Paul

[Paul]

No worries, it's interesting, and I'm learning stuff.. - I don't think any of it can be edited/ removed by anyone, even Pete, so it's there to stay

I don't think that was the original intention of creating the diaries in this form, but hey, who cares

[Paul]

This was an unusual visitor to our garden today.... don't often see Tree Sparrows here...

[Jack Harrison]

That's a very good picture of a (now) rare bird.

Jack

[traplican]

Moment, Sparrow is a rare bird in UK?

[Jack Harrison]

House Sparrow isn't rare, but sadly Tree Sparrow is quite scarce nowadays.

Jack

[Paul]

It's only the third time I've seen them here in 15 years!....but I do remember going to a BC meeting at Fairburn Ings and watching loads of them just outside the window there
Thanks Jack.... I'm no bird photographer and the light was lousy!! more of a record shot really.... took several more..

[Lee Hurrell]

Lovely photos Paul

Cheers

Lee

[Paul]

Oh God... this winter is going to be sooooo long!

Anyway... playing indoors with new toys, finally got the focus stacker to produce something, albeit very inanimate....



If I'm going to get any butterflies that still, it will have to be a very cool and early morning!!

and hmmmm... catties.... they might be better stacked ( not like the world, turtles all the way down )

[Jack Harrison]

That stacking is impressive. Is that your father's medal, or of another relative?

Jack

[Paul]

Yep, Dad's, he died in 1980, taking some stories to the grave which should have survived.... those guy's lived through hell some of us have never had to. The focus stacking I think missed a bit in the middle, but it took me 3 attempts to get that! May try again soon.

[Paul]

No butterflies, but another interesting visitor to the garden this pm.... poor light and taken through a closed window, so "record shots" only... but Bramblings don't often turn up here...

[Jack Harrison]

Brambling is a very good garden bird - and of course quite spectacular.

My best garden birds over the past 15 years have been one Waxwing and one Brambling. My wife once saw a Firecrest: "Just like a Goldcrest but with a white eye-stripe". Best over-flying sightings have been Red Kite and Hobby, but neither are really scarce in this part of the world. Buzzards breed nearby so are regular - once had a flock of eight. Buzzards are more often heard than seen.

Jack

[Paul]

Hi, yes... seen them only twice before... Never had Waxwings though.. we don't get much more than the usual stuff... and NO Greenfinches recently... viral genocide I think. The other thing we should see, but seldom do is Siskins.
Once had a Night Heron by the pond overnight, - first sighting in this part of the world, there was also one seen in Macclesfield the same week... lost or what!!.. I believe there are some near Edinburgh, and a colony in the Netherlands. So had come some way at least.
Today this was taking advantage of the birdfood...

[ashley]

Hi,

Couple of things I hope you can help with.

1. We had a butterfly appear in our kitchen on Friday and is now living in the bathroom, its a Red Admiral. Reading around I see we don't really need to feed it, just make sure there is water. Is this correct, and is this a bit wierd having one now with the weather we have had?

2. Love the pictures and was wondering what camera you are using (please forgive me if you have already answered this but I have not looked at every page).

Cheers

[Paul]

Hi Ashley, amazing!... what I would do with a Red Admiral just now is to put it somewhere cool, dark , dry and protected from spiders if possible. They hibernate, but will rouse if somehow warmed up so it does happen at any time of winter. It is only recently that any Red Admirals have been known to survive our winter, so the critter warrants lots of respect for trying Anywhere indoors is likely to be too warm. It also needs access to the outdoors unless you plan on checking it every day.. if it becomes active too often it will die.

I have graduated on from an initial Nikon coolpix 4500 to a Lumix FZ50 which was brilliant with a close up lens for butterflies and I still intend to use it.... to this autumn when I spoilt myself with a Canon 7D and the new 100mm canon macro IS lens... that's what the bird photos are with but I'm not yet able to produce the sort of shots I want. It's the first time I have had to deal with shutter speed, aperture, iso etc etc etc, and I am suffering from frustration - still, all in all, having fun!

If you keep looking at the site, and post about anything you see of interest, you will find it a wonderful forum to be part of.... glad to have you along.

[Chris]

Hi Paul, long time no see! Just down the road here in Thrintoft we're having a good year for bramblings too... we have them in numbers now having never seen them before. The cold weather has also brought the yellowhammers into the garden, which is a treat! I'm lucky that aside from the house sparrows that live in my roof, the two commonest birds at the feeders are goldfinches and tree sparrows... I've counted up to sixteen at once! We're also seeing curlew come very close to the house, grey partridge in the back field and barn owls in the village, again a first for me here.

Tell me... how are you getting so close with a 100mm Macro?

[Paul]

Hi Chris,
how you doing! The birds get very close!!!!

Have you had a look at "where in Europe" in the overseas section - we lack a fourth for dates 22-30/4/11 in the Alpes Maritime/ Provence/ Var... 3 of us are going anyway...

You would have to contact Roger pronto if you wanted in

[Chris]

Pah! Curse my virility!! The wife is due to drop in May and gave me a firm "no" when I asked (tea and biscuit sweetener already exchanged but wasted)!

That sounds like a good week and it's a part of the world I've never explored (

Do you know any medical tricks that will guarantee her not giving birth before the end of May? )

[Jack Harrison]

Chris:

Do you know any medical tricks that will guarantee her not giving birth before the end of May? )

Yes. Last August!

Jack

[millerd]

What is it about August? All my three boys were born in May..

Dave