Morning Mallards

The happy couple.

Flowers and insects

Just working up some posters for our publicity.

Thought it would be nice to remind ourselves how wonderful it is 

during the summer months.

Duelling coots

It's the time of year for the male coots to start their annual punch up. The aim seems to be to slash at your rival with nasty sharp claws and pin them underwater. If they escape you chase them round the pond with puffed-up feathers making as much noise and splashing as possible. It's hard to miss.

Sometimes it becomes a proper brawl with more than two opponents.

They have very large, memorably-shaped feet.

In praise of Fieldfares

Turdus pilaris

Yesterday I spotted a flock of maybe 50 birds feeding in, yes, a field. The light was poor and annoyingly (because of a fence and a stream in the way) I couldn't get any closer than this: 

I went back today and decided to be patient. I got fairly chilly but the wait was worth it. 

The flock sometimes got nervous and flew up into nearby trees. After any danger passed 

they returned to the field digging for, I assume, worms.

Beautiful birds, like large, grey thrushes. I wish they were more frequent visitors 

than just during the winter.

Snowfall sequence

Tall trees in the snow

Never forget to look up, it's usually well worth it.

Bird tracks

Winter gives us a great opportunity to look for bird tracks. 

Here's the brisk, long stride of the pheasant through fresh snow.

And the slow, awkward, waddling walk of huge swan feet across the frozen 

Dew Pond in Home Park.