Christmas Shopping

I don’t know about you, but I find this time of year extremely hard. Just too many people for me. Even this Jackdaw was finding the Christmas shopping a little hard this year as Mcd’s have splashed out for the extra thick bin bags but went for the clear option so you could see what you’re missing out on. A whole new element to animal cruelty… lol.

I planned on shopping today, but instead opted for a short walk along the Usk river in Newport. I hoped to see the annually returning Mediterranean Gull that winters at Newport Mcd’s but they must have been feeding elsewhere. I did however have 15 Redshank, 2 Rock Pipit, 3 Goosander and a single Oystercatcher along the Usk River.

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Rock Pipit

Redshank

Redwing & Fieldfare

There's no better time to put food out for the Birds and thanks to the kindness of many people, a lot of people have been getting extra additions to their bird table since the snowfall, with Fieldfare, Redwing, Brambling and some even graced with Hawfinch! (Jealousy kicks in). Frankly, I would be happy with a Fieldfare! and I was feeling rather missed out, till today that is, when my small Garden was visited by two Fieldfare. Before I geek over these fantastic birds, heres a story about the poor Redwing that flew into my neighbours window yesterday. 

Just out of luck that I open my front door just seconds after this beautiful Redwing flew into nextdoors window. While it's a good thing that they're visiting peoples gardens for food, windows, cats and predators await them and they're not always cut out for the Urban life. It's a risk they have to take however, as their preferred food is berries, most of which are currently on the ground under a foot of snow. 

I caught the bird fairly easy, which wasn't a good sign at first but 30 minutes in the warm with both food and water, is soon recovered and was ready to fight another day. The bird flew out of the box so quickly, I couldn't even get a photo in time, so this phone pic will have to do. 

My first sign that Fieldfare were in the area, came really early in the morning where I managed to just about catch one singing in the dawn chorus. We don't often hear this song due to them being winter visitors to the Uk, so to catch a recording of it singing was really special. Doesn't last long here, and it's right at the start of the recording, but it's a Fieldfare either way. 

Fieldfare Dawn Chorus

Gavin Vella

It took a full day of watching intently and finally just as the light was dropping, in they came to eat the berries of my neighbours bush and feast on the apples I've put out on my make shift snow bird table. 

Waxwing & Urban Backgrounds

I mentioned in my last blog about the flocks of Waxwing making their way west into Wales, but I didn't have a picture to show you what they looked like! Partly because, I'd never seen them before! So I made the effort this morning to catch up with a flock in Cardiff, in such a random place.. KFC on Newport Road. The grey sky today didn't help with the photography but I was very happy to see / hear them for the first time. In my usual setting, there is greenery all around me, so framing the shots to get a nice background is usually fairly easy for me, but today, surrounded by cars, buses, people and man made objects next to a KFC, there wasn't much to work with. 
I did try my best though...I'll let you decide if you like it or not.

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Waxwing, Grey Building Background

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Redwing KFC Sign Background

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Waxwing Blue Sign Background