and your dogs playing there. A wonderful setting.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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  8. Bob Bushell3 February 2015 at 19:46

    CRESTED TIT, that is superb, never seen one of them, but I want too. Beautiful image.

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    1. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 06:32

      Bob, I will try for some better pictures.

      Delete
  9. Margaret Birding For Pleasure3 February 2015 at 20:17

    WOW! A Crested Tit and more than one. How wonderful. I did have to go to Scotland to see them.

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    1. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 06:39

      Margaret as far as I know they only live in this area.

      Delete
  10. Jordi LĂłpez PĂ©rez3 February 2015 at 20:18

    Preciosa entrada, todas me gustan mucho, Adrian!!! La ultima es muy graciosa, hay que ver la paciència que tienes.
    Un fuerte abrazo.

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  11. Glo3 February 2015 at 20:26

    So happy to see you are in your winter element :) Lovely to meet your rare bird ~ well done! Thought you might enjoy checking a blog of a North America full-time RV traveler...he has some spectacular photos of hummingbirds. Your have snow...he has desert! http://ramcquade.com/

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    1. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 06:41

      Glo, yes I am happy. The Hummingbirds are stunning thanks for the link.

      Delete
  12. FOREST SNAPPER3 February 2015 at 21:12

    Well done Adrian, you have charmed this little bird, great photo.

    peter

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    1. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 06:41

      Peter, I'll try and get one in more natural surroundings.

      Delete
  13. Frances Garrood3 February 2015 at 22:13

    That crested tit is enchanting! I didn't know there was such a thing.

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    1. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 06:46

      Frances, they are local to the Cairngorms. I have been lucky as they are not always around.

      Delete
  14. Author R. Mac Wheeler3 February 2015 at 22:37

    holy cow you have a lot of species about. I'm jealous. I agree, the crested tit is adorable.

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    1. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 06:47

      R. Mac, there is a good selection of birds here. I'll get out again when it gets light.

      Delete
  15. Yorkshire Pudding3 February 2015 at 23:14

    Tits and fat balls - a pleasant combination. And I think you have already turned into a twitcher Adrian. You are officially the new Bill Oddie. After all you couldn't be Bill Tidy!

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    1. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 06:48

      YP, you are correct. Bill Untidy is more accurate.

      Delete
  16. Red3 February 2015 at 23:51

    I enjoyed your description of perfect. Your feeder gets a lot of customers in a hurry. there must be a lot of birds in the area.

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    1. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 06:49

      Red, it usually takes a couple of days to attract the birds. They must be hungry.

      Delete
  17. Graham Edwards4 February 2015 at 10:09

    I always know when something is happening on the Braighe (the road above the bay on the way into Stornoway) because suddenly Big Berthas will appear from nowhere and a dozen or so twitchers will be looking for something. I've never had the bottle to stop and ask them what. They might have seen my camera with it's puny 630mm lens. I must get a plastic replica of a Big Bertha.

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    1. ADRIAN4 February 2015 at 11:01

      Graham, I sold Big Bertha a year ago and got a more manageable 100mm-400mm lens. Bertha was too heavy to be enjoyable.

      Delete
  18. Laura. M4 February 2015 at 15:58

    Cuanta nieve Adrian aquí sólo en la montaña.
    Ese pájaro es precioso!!
    Un abrazo.

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    1. ADRIAN5 February 2015 at 05:52

      Laura, no he estado haciendo, pero me imagino varios metros.

      Delete
  19. holdingmoments4 February 2015 at 18:08

    Crested Tits; very envious.

    ReplyDelete

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