Heron Gallery

A mix of Grey Heron images taken on several days.

Another Cow Day - Well Almost

A Colourful Character

A chance encounter with this colourful Cock Pheasant.

Willow Warbler

Its a Willow Warbler (I Hope)

In Springtime sorting out the difference between a Willow Warbler and a Chiffchaff is that easy, even I can do it. They sing a lot at that time to stake their claim on territory and the song is easily distinguishable.

At this time of year they don't sing as far as I am aware and telling the difference isn't quite so simple.

To identify this bird (or could have been two birds) as there were two moving in and out of an ivy clad elder bush when I shot these images, I am taking a stab at this being a first year female Willow Warbler.

Pale legs are supposed to be the mark for Willow Warbler, whereas its dark legs for Chiffchaff.

The way the light catches the legs at times doesn't really help much of course. 

Male and female and age also play a part from what I can read in the books.

(Now I know why I just take the photographs) {:))

More Flycatcher

I returned to the location where I had photographed the previous lot of Spotted Flycatcher and discovered several more of the same. These were very active flying out from their perches, catching airborne insects and returning to the perch. They were fairly approachable and if you didn't move about much they just continued eating and perching.

Hanging Out - Moorhen Style

This is how Moorhens hang out in the sunshine, sitting in Water Lily leaves.

Spotted Proceeding South

(There was a clue in the heading)

The Spotted Flycatcher is one of my target birds about this time of year.

I found three yesterday sitting high in Hawthorn bushes on exposed perches sunning themselves.

This species spends the Winter in Central and Southern Africa. It arrives in this country in May, usually one of the last summer migrators to arrive. Oddly for some inexplicable reason we don't get to see many Spotted Flycatchers in this part of Northern East Anglia on their arrival in May. However, we can be reasonably sure to see them on their Southern route at this time of year.

This group were no doubt stopping off for a few days and fuelling up before their next leg of the journey. They may then stop off at the Southern coastline for another fuelling session before the flight over the English channel to France or Northern Spain. I find the idea of bird migration quite fascinating.

As their name suggests they catch and eat flies and are expert at doing so. They will fly out from the perch, grab a fly and land back on the same perch. This goes on for as long as they continue to feed.

Hopefully I will find more in the next few days and get some better shots, but time is marching on.

"Charming - thanks a lot for your assistance"