Hawfinch Hunting - on 7th February, 2018

I'd not seen a Hawfinch in UK since Christmas Day, 2008 when Lindsay and I were having a picnic lunch on Cannock Chase, and a female Hawfinch landed beside our car. It was my first self-found 'rarity' and I made what I subsequently considered to be a mistake by reporting the sighting on Birdguides. The bird hung around for a few months, and there was conflict between birders and the local community as birders decided to try and exclude the locals by erecting barriers at the entrance to the area that it was frequenting. I'm told that this even led to verbal abuse by birders which resulted in physical violence. I kept away from the site for a year or so, and have become very wary of reporting sightings since then.

This year there has been an amazing influx of Hawfinch into the country and, in spite of several visits to reported sites, I felt that I must be one of the only people in Leicestershire not to have seen one this winter! Wednesday dawned bright and sunny with sub-zero temperatures and no wind, and I decided to try and rectify the situation. I set off to Burbage Common, near Hinckley - a place where Hawfinch were being seen on a regular basis.

I'd had to think twice before going as I was without my usual camera. Having had my regular lens back from repair in time for me to take it to Scotland, on my return from Scotland I sent away my Nikon D7200 camera body to have oil spots on the sensor dealt with (again!). I have had to fall back on my old D300s. This has only half the number of pixels resolution, greatly reduced ability to work at high ISOs, and controls which differ somewhat from the D7200. My efforts during the morning suffered somewhat because of this!

As I slowed down near the site to park my car, out of nowhere a female Kestrel landed at the roadside approximately 6ft (2 metres)  from my car, grabbed its prey, and flew off - all in an instant!

Entering the site, I immediately found a couple of Jays and a Redwing. Although I had several sightings of Jay during my time there I never did manage any shots. The Redwing was, unfortunately, keeping to an area of dappled light.

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) - Burbage Common

There were two other birders in the immediate area that I'd entered and they had seen a Hawfinch head into this area approximately 20 minutes earlier, so this was encouraging. However, after around half an hour nothing was being seen so I set off on a wider search. 

I was surprised at the relatively large number of Robins that were around. Although a very common bird, I still find them delightful, and couldn't resist a few shots as I searched the area.

Robin (Erithacus rubecula) - Burbage Common

With using a camera that I was not used to, it seems that I left my 'photographic head' at home. Therefore, when a Fox appeared heading towards me, and then ran past me with a dark background, I'd forgotten that the exposure compensation on my camera had been set to try and capture a Jay against the sky. I completely flunked the shots, the only vaguely salvageable shot being when it passed behind a pale-blue plastic covered hay bale - the pale colour causing the shutter speed to increase (I work on an 'aperture priority' setting). Here's the evidence of my failure!

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) - Burbage Common

I'd been on site for nearly two hours and not seen a Hawfinch, and had stopped to talk with one of the gentlemen that I'd seen earlier. I'd just said to him that I was going to head homeward as I was expected at home for a late lunch, when we both spotted a Hawfinch fly across in front of us and land in the trees that border the railway line about 50 metres away. I took some distant record shots.

Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) - Burbage Common

We were joined by another birder, and then the Hawfinch dropped into the small copse to the left of us.  We went to try and relocate it, keeping close to the trees that lined the railway tracks. It was eventually spotted on the ground through thick undergrowth only about 25 metres from our position. We watched it for a while whilst it bumbled around searching for food (absolutely no chance of a shot as only small bits of it were visible at any one time) and in the end there were five of us watching it. Eventually, it flew left and, I suspect, away. After a while with it not being spotted again I felt that I should return home for a (rather late!) late lunch.

As I left there was an unusually confiding Redwing between me and where I was heading - again in dappled light. Furthermore, I messed up again with having left my exposure compensation on an inappropriate setting (I'd dialled in a + compensation again for those Hawfinch images above). I did, however, get this corrected in time to get some shots.

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) - Burbage Common

Garden Lists - Weeks 04 (22/01/2018 to 28/01/2018) and 05 (29/01/2018 to 04/02/2018)

The number of species setting foot down in our garden was down in Week 04. This may partly be due to reduction in observation time - it was a busy week, and then I was away on my trip to Scotland from the Saturday morning. From the 'base list' Great Tit and Wren were noticeable by their absence, but Blackcap (a female) and Siskin (also a female) were welcome additions to the list.

