Twice Lucky Wren.

In March 2008, I shot my first ever Wren picture, as it was toying with this bright green cayerpillar. The series of five photos with the grub in varying degrees of "flatness, showed how the Wren killed it first by slapping on the wood of the shelf and only then ate the result.
Wrens prefer to stick to the wooden supports underneath the shelf, flitting between the slats, looking for Insects.

A few days ago, I spotted my Wren and it was strutting a whitish worm or caterpillar. A bit like the caterpillar of the Small Magpie Moth, I guess. Which is well possible it was one of these as I've seen the Small Magpie Moth on four or five occasions in the house/garden. After it had finished this one, it was still hungry apparently because it popped up again from below with a green caterpillar! There was barely 10 minutes between the two. It was moving about constantly with the green price; however it kept putting it down repeatedly, looked at it before picking up again. It was further away than the one in spring, making observation and photography harder.
Prior to the Wren I had concentrated on a few more detailed shots with the camera set on macro. Between the rapid clicks of the shutter I was trying hard to 'un-click' this setting with the little button beside the shutter. It did not really work and I shot a whole "film" before these shots which were totally ruined by the wrong focus. A pity because many had the first grub in the Wren's beak also. Which I thought would be a nice comparison with the green pictures.

The exppressions of the Wren is my main reason for taking these pictures; one of these birds with a face like no others. Otherwise I would not have posted these because the quality is not my best.

I have no idea what the green grub would become eventually, had it been left alone l . ater, and if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.









At last she is having the guts to pick it up again.

She then took it to a dark corner behind one of the little uprights on the shelf. I could only see the green grub tremble and move nervously as the Wren was still toying with it.
All These photos were the last of his/her encounter with her meal; she had been slapping it about for a bit before I took these pictures.
I think what happened was that this particular grub took longer to die. Which might explain her behaviour and expressions on the face also.

I am just very glad that my overgrown garden is still able to offer two meals at this difficult time for Birds. I hope there are many more left between the bits out there.
It is fasvinating I think that Great Tits especially, will also visit the support slats on their search for Insects. The Coal Tits too and even House Sparrows and Chaffinches have been down there. A pity that it is such a dark spot for photos.

Latest JJ photos

I've been rather busy lately and have spent not that much time behind the camera. This is highly unusual for me with the camera living at my arm in the window at my kitchen window and the bird table at the other side so to speak. JJ, his siblings or cousins, and the Rooks are darkening the sky regularly when they all come out to feed on the playground beside us, and on my peanut cake.

I went through some old photos this evening, of the young ones this summer, and had planned to go out to the bay during the afternoon, but after a quick dive to the village for some white wine, milk, and the papers, I was frozen already. So perhaps tomorrow, although I doubt it very much already. Besides, the pain is not looking forward to that anyway. We'll see. you see, I hate it that my early morning trips are off the card these days. Although I am very careful on the road in rain and with frost (not that I get much experience with the latter phenomenon here in the "tropics of Eire, I am afraid for the possible carelessness of other road users. Even in the early morning.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures.






I love the details in these pictures of the Rooks. And what I like about black and grey birds, regarding photography.

That big step to stardom for a young Jackdaw

Silently he landed, a sudden itch made him jump up. Keeping low, he crept toward the corner of the birdtable where he saw his breakfast; as usual his many plates were filled. He could see seeds, the grey Sunny ones. None of that ‘little stuff’ was there, thank the Sun! The taste was OK, but they were so hard to regurgitate from his crop, and they stuck to his ‘real’ filling breakfast, spoiling the taste of his daily fat requirement. And they were hard to eat anyway, picking one up needed a delicate touch his mother had told him when she first took him here, that ‘big day’ when he was a baby still. And when they still used that silly name. She still uses it now and then. She even had the nerve to tell me. Yes, me, the subject in this case!-that it had to do with familiarity or something like that in the sound or tones. Don’t know what She was trying to say really.
As long as She feeds me it is alright and I think I do please her. If only she could get rid of those little parasites on my table! Those brownies are not too bad; they might come en masse and eat a lot, they do take up their wings and leave as soon as I lower myself over my table and will make room for me or for my-and extended-family.
However it is those other little ones. First there are those thichers. Their call is this irritant ‘thichering’ the only description I know. These are cowards too. They put that yellow breast out as far as they can whilst ‘thichering, but as soon as they spot a little bit of shadow, off he is.
No, the real parasites are those other little Black-caps. They have the guts to stay and/or return while I am feeding! Honest! They show no respect for anyone it seems. Even Rooks can not dine alone! I ask you, is that normal?

At least here I am feeding in a more relaxed manner. Enjoy the pictures.

We’ve hinted in a previous post somewhere (wildlife?) that Junior had changed his name because of his stardom and his debut.
He kept insisting on the big screen, he yet has to understand (as do I!) the reality of streamlined videos.
We had a lovely video which at 40.8MB was too big to upload according to Francis and only this afternoon did I read up about VAG and QVAG to understand that by choosing VAG 30frames per second, I had immediately gone for the best of the best. So instead, we filmed the boy again this morning.
Photobucket had no problem in posting movies bigger than 20MB, yet another attempt has to wait till tomorrow when rain is forecasted.

I will get the hang of it eventually, don’t worry.