A different 'angle' to my Rooks, Corvus frugilegus.

Rook, Corvus frugilegus
One of my Rooks, looking down, after having eaten its fill (in other words: quite a lot!) gave me one last glance before heading off again to its friends at the other side of the fence.
As did this one.


Jackdaw, Corvus monedula
checking out what could be hidden among the grit on the road. This bit of road is frequented by kids which use it as a shortcut between the village shop and their homes.

Blue Tit, Parus caeruleus
Blue Tit on the edge of my Fatsia 'birdtable'

Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba

Wagtails are regulars in the garden as well. Bossy, and very noisy they are too.


Robin, Erithacus rubecula
Another bossy visitor.

Next week I'm hoping to go to Killarney with the gys at respite. It is the worst I can do to my back, which hardly survives 1 trip to Bantry every fortnight! My hope is that we get to see any of the Sea Eagles there of course.

The arrival of our little friend, The King of Winter; The Wren.

Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes
In Holland, the Wren is called Winterkoning, which translates as King of the winter. I've heard people call it the Winter Wren here as well. This is the time that it starts to look to gardens for shelter and for extra food, now that there is a shortage of natural food. It will scurry about in the undergrowth, looking for food fallen from your birdtable or feeders and for Invertebrates which haven't found their winter 'home' yet.
They might be very small, yet they do weigh twice as much as the Goldcrest; Ireland's smallest bird.

pied Wagtails, Motacilla alba





Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
Female. Who has just eaten some berries, I think, considering that she has something red in her beak. hawthorn most likely.

Male

Juvenile Jackdaw, Corvus monedula



This lovely brown eye is a sign of age. At first, as fledgling, these would be blue, and the brown is the immature in-between stage.

Compare that with the typical white eye of the adult

Searching for a Gull: a flying visit to Bantry harbour.

Juvenile Gull.

I was looking for a Great Black backed Gull, Larus rudibundus, for a photo, this week, and while it has been raining most days for 2 weeks now, I managed to find a few spare minutes between getting my fresh veggies and fruit at Organico, and leaving with the bus, which needed to be back in town in time to collect the rest of the group from the cinema. there was not a Great Black-back to be seen, however. A first for me! Being the largest Gull on the mud, it would be hard to miss, or so I thought. The harbour wall is too high for a quick and proper look. Behind the board, showing off the different birds found Bantry Bay, there is a small opening leading to a set of stone steps into the harbour itself. Looking down, I spotted this immature Gull. the size of either Herring Gull, lesser Black back or the Great Black backed Gull. Identifying juvenile Gulls is very tricky. Apart from a need to ID them, the patterns often remind me of those found in the human world. Many markings, colourings around me make me think of fabrics, or other materials which had similar ones. After taking a few shots, I spotted John the driver, and I started making my way round the parking lot to the dip in the pavement to allow my wheels to get of the pavement without me breaking my back.
As I moved about in a hurry, I did manage to capture this lovely Pied Wagtail juvenile. .
Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba.




This House Sparrow, Passer domesticus, was moving about in front of me, and apparently not interested in having its picture taken.

Foraging for live food

Blue Tit, Parus caeruleus.


I noticed that I have seen a lot of empty snail shells recently. This is due to the severe weather we've had this winter. how? We saw a lot of Trushes, Blackbirds, and Song Thrushes. All loving seeing these slimy creatures as a highly priced delicacy. So it would be lovely to keep those Trushes, right? Not so easy though. There are many more gardens with lawns about me, and usually birds like these would feed on worms in lawns. Cocking their head when listening for any movement below the grass.

Also, I spotted that at least one of my Blue Tits has started foraging for live food in the undergrowth, and on the ground of the garden. It could mean that it is one of a breeding pair, or it just wanted somethiong different than what I provide it with.

As usual it is also searching for the food scattered among the Fennel's stalks. And hiding from me in the meantime. Or would it be camera shy?


Great Tit, Parus major


One of my little Coal Tits, Parus ater


One of the snail-eating Trushes: the female Blackbird, Turdus merula


Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba

I believe this is a male with the full neck & chin bib.

One of the two Collared Doves, Streptopelia decaocto,

My garden visitors today.

Robin, Erithacus rubecula


Blue Tit, Parus caeruleus
My Blue Tit was searching for minerals again on the wall.
My Chafflady didn't really want to pose and hit from the camera.


Coal Tit, Parus ater.



My two Collared Doves, Streptopelia decaocto, have become one. The one Dove has come on his/her own lately, cooing loudly from the fence, I fear the worst. And this pair being the first and only Doves of any kind which I saw around the village in 27 years, it doesn't bear well for a new mate. The only other specie I have seen in Bantry was a Wood Pigeon, Columba palumbus, in the garden of Rehabcare.
Blending into the background

Female Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs

Female Blackbird, Turdus merula

My Song Thrush, Turdus pholomelos. Had 2 of these yesterday and today. A sign of cold weather!

It wasn't easy to get hold of one of my Great Tits, Parus major, but eventually it worked.


Dunnock, Prunella modularis

This Blackbird male, Turdus merula, is caled a 1st winter bird. Born last summer, he still bears the brown edges on his wings.

As is the case with this Jackdaw, Corvus monedula. again, note the brown feathers in its wings.

Rook, Corvus frugeliga


Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba