April blackbirds

Yesterday I was posting on my main blog about the tell-tale signs of nesting birds in my garden. Some blackbirds were very busy collecting sultanas and sunflower hearts to feed their young.

Others just appeared to be enjoying the pockets of sunshine through my plants and feeding themselves. No doubt they will all be busy at some point especially when the young fledge and they are followed around the garden by them – still looking to be fed.

The male blackbird is quite distinctive with his crisp clean look but I have to say I like to see the duller females, shown below, just as much if not more. I love to see the blackbirds visiting my garden and feel they bring such character to it.

Early mornings especially would just not be the same without these birds with the sounds they make and the songs they sing. They dive down to the ground at speed and are seen running around my plants. Their exit is just as quick and dramatic usually accompanyied by a few sharp sounds as they dissappear.

This year I plan to get lots of juvenile blackbird photos they really look great as their feathers change colour especially in the males. Last year I was too busy watching them and didn’t take too many photos. I will also try to capture them on video.

All photos above were taken in my garden on April 29th 2008.

Lunchtime preening

Yesterday I took a walk along the River Tay between the bridges in Perth once again. I hoped I might get some clearer photos of the birds I saw there on my last visit. Perhaps I didn’t manage that but I got some interesting shots instead. It was a sunny lunchtime and preening could be seen with the swans, mallards and goosanders.


Looking through the viewfinder of my camera I noticed a couple of purple diamonds as I was trying to photograph the mallards preening. I had no idea what they were but I continued snapping the shots. When I looked more closely I could see it was a male mallard duck stretching and he was the source of these diamonds! This was completely new to me – how fascinating. I could guess that they are to impress the ladies but I spotted a flash of purple as a female preened too. It just goes to show how much more detail you can catch when photographing birds. This moment was over very quickly and off he swam again.

All photos above were taken along the River Tay in Perth on March 23rd 2008.

Along the river Tay, Perth

A walk along the river Tay on the path opposite Tay Street in Perth earlier this week for a photo of one of the bridges opened up a few other photo opportunities.

A male mallard duck had found a small sun spot.


Despite the colouring of the male mallard it was the beauty of the female beside him that caught my eye.


It became clear that this was a pair of mallards I was looking at after seeing a few preening moments. But what caught their eyes?


As I began taking photos of the bridge a few swans (sorry geese) crossed from the area of grass on the left on to the river bank. They then headed rather noisily in my direction. I stood still but had difficulty taking my photos hearing the noise from the swans getting louder and louder. They eventually turned about and headed along the river bank after displaying gestures that would indicate they had issues amongst themselves rather than with me!


I turned around too and headed in the opposite direction towards the other newer Queen’s Bridge. I spotted a heron in some gravel grassland in the river - my photos were really rubbish. I then spotted some ducks that I had no idea at all of what they were. Although I am getting to know garden birds I am not what I would ever call knowledgeable with bird species. However, through taking photos I have enjoyed the process of identification.

My book suggested I had seen Goosanders with the female being the one with the brown cap. She for me was the prettier of the two, however the reflections of the black and white males were really quite beautiful on the surface of the water.

My photos don’t do these birds justice – it was windy and I was leaning over a wall to get them. Excuses, excuses I know. I am also not an expert at all with the settings of my camera! More excuses. However, I was thrilled to get 'some photos' and to see so much activity along this area. I will return another day with my camera.

The photos above were taken on March 4th 2008.

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2008: Results for shirls gardenwatch

The photos below are enlarged from montages on my main blog shirls gardenwatch where you can read about my bird count.

13 CHAFFINCHES Fringilla coelebs (12 last year)

7 SISKINS Carduelis spinus (none last year)

5 HOUSE SPARROWS Passer domesticus (6 last year)

3 BLACKBIRDS Turdus merula (same last year)

3 BLUE TITS Parus caeruleus (same last year)

3 GOLDFINCHES Carduelis carduelis (2 last year)

2 GREENFINCHES Carduelis chloris (3 last year)

2 WOODPIGEONS Columba palumbus (5 last year)

1 ROBIN Erithacus rubecula (2 last year)

1 DUNNOCK Prunella modularis (same last year)

1 BLACKCAP Sylvia atricapilla (none last year)

1 SPARROWHAWK Accipter nisus (none last year)

Young visitors

Blue Tit Juvenile

To return to post on shirls gardenwatch go to Young visitors

All photos shown above were taken in my garden on July 23rd 2007

Not so shy now!

Song Thrush

To return to post on shirls gardenwatch go to Not so shy now! .