Today I got out of doors for the first time this year. There are a couple of really good Cotoneaster trees just down the road from me. I've been watching them recently with the hope of finding Waxwings. None of those charismatic birds yet, but today I enjoyed watching three Redwings (winter visitors from Scandinavia area to Britain) feasting on the berries. This one below was taking a break from feeding for a moment.
This afternoon, I decided to take a quick walk around my local reserve. The whole lake was completely frozen over and this first winter Black-headed Gull looked a bit perplexed about the whole thing.
Parts of the river Frome were also frozen, something I've not seen since I've lived here (20 years).
As I walked around, this Raven came flying over calling its lovely 'kronk' repeatedly.
This plump looking Robin was nice and confiding and was busy flitting about looking for tasty morsels!
I was pleased to see at least 6 Lapwings flying over too. This is a first for this site for me. 
All in all a lovely if short walk in very cold conditions. It was nice to get out at last!
12 comments:
uoh uoh uoh!!! you should have never sent me that guide to British Birds Jenny!!! I love the Raven but now I want to see a Rook!!! And I never would have known that Lapwing is the beautiful work of art Roy did and is displayed on his blog without out looking in the book! They look so different in the air! Thank you again for sending, it's so much fun to have it to reference. Now as soon as you are 100% I want a Rook!!! An adult please!!
Oh and I'm so sorry it's so cold over there!! Hope it warms up soon!
Hi Evie, I'm glad you're getting some use from the book, even if it doesn't have all the birds in it!!!
(-: Right, I shall have to go and hunt down a Rook for you. It might take a while........
That robin is so lovely and plump! Enjoyed all your photos!
Its good to see your out and about again Jen. This means your better and we get lots of good photos of your sightings.
I have seen more Redwing this Winter than Fieldfare, which is completely opposite to the norm for me in this area.
Hmm!-Rooks.
We better tell Evie about the saying "Rooks together Crows on their own" for ID purposes.
These really are beautiful shots of your birds. I love that one in the cotoneaster and your robins are so cute. I think I like them better than ours, but that is just because they are different :-) Sorry you are having such cold weather. It looks so much colder where you are than where Roy is. Glad you got out.
I am so loving your robins. Quite different from our round, red robins. The lapwing shot you could use for Skywatch Friday! Beautiful. My favorite is the river though; I can just envision taking our new red canoe down it - ice or no. Lovely. Please come and see our red canoe...*G*
Hello Wren
Glad to hear you sounding so much better the other day. Got out at last then! We have not seen any Redwings in the garden yet but am ever hopeful. I will try to get some shots of the Rookery down the road for Eve!
See you soon, Adgi
Hi Shelley, those Robins are lovely, such characters! Like your chickadees, I managed once to get one feeding from my hand.
Hi Roy, actually, down here, it seems to be the other way round. Lots of Crows together and not so many Rookeries! Weird. I need to think about sidling up on my elbows to some Rooks in a field full of cow pats, just for Evie!
(-:
Hi Mary, I think YOUR Robins are fab, so it must be a case of 'the grass in greener' for both of us! Usually, the east side of the country is much colder than the west, but we are having exceptionally cold weather over this side (for recent years anyway).
Hi Christine, Ohhhhh! SWF! Forgot about that, I can't use it again....can I??? (-: Maybe I'll have to trawl through my past photos for a new SWF pic. Am working both Thurs and Fri so wont get out for another one. Have already been over to visit with the loverrrrrly new Red Canoe! (-: Nice one!
Hi Adgi, nice to see you on the blog again. Keep an eye on the crab apple trees for close Redwings, would make a fab close shot from the house. Yep, the Rookery would be good to show Evie Stevie.
Jenny don't slide through any cow pies!!!
I can see you now!!! "That darn Evie Stevie made me do this"
hahahahahahaha!
Hi Jenny, Your black headed gull is a lot easier to identify than the one I had hanging around Gloucester, MA a couple of weeks ago! Love the robin and your waxwing doensn't look anything like ours.
Glad you stopped by SMU, I think I'll be spending a good deal of time here in the future. I really like your work.
Hi Steve, thanks for those lovely comments! Ditto! (-: By the way, I was after Waxwings in that berry tree, but the bird I managed to photograph was a Redwing (a winter thrush which visits the UK from Northern Europe). I'm ever hopeful to find a Waxwing though and it would be a Bohemian Waxwing.
Hi Evie
Dont worry I wont be sliding through any cow pats any time soon! (-:
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