Tag Archives: Jackdaw

Lockdown easing

Little egret takes flight

The easing of the lockdown in the UK gave an opportunity to revisit nature reserves for the first time in a few months. The last time I visited Stanpit Marsh was to see the Glossy Ibis last November. It had been raining heavily and was very wet underfoot. The Ibis is still on the reserve. I saw it in the distance silhouetted against the sky and dropping down into an inaccessible part of the Marsh.

It felt good to be reacquainting myself with this site. A real breath of fresh air. I’ve also upgraded my crop sensor DSLR camera to a full frame camera. I could not justify the expense of a mirrorless camera, but I chose a second hand Nikon D750 because of its low light capability. I know its not cutting edge, but the technology is proven, the cost of these DSLR cameras has fallen and the image quality for stills is exceptional. This visit gave me my first real chance to give the camera a workout.

Jackdaw

This Jackdaw seemed almost tame. It landed very close and was unconcerned with my presence.

South Lake

Longham Lakes – South Lake

Yesterday I practiced a new technique for me. The picture of the lake is a panorama created from three separate photos “stitched” together. It’s not flawless, but it got my creative juices flowing and I am excited at the prospect of maybe adding some long exposure shots together – watch this space.

Male chaffinch

I normally see one or two small birds in the woodland alongside the lake. This time I saw a male chaffinch. Its quite a common bird, but I do love the colours in its plumage: the white bar on the wing, the pink breast, the brown back with a green rump and the grey crown and collar.

Swan taking off from the surface of the lake

The swans were quite prominent. There were more than a dozen in one of the adjacent fields and a few on the lake coming and going. This one took off from the surface of the lake and passed incredibly close (see below). There was none of the honking you get from geese, but there was the whooshing sound of the powerful downbeat of its wings.

Swan passing in front of the camera
Canada geese – honking on their way

Canada geese are the most numerous species of goose on the lake. There are also Greylag geese and Egyptian geese. In a few weeks time we will see plenty of yellow goslings on the banks of the lake being supervised and protected by their parents as they feed on the grass and vegetation.

Bird on a wire (Starling)

This starling is “dressed” in its breeding plumage. Perhaps best known for their group aerial displays this one was enjoying some “me-time”. We spotted him as we headed back to the car, parked just off Ham Lane, where we also saw an unusual Jackdaw.

Jackdaw with unusual white feathers

My son saw the white feathers in the jackdaws plumage. “Maybe it’s an old one.” he said, as he looked at the colour of my hair. Cheek!