I went off to study the effects of planting ornamental Sorbus trees in residential areas - they seem to attract Waxwings although pretty hard to come by this year!!! I ended up in Tamworth, Staffs and spent most of the morning watching a traffic island, explaining to taxi drivers what I was doing/looking at and showing images of the birds to local residents to convince them I wasn't planning on coming back later that evening.....
Here's why!
Attactive birds as ever and nice orange berries but gloom and drizzle put the mockers on a bit of quality!
A long morning to try and get a pic or two, the pattern followed was:
1. Gorge berries for about 1 minute
2. Sit in a tree (totally off limits for photography) and digest them for 30 mins
3. Repeat 1 and 2 (unless a Mistle Thrush shows then go to 4)
4. Fly off somewhere
5. After 15 mins, return to 2 and with luck loop back to 1 !!
Here he is - one of two particularly spiteful Missile Thrushes - get orfff my berries, or else!
OK, Ok I'm going.......
Eventually, so did I and back in Leics. with another hour to spare, checked out Eyebrook reservoir. All very distant birding and no Green-winged Teal, no White-fronted Goose but at least South of the Island, Slav Grebe and Black-necked Grebe had hung around, plus a bonus male Smew on the far bank!
The only image forthcoming here was that of a fine male Kestrel....
It's my BIRTHDAY tomorrow!!! I think I'll just be geting wet somewhere??