Week 05 numbers were also down, but then I was away all week until the Friday afternoon - so only two and a half days of observation. GS Woodpecker was absent, but Great Tit and Wren put in an appearance, and Jackdaw was another welcome addition.

2018, Week 04 - 22nd to 28th January

2018, Week 05 - 29th January to 4th February

Whilst in Scotland, the weather was not kind to me, being very windy for virtually the whole time I was there, but I did manage to get some photos. My next post, all things being equal, will be a report on my Scottish visit. The photos are already processed!

Thank you for dropping by

Boxing Day - 26th December, 2017

Lindsay and I usually have a picnic lunch in the countryside at some time round Christmas Day. This was, for a number of years, on Christmas Day itself. However, for the past two years we have been invited to our daughter Melanie's house for Christmas lunch, so have had our picnic on Christmas Eve. This year Melanie wanted to do things differently with the main meal on Christmas Eve, and a buffet lunch on Christmas Day. Lindsay and I, therefore, postponed our picnic to Boxing Day lunch.

Lindsay requested that we go to Cannock Chase as she hadn't been there so far this year.  It's a place we are both fond of and it can, occasionally, throw up some interesting birds. The day dawned mild and sunny and I was concerned that the place might be a little busy. However it was even busier than we feared! On arrival at the car park there was just one space available and it was furthest from the bird action. We persevered for a while, attacking our picnic lunch. Eventually a space became free near to where the birds were feeding, but we both had a very limited field of view, and that was mainly through the car windscreen, and there were so many people around that the more interesting birds were staying away. It was just the more common tits plus Dunnocks and Chaffinches, and the occasional Bullfinch and Nuthatch, to keep us amused, and a solitary sighting of a Willow Tit to cause excitement. There was only one place I could get any sort of photo if a bird landed there - and that wasn't ideal for light or background. I took shots of several species in exactly the same position, so will only offer one:-

Great Tit (Parus major) - Cannock Chase

I even tried taking some shots through the windscreen, but this is never satisfactory. I just about managed a Robin!

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)  - Cannock Chase

We weren't there for long before we decided to give up and head off for a mug of tea at Springslade Lodge. Lindsay had been hoping to see some deer, but we'd come to the conclusion that there were so many people wandering around that we didn't stand a chance. However. we'd only got a couple of hundred metres from our parking spot when Lindsay spotted one in the trees beside the road.

Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) (female) - Cannock Chase

When we arrived at Springslade Lodge we found the place was packed and we had to wait a while and take a seat outside on the terrace to drink our tea. It was then time to head homeward.

In the past, Whitemoor Haye has been a good place for birds, with a large swan roost each winter which regularly turns up Whoopers and Bewicks, and has also been good for Corn Bunting. I'd not been there this year so we made a small diversion to check it out. I was quite upset to see the whole area has undergone massive earthworks, but can find no information as to what these pertain. We continued a circular drive round, seeing only four Mute Swans and little in the way of passerines. We then turned a corner and I immediately spotted a Buzzard in the hedge on my side of the single-track road. I slewed the car round at around 30° across the road, turned off the engine and took a shot, expecting the bird to do the usual thing of taking off as soon as I poked my lens out of the window - it did no such thing!

I started the car again and moved a little closer and took more shots. It didn't budge!

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) (juvenile) - Whitemoor Haye

I started the car once more and edged a little closer. I was probably less than 10 metres away now, and still it stayed.

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) (juvenile) - Whitemoor Haye

I felt sure it would go when I started the car yet again, and got the distance down to  around six metres - but it didn't!

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) (juvenile) - Whitemoor Haye

Unbelievably it stayed there when I again started the car and stopped opposite it, probably at less than 4 metres distance. It was only when it saw my amazed face looking at it that it lazily took to the air and departed. I suspect that I'll never get as close to a wild Buzzard as this ever again, and that I only had this privilege because it was a juvenile. Here's a shot of it departing.

