Cold Robin, Erithacus rubecula

These are pictures I took yesterday; This Robin seems cold, but also in a way that it looks snug and warm, despite the cold temperatures.
Robin, Erithacus rubecula





A cold & windswept Chaffinch female, Fringilla coelebs


And I've posted not much of my Jackdaws lately, so here's one.
Jackdaw, Corvus monedula



I will post photos of the others in wildlife on Wheels; with little Wild Flowers/Insects etc. abuot, it needs some postings on birds too.

Wagging Wings

When the cold snap moved into these islands and the west of the European continent, a pair of Blackbirds settled here also. More of the Tits arrived too, and I was delighted to see my little Coal Tits again, which had been away from my garden for a bit.
Feeding in the planter has become more challinging for most of the birds. Despite a female Blackbird generally bigger in size than the male, this one is very small for a female.
it is himself who calls the shots here most of the time and at that moment the female is downgraded to the level of Chaffinches, Dunnocks, and Robins. I cannot remember when we had this severe frost in December. Here in the SW of Ireland cold weather would usually be restricted to the first two months of the year. So not only for us, but for the wildlife also, this cold weather feels very odd. And although I do not mind the frosty weather as such, it does restrict me in my movements and independence related as such.

Apart from the bossy Blackbirds, the other ones which make themselves heard and seen, are the Wagtail whichwas also forced to feed here in the garden, and its loud shrill call can be irritant to say the least.

Blackbird, (female), Turdus merula.



Introductions start fine and without violence;



But soon tempers flared, and the Wagtail was trying to look bigger than it felt.
(Note the tail which has gone limp suddenly, and compare to the picture above. Fear?)



Blackbird, {male), Turdus merula.



The Dunnock too is being bossed about, and it approaches carefully therefore. I counted 3 of these delightful little birds the other day.

Dunnock, Prunella modularis




Pied Wagtail, Motacilla alba


Robin, Erithacus rubecula




Another bossy specie:
Chaffinch, (female) Frinilla coelebs

male.

Bue Tit, (female), Parus caeruleus




And then the rains and Galeforce winds returned and feathers start flying about again, as this Pied Wagtail shows here:


The only birds not to be phased by the arrival of the Blackbirds are the Corvids. Both Rook and J|ackdaws do not hesitate to show the newcomers the door.

some of my last photos, compiled

The storm might have passed us, but after more hail, sleet, the temperatures were low enough to keep the flakes frozen in the planter and on any other horizontal surface. This is unusual in our warm corner of the island.

Anyway, as soon as the temperatures rose slightly, rain came our way once again.

My lens managed to peek in between the - still- wet window now and then to capture my little visitors, and I've already got quite a collection of Goldcrest pics. Even got one, out of focus Goldcrest in the Fennel. At least I got it in time, which is a start.

So I've included a few into this slide show, which is just for fun.

Or at least I thought it would be fun, but my, it made me sigh on a very regular basis, as it was not as easy as it made out to be.
Then again, might be better next time? Yeah right! As if.

Not that this one is perfect, far from it. some photos might be a bit off kilter also.

It's at the bottom of the blog.

The storm has past

A storm was and forecasted for Saturday for this island of Ireland, and that of the UK, with our West coast and the west coast of Scotland mostly exposed and therefore facing the and receiving the brunt of it before the West country and Wales would be getting the tail on the next (Sun) day.

With the gales raging around our house at 100miles an hour and with hail popping down most of the time, I was concerned for the little visitors of the garden and had scattered little pieces of bacon rind around the planter which were greatly received by birds like the Pied Wagtails, Chaffinches and House Sparrows.

I am always amazed how small birds will still come and fly in and come here to find their food. OK, it is logic also, because they do need their calories in order to fight the cold spread by the strong winds and when you need to eat something like 6x your own bodyweight, just so you can get through the night. (I am not sure these are the right figures, it could well be more times bodyweight)

Still, a lot of people do record less birds in extreme conditions like these, but not here. OK, not all of the Great Tits might come for dinner, yet I was thrilled to see the two little Goldcrests land in the planter, for a good feed on peanut cake and anything else they could find on their nose-down ramble around the planter and peanuts. I had feared they would not make it against these strong violent gales of force 11, tiny as they are. However, I was wrong and 2 of those little birds did manage their way into the garden.

I am still trying to attempt a Goldcrest photo when sitting on a Fennel stalk. It is very hard to do one of these. They will fly into the planter, or rather they show up in there quite sudden, flit around, feeding when they can, take a bite of peanut cake into their beak, then up into the Fennel before getting bak down again where the feeding will proceed in the same manner.
(This is whenever there are no other takers at the peanut cake.) Finding the tiny mass of feather and fluff on the Fennel stalks is the hard bit. And I haven't even been able to focus yet! So before I can post one of those shots, I have managed these shots





And for those who have followed the progressof our young Jackdaw, here are a few more of today's shots of the lovely boy or girl.





