A Session at the Feeding Station.

 Unusually it was pleasant and mild as I walked through the wood to the feeding station. I was soon set up and settled in the hide and enjoying my go to lunch of Heinz tomato soup and my Christmas Cake. I had even treated myself to a packet of salt and vinegar crisps on the way - such decadence. It was a very pleasant session with all of the usual suspects turning up apart from the woodpecker pair. I was suprised but pleased when a wren arrived and even more suprised when it posed for a photo before whizzing busily off again. Before leaving I collected another bag of wild garlic for soup, quiche and badger breath pesto.

The Wood

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Great Tit

Grey Squirrel

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Pheasant

Pheasant

Pheasant

Wren

Winter Feeding Station Photography.

 Another overcast day with some drizzle today but as the feeders needed topping up I decided to stay and photograph. The light was not good but I was pleased I stayed as I had 3 visits from the woodpeckers: female twice and male once. The male was also drumming nearby. Annoyingly I was unprepared each time and missed the best shots. Plenty of other birds were visiting including at least two nuthatches.

The snowdrops and aconites are nearly over now but arum leaves and wild garlic are just coming through; it will soon be time for  wild garlic soup and pesto. Dog's Mercury is in flower now.

Blue tit

Blue tit

Blue tit

Chaffinch

Coal Tit

Coal Tit

Great Tit

Great Tit

Great Tit

Great Spotted Woodpecker, male

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Snowdrops

Snowdrops

Grey Squirrel

Grey Squirrel

A short session at the feeding station.

 A quick trip out the the wood to top up the feeders gave me enough time for an hour in the hide. The feeders were buzzing with activity, largely tits but a couple of nuthatches are coming down. There seems to be much more activity than the last few years - good to see.  There was an atmosphere of spring in the wood: snowdrops and aconites in flower and birds singing especially a very vocal great tit. A wren visited briefly but there is still no sign of a woodpecker. It was bright sun but chilly at 7C.

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Nuthatch

Pheasant

Feeding Station Photography

 Temperatures fell to -4 last night and when I set out to the wood at 10.00am it was still only 0C. The roads were frosted as I drove out into the Wolds. The wood was quiet when I arrived at the feeding station and all was frozen. Most of the feeders were empty apart from some seed in one feeder; not a favourite, sunflower hearts are always the first to go. There was very little activity until I put out some sunflower hearts and peanuts near the perches where I wanted the birds to be for photography. As soon as I sat in the hide birds started to come down. The all seemed to be very fast or perhaps I was out of practice since last feeding station season. Although really bright the light was very difficult to handle and very contrasty. All the usual suspects were there and I was very pleased to see a treecreeper. Chaffinches were unusually confident. As I was leaving a buzzard perched in an oak just outside the wood gave fabulous close views but unfortunately it flew off as soon as the car stopped.

Blue tit

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Grat Tit

Great Tit

Grey Squirrel

Nuthatch