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) (juvenile) - Whitemoor Haye

When I came to check my camera I was worried to see that I was still set up for shooting in the shade of woodland. My shots had been taken at an unnecessarily high ISO value (800) and consequently at a rather high shutter speed (1/5000s). My set-up does not usually work well at high shutter speeds (I don't know why!), but I seem to have got away with it, and it will have helped with that last shot. I do, however, think I'd have done better shooting at ISO 200 for those static shots.

Closer to home we stopped in the car park a Oakthorpe Colliery as it was probably years since Lindsay had been there. On this occasion there were only common birds coming to the feeders, and the Willow Tits were not seen. Here's a couple from that session.

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) - Oakthorpe Colliery

Coal Tit (Periparus ater) - Oakthorpe Colliery

After this it was a five minute journey to our home. We'd had a most enjoyable day, even if only common birds had been seen, but the Buzzard had been a real bonus. We did, however, make a mental note not to go anywhere quite so 'public' on Boxing Day next year, especially if the weather is fine!

I take this opportunity to wish my readers A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! If you are making New Year resolutions, please include a commitment to work towards making this planet a better place, particularly for its wildlife - it's time we all made amends for past abuse.

Thank you for dropping by.

The Best Laid Plans - 1st to 18th December, 2017

With Mrs. P. going away with our daughter and granddaughter for six days for a stay in a 'crafting hotel' in Devon, I was looking forward to some wall-to-wall birding - but more about that later!

December tends to be a busy month for most people, and we are no exception, with the preparations for Christmas, and meeting up with family over a good lunch taking up a significant amount of time. Apart from the 3-owl day on 3rd December which was the subject of my previous post, it had been a slow start to the birding month. In fact, most of the excitement (for want of a better word!) came from the garden. Here's how the first half of the month panned out.

Friday 1st December - our garden, Oakthorpe Colliery, Packington, and home again

The month got off to a good start with a Goldcrest visiting the garden. Sadly, I only managed a record shot through the glass of my study window at a range of about 14 metres.

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) - our Garden

Later that day I paid a quick visit to Oakthorpe Colliery. Most of the birds there were relatively common and quite numerous, but it is always a treat in these parts  to see a Willow Tit - they're becoming worryingly scarce.

Robin (Erithacus rubecula) - Oakthorpe Colliery

Blue Tit (Cyasnistes caeruleus) - Oakthorpe Colliery

Willow Tit (Poecile montanus) - Oakthorpe Colliery

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) - Oakthorpe Colliery

From Oakthorpe Colliery, I moved on to a farm near Packington. Here I found a Buzzard on a fence post, and later a Kestrel.

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) (juvenile) - near Packington

Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) (male) - near Packington

I was back at home by early afternoon, and a racket from outside caused me to look out. A Buzzard was being hassled by a Crow. I only managed a few shots before they went out of view.

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) - from our garden

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) + Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) - from our garden

Sunday 3rd December - travelling eastward in Leicestershire

This was the previously mentioned and posted 3-owl day. However, I have one other image to share with you from that day. A small downside of heading out into the countryside in these parts at this time of year is the amount of filth on the road. It's not unusual to come back after an afternoon out to find the lower half of the car thick with mud and other detritus. Fortunately there is a car cleaning operation close to home where I can get the car washed for £6. However, I think these people will be retiring soon on the money I'm spending with them!

Just to give you a taste of what I'm faced with, this is a shot from my car window as I waited on the verge for this group to pass.

Here's a slightly different shot of one of the day's owls, given a different treatment to those in my previous post - I quite like the result!

Little Owl (Athene noctua) - my Site No.41

Saturday 9th December - our garden

Nothing much happened until this day as I was very busy with other commitments and preparing for my wife's departure on holiday. However, on this day, we had Goldcrest and Grey Wagtail visit our garden, neither of which I managed to photograph - nor did I get a photo of the male Sparrowhawk that visited. Here are a couple of photos that I did manage to take.

