A few common Birds

A few more shots taken yesterday to brighten up this dismal time of year

Cheers Stephen

Goldfinches in todays sunshine

Cheers Stephen

Bullfinches return

I was pleased to see Bullfinches, 2 females 1 male, returning to my Riddlesden garden today, after a five month absence.

Long Tailed Tits

Yet More Waxwings

Spot the Firecrest!

At 3pm today I was home for about ten minutes and just happened to see what birds were about at the bottom of our garden. A crest popped up in a bush just the other side of the dividing wall between our garden and East Riddlesden Hall. I got my bins on it to discover it had the black and white head markings of a Firecrest and the bronze shoulder patch showed well in the afternoon sun. Once I'd seen these features I reached for my camera and proceeded to take several images of the foliage where the Firecrest had just flitted from. The image in this posting is the only one where the Firecrest was actually captured. Not the best image I'd admit, but could you get one of a Firecrest where none of the ID features were actually visible as good as this?

Mark

More Waxings from Ilkley

If anybody is tired of hearing about Waxwings, please humour me. This is another first for me. After missing out earlier in the week, and after seeing the reported sighting in Ilkley on the BOG yesterday I decided to have another go. They do say everything comes to him who waits.

A small group of birders had gathered by the time I left , every body was well satisfied with the views that were had.

Cheers Stephen

Waxwings in Ilkley - M Doveston

GREETINGS FROM GRETNA.... just a few Starlings!

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Gretna Green Starling Roost.... Remember the Bradford City Centre Roost Like This!!! (c) HC 2008

Here is a taster Dave - this has to be the most amazing birding spectacular Marian and I have ever witnessed..... - staggering, mindboggling, jaw dropping......................... birds started to appear over the B7076 at 15.45 hrs, steadily coalesced and went to roost at 16.30 hrs in the conifers behind the Gretna Green A74(M) motorway service station. As you can see, we were right underneath this lot - the downdraft has left my hair curly - left me looking like Kevin Keegan on a bad hair day!

I`m sure the Starling 33 birds in from top left and 67 down came thro` Oxenhope last Saturday - do you recognise it ?

A GREAT thankyou to Jean for advising of this undoubtedly "humongous" roost and to everyone else for the info on the other roosts..... all waiting for a visit!!

Cheers

Howard Creber

Song Thrush Barden Scale

Fieldfare Barden Scale

Autumn Colours Barden Scale

Whooper Swans Leeshaw Res

Meagre offerings 12/11/08

Set off early in the hope of photographing Waxwings in Ilkley, no luck. Upto Timble, nice walk in the sunshine but not a lot doing, couple of shots of Male Reed Bunting, getting regular sightings of these birds in pretty much the same spot. Down to Wetland site , included this shot of Kite as it seems to have ID tag on wing , anybody any ideas ?

Only included Golden Eye as it my first. Well I am a relative beginner.

Stephen

Harold Park Lake, one of the few areas of water in Low Moor South Bradford

Moonscape tonight 10/11/08

The large bright crater to bottom of the image is Tycho, 85 km in diameter, the youngest of the craters on the nearside of the moon at approx 100 million years of age. The bright rays converging on the crater are ejecta, thrown out during the impact event. ( Hope I'm not boring the pants of anybody). Cheers Stephen

Female Brambling feeding on dropped sunflower hearts at my garden Low Moor

St.Ives feeding station

Male Brambling feeding on the ground

Coal Tit on the table top feederBlue Tit at the fat balls

images by M.Doveston

Some late sightings of male common darter (sympetrum striolatum) and female common hawker (Aeshna juncea) at Timble Ings taken 16/10/2008.

Starlings At Caldene Fields

Lets have a rest!, well we have come along away!!

A few shots from Timble this morning, 1/11/08