Birds I See

Grey Heron

Parents feeding their babies

They were sat on the banking with their mother, having a lounge in the sun.

Super cute birds. They're sexually dimorphic, only the males are brightly coloured, the females are shades of grey.

Just about to take flight with the sun on his butt.

Once only a migratory bird here, they were introduced in the 1700's. They've since lost their migratory instinct due to lack of competition and live here permanently.

This little guy is a dunnock aka the hedge sparrow or, amusingly, a titling.

Despite the name, they're not actually true geese, they're more closely related to shelducks

Nice and round for the winter.

Goose being dramatic as always.

My favourite bird. Beautiful little guys.

These are from last spring. I saw them grow over the months, they all did well.

Another little guy doing well so far this winter.

Despite frustrating me frequently by their reluctance to be photographed by me, they're one of my favourite birds and one of the few large birds of prey we get around here with any frequency.

I find them difficult to photograph. Like a lot of small birds, they move quickly when out in the open and rarely stand still for more than a second or two. Snapping them while they feed is the easiest way to get a decent shot.

I see them far more often at ground level, often hunting for fish. They stand motionless in the water and strike at fish that swim too close.

The female's call is pretty funny, they tend to almost growl as they fly, it's quite distinctive.