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) - our garden

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (male) - our garden

Sunday 10th December - our garden, and Baggrave Hall

The original plan was for Lindsay to go over to our daughter's in her Smart car in the late morning, and then for the three girls to head on down to Devon in Melanie's car. However, heavy snow had been forecast for the Saturday/Sunday night and so we put a contingency plan in place. We woke up to a good covering of snow, and so the contingency plan was implemented - I was to drive Lindsay to Melanie's in our 4x4 Yeti.

Before we departed, we had a Fieldfare briefly stop in our garden, shortly after another visit by the Sparrowhawk. The Fieldfare only stopped for a few seconds as our berries had all now been consumed, and I only managed a record shot - we don't usually get Fieldfare visit the garden more than once or twice each winter. 

The 25 mile (40km) journey to Melanie's place took two and three quarter hours (instead of the usual 35 to 40  minutes) with very icy roads. A large part of the delay was caused by a large rig belonging to the Walkers Crisp company. The inconsiderate driver of this rig spent from 10h00 to 11h30 shunting backwards and forwards on a gradient on a dual carriageway trying to get traction, holding up all who were behind him. He could have just rolled back to the side of the road and allowed everyone through. I'm amazed that no one went and hauled him out of his cab. One comment from the bus driver two vehicles behind him was that he was probably empty and so did not have enough weight to get traction, but I suspect that a full load of crisps (potato chips to some of my non-UK readers) weighs the square root of bugger-all and would have made no difference.

Having, eventually, dropped Lindsay off at Melanie's I headed off into the countryside with the hope of finding owls in the snow and finding a nice location to enjoy my picnic lunch. I soon found some nice snowy scenery, but I was not seeing many birds at all.

Although there was far less snow here than there was at home, the road was very icy and, having stopped for that second shot,  I struggled to get traction - even with the 4x4! After about five minutes I managed to get up the hill, but decided that I'd find a place nearby for my picnic, and then head straight home again, avoiding single-track country roads!

Monday 11th December - our garden

On the Monday I'd had to go to a nearby village to post letters and parcels, and found the roads to be still quite difficult, and it was apparent that, no matter how careful one was, there were too many idiots on the road who were driving without due care (as witnessed by the ones that were already in the roadside ditches!), so I spent most of the day indoors. We had one of our occasional visits by Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) (male) - our garden

Tuesday 12th December - our garden

By the Tuesday I realised that I was going down with a cold, and that going out in the cold was probably not sensible.

This gave me another opportunity to observe the birds in my garden. As well as a second Fieldfare (missed the shot!) I had my first Garden Redwing of the winter. However, I only got 'record' shots as I was looking up at it through the double-glazing of our conservatory at an angle of 45°, though intervening branches. Here are some images from that day.

Blackbird (Turdus merula) (female) - our garden

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) (female) - our garden

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) (male) - our garden

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) (male) - our garden

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) - our garden

Thursday 14th December - Cropston Reservoir

On the Wednesday I'd been out in the morning to the south of my home dropping cards in to some of my owling hosts. There was still plenty of snow around. I'd taken my camera, but didn't see any owls and didn't take any photos. However, I did have the good news that a Little Owl was seen only three days previously at my site No.03. By that afternoon I was feeling decidedly off-colour so did very little.

On the Thursday, I still had a card and present to deliver to a farm some way from my home, so I set off in the morning, taking a picnic lunch. We'd had more snow in the night, and the roads close to home were worse than they'd been on the Sunday morning. On one bend I found four vehicles off the road. Fortunately, by the time I got to the outskirts of Leicester you'd never know that it had been snowing, although there was a little more snow when I neared my destination. As I was seeing virtually nothing of interest during my travels, I set off back homeward.

An enforced diversion due to a road closure sent me past the end of Cropston Reservoir. Determined not to get home with nothing in the bag, I stopped when I saw a space in the lay by.

There was little to see that was identifiable through my binoculars, but at least I took some shots, even if they were of common birds, and into the sun!

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) - Cropston Reservoir

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) - Cropston Reservoir

Since then, I haven't managed any photography, so I suspect that this will be my last blog post before Christmas. I, therefore, take this opportunity to wish my readers a peaceful and happy Christmas, and the best of luck and good health for 2018. Thank you for your kind support in 2017, which has been much appreciated.