Scozmo's Photery

In our garden, that is. The bird feeders have remained jammed with birds during this past week or so of highly variable weather which is mostly, very cold. I went out for my walk yesterday and in the full morning sun, our black car was registering -0.5 C. I guess that’s enough to keep the birds here and looking for an easy food supply.

The Chaffinches are always here, there’s a mixed thorn hedge on our East boundary and a lot of the common wee birds seem to live in there and zip across the garden to feed or, out into the fields on the other side so we have a lot of Chaffinches.

We now also have at least three Robins, two of which are getting along, a pair maybe? Robins are hugely territorial and squabble constantly but these have been getting along for the most part 🙂

Our Robins are also hugely photogenic as well as happy to stay in place watching events or daft photographers.

With the advent of snow and the colder weather, the Brambling(s) have been turning up fairly regularly; I don’t know where they spend the rest of their time but I did spot one on a patch walk the other day, mixed with a larger flock of birds.

I’m often harping on. about how lucky I am, to be able to sit here at my Mac, turn my head to the left and watch birds like this right outside my window. I’d only come across Brambling once before, by accident, when i was visiting a woodland in S. Wales to see Hawfinch and they were accompanied by a small flock of them.

This one was possibly THE boldest I’ve seen here. Previously, they’d hang around among the Chaffinches and often got bullied off food but this chap fought for his place on the feeder, I hadn’t seen any do that before.

Having stuck a branch in the ground outside the window, I get these opportunities for birds perched quite close by and I noticed this Goldfinch was ringed but can’t see enough detail on the ring to report it.

The latest return to the feeders are Siskin, they were here in quite large numbers earlier in the year but have been returning recently, another beautiful wee bird that’s so feisty for it size.

I think these are all males by the dark cap forming on the top of the head but, happy to be corrected as ever.

I also switched my camera to DX (cropped) which brings the subject closer.

So this female Greenfinch image isn’t cropped in processing, rather that’s as it was shot, there have been up to 8 of them at any one time recently.

And of course, that grumpy Robin shot I shared previously 🙂

They have so much character in their looks 🙂

The male Brambling dropped by a few more times I haven’t seen any now for a couple of days and I haven’t seen any females at all.

I managed to capture a set of round Robin shots ….

All of these shots, ALL of them are made in poor light with high ISO and faster speed. Right now, i wouldn’t even bother trying any shots. It’s pouring and VERY dull out there.

The Great Spotted Woodpeckers (GSW) visit all day, sometimes three at a time but, like the Robin, they are hugely territorial so there’s often squabbles. If I see two tolerating each other, I kind of assume a pair …. IF they are M and F 🙂

I caught this male on the peanut feeder. (Red marking on the neck)

I am often looking for mix shots, showing different birds on the same perch, I try to avoid feeder shots if I can. In the next shots there’s a Tree Sparrow and a female Chaffinch

A Siskin female and Goldfinch.

Siskin female and passing Greenfinch 🙂

So finally, a couple of shots in the rain …

It’s still pouring out there as I wrap this one up. I glanced out and there are two GSW, a male and a female but the tree trunks are between them so they may not be aware of the other’s presence. A LOT of Chaffinch, several Goldfinch, Siskin and Greenfinch with the odd Tree and House Sparrow dropping in. Starlings and Blackbirds are constantly in and out. I’m about to cut up some apples to throw out so, might get a Fieldfare? Hoping 🙂

Keep ye all safe and well

garden visitors