Scozmo's Photery

November – Week 3

Since I started doing this weekly digest of my walks on the patch, the number of walks I’ve taken has dropped drastically, that and the fact that it’s been too dreich to bother with photos, kind of sad but, still getting out there and walking just nothing much to share 😦

So this edition runs from the 17th, a week of real chilly, windy and wet days, not complaining really, how many times have I said we need the rain??? Actually, I can complain, I’ve hardly taken any photos. Not strictly true, I’ve taken a zillion overnight timelapse shots just most of them were wasted, nothing to see here! 🙂

So, on to the shots I did get!

I did a green lane loop on the 20th, without the green lane part, what? Well, that area is being worked on at the moment so I walk around the border of the field that parallels the lane then down the hill to the reed beds and the wildlife camera.

I’ve not been checking the camera there as often either so when I do get over there, there’s more to upload, I have started a compendium of clips from the camera to share soon, honest 🙂

I have a new friend that comes out to watch me do that, oh and to check for anything I might drop 😉

A bonnie Robin, stepped out onto the gorse, flowering you might notice! Perches there and watches me or, waits for its chance to drop on any morsels I drop 🙂

Got to be one of our prettiest, common birds, I’m just waiting for the snow to get the best shots.

I’ve also now taken to crossing the reed beds from the camera site and walking the hedge-line on the opposite side, you’ll see why later. On this day I walked that side along the field back to the lane then up to the feeding posts.

OK, the Blue Tit is also a very bonnie bird, just more flighty and harder to catch a good shot of, sometimes 🙂

There are at least two Robins up there now, more often squabbling with one another instead of actually eating!

I now have a plethora (love that word) of Coal Tits dropping onto my hand to feed along with a Blue Tit now and again, still working on the rest 😉

Now, if I could get a Nuthatch feeding from my hand!!!

I walked down to the mailbox and back on this day, a fair bit of activity in the trees all around but a lot of it high up and fleeting, Redpoll, Siskin and others.

As I walked back up, almost half way up, I spotted a few Blackbirds on the apple tree just off the lane.

Most flew off as I got closer but this young male didn’t seem too perturbed, that or he was very hungry 🙂

I kept walking forward, grabbing a few shots, expecting him to fly off ….

Those shots are only cropped to centre the bird but …

He eventually hopped a bit higher but sat there while I got these, again, only cropped a little to centre him. I did love this shot though …

Grumpy face just for me!

I hiked on up the hill, checked the activity at the old Oak for a while, then headed for home.

I’ve probably mentioned it a few times but, there are now birds that must recognise me as that guy with food in his pocket so that above now happens quite often, dropping onto bushes nearby to check!

So the 20th, above, provided me with some good opportunities; I went out again on the 21st and followed the same route. As I walked along the hedge opposite the wildlife cam, I could see Fieldfares further ahead on the Hawthorn grabbing berries but something caught my eye right next to me.

A flock of small birds was working its way along the hedge searching for bugs, Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits and ……. Goldcrests so, I stood still for a while trying to get some shots.

As ever, it’s only glimpses you get with Goldcrests! The Long-tailed Tits were slightly better.

I suppose I have to bear in mind, they’re eating, foraging to eat, I’m just a possible danger to them, I wish I could let them know I’m not.

There used to be a comedy show over here in the UK with a character with a Brummie accent, always saying “Yow in’t seen me, roight?” (Brummie = Birmingham, England) 🙂

The Long-tails were working along the hedge then flitting off elsewhere but the Goldcrests worked to and fro for a short while before they headed off too.

Don’t they have the grumpiest look? 🙂 I was pleased to get any shots of them, they’re all around us here but never stay still for long and they’re tiny, our smallest bird, I think?

I continued my walk once they had moved on, I could see a flock of Fieldfare up ahead on the berries but they are notoriously skittish and I wasn’t expecting to get close before they flew. They arrive here in Winter, along with Redwings and spend the Winter months with us before heading back to whence they came.

They were flying in and out of this row of trees to my right, then back to the hedge on my left, maybe …… if I move slowly …..

The lens did me proud, I got close enough.

They were scattered all along this area, some sitting as I crept closer, others heading off as soon as I moved.

That one bird sat for a good time and allowed me to grab a decent few shots.

I was happy enough with these shots, for now 😉 so, as they took off I headed on towards the lane, I hadn’t even completed my first mile yet!

I actually made it all the way down the lane and round the mill pond before I got any more shots, the low light affecting my decision.

I had actually walked past this spot but turned around to see a pair of Bullfinches feeding on the grasses and weeds.

The females, pictured above are usually quite elusive and difficult to get a clear shot of.

Whereas the males are brighter, easier to spot, sometimes and usually a bit more steady.

I was highly chuffed to catch a couple of shots of him in flight.

So, I walked a different route today,, up to and around the ponds, back along the woodland edge, so I could go back and check the mail 🙂

A 3.5 miler with my workout being the climb back up the hill. Nothing seen at the ponds or in the woods but, walking back up the hill ….

A different pair? No idea but, they are appearing more now and I know there are quite a few in the area.

This Roe deer spotted me as soon as I rounded the hedge and she was off into the woods.

I made it all the way up the hill, roasting because of the layers I had on, it’s pretty Wintery up here now, down to the reed beds where I started seeing the Reed Bunting, they’re coming out of the reeds now and more visible.

I think that’s a young male, their head is black in adult plumage.

It was on the final hill that I got a few shots of a female, I probably mentioned before, once they move up to this hedge, they become far more accepting of our proximity.

They’re beautiful wee birds, once you get to see them 🙂

And so, finally, that was it for the week. I got a lot of photo opportunities on the 21st which makes me smile but, this article has taken me soooooooooo long to put together! Maybe the weather? Busy with other things? (I doubt it) Just one of those funks we sometimes get into but glad to have got there finally.

Keep you all safe and well, maybe hear from you on here soon

November 2025

patch photos