And another little fighter which battled its way through the storm. A brave little Blue Tit. I think I took the photo when we had a bit of an invasion of Rooks and Jackdaws this afternoon. It looks a little bit scared, doesn't it?

Here is one of the Rook culprits, looking for a portrait I believe:
And a picture of a female Xhaffinch and a Pied Wagtail are included here too.






Although we had decided that it would be best for me to stay indoors, rather than go to the shop, when it cleared up a little in the afternoon, I timed it well and was able to get down and up in one piece. As soon as I came off the estate and onto our little back road, I ws swept up almost and was pushed forward with the wind in my back. Now we, reasonable people, all know that any wheels like mine, have their own speed limits and will eiter go not faster than 6,8 miles per hour. (all depending on the state of your batteries in reality)

Yet, I was convinced that I was going a lot faster than whatever is the fastest my wheels can go. One day, when we know a storm is brewing, I want to try this out with all the apparatus needed.

It was therefore very funny that Francis asked why I took so long? At which my answer was (of course) that it was hard craft battling against the storm on my return.

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.

Red Legs, Wings and wishful thinking

I had planned to get out on Tuesday, according to Sky News’ weather forecasters. As we all know, this is one of the most difficult jobs on earth, unless you are one of the US weather girls. They make a real showbiz out of their job.

Tuesday came and went, it was dry mostly, but it was those few showers which would get in my way and keep the Lumix locked in her bag. Thursday sounded good, yet it was too far off for me and my trembling wheels, which needed strong ties to keep her indoors. So on Wednesday, Francis left for town and the shopping. A few hours later and I was off too. I needed to be quick though; being on the road around three o’clock till four is a very busy time with school pick-ups and when many do their local shopping also. High tide was way off, coming in around five or six, but I didn’t mind, it was the fresh air one needs and any Birds would be a bonus.
Last autumn the bay was honoured with five Common Teal Ducks, and somehow I am hoping that they, or any other of their species have returned to this part of the world. Have they? Will they? (And then, when you browse the books again, you suddenly notice that they are Resident Birds! Silly me-thinking-no, -being convinced- that they were migrants- Then why have I only seen them in February? Mallards I have seen this summer, but no Teal, which are so cute. Anyway, here they are: Four of the five I saw that day.
Common Teal, (Anas crecca)

(sorry for the quality of this photo, I only had the camera for 2 months, and was still getting to grip with bird photography. )
I will keep looking for them or any other wintering species. And what has happened to the flock of Long Tail Tits? Are these still around up there? I have not seen them since. Have they bred here? Successfully? So many questions, where can they be..

I am happy that we still have (late) Bees around, along the road and in the garden.
Last year's Redwing, which I spotted near Riverside Cottage, our previous home in February, is also on my wish-list for Soon-to-be-seen-Birds. Or it's cousin, the Fieldfare perhaps?
(those observant readers among you, might even note that there is no talk of maybe or perhaps in that line either. I just really expect these ones to return for a better portrait. If not them, than perhaps some other migrants coming this way?
Redwing (Turdus iliacus)


After turning around from the pier, all I saw was mud, beautiful blue-grey mud, full with life underneath, yet boring above... or is it? Wait, I can see something glitter amongst the blue bottom of this bay. It walks slowly, bill down into the grey mud, coming up with its lunch. The Red legs are standing out like traffic lights. It is amazing how obvious these are. And then all of a sudden it takes off-no not into the air, yuo silly!-it starts running, something they are amazingly good at. Before, last winter/spring, when I tried good photos of them, they would race away from me. This time, they did not spot my camera (and bag on my lap) until I had a few images already on the card.
Redshanks have always populated this bay, and the most I've ever spotted were three,and not only that, I've hardly ever seen them apart. Here's two of them,
Common Redshank, (Tringa totanus)




Blackheaded Gull,(Larus ridibundus)




Many Hooded Crows were flying about or foraging the mud, lying bare for another few hours till the new tide comes in, here's a few pictures, of the two which agreed to posing.






I'm a lover of the Living Walls with the Lichen and Mosses growing over and on it. For weeks I have been smiling at the many Wild Daisies which grow along the road, their roots going down deep and I often wonder if they are realy adapted to survive on salt water. Do they? So many of the Daisies actually grow in-between the stones of the coastal wall along the bay, and grow inside the bay, so to speak. These are some of the few which are growing on dry land.