BIRDS – Page 6 – ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY

HOUSE SPARROW CHICKS IN THE NEST IN A HOUSE…

Published on June 5, 2014 by Rolling Harbour4 Comments

The gable end wall of our house is very old thick stone, and full of holes. Some are deep enough for sparrows to nest in, which they do every year. Mrs RH is quite keen to fill the holes; I enjoy the annual sparrow nesting routines in the holes, and in the gaps under the gable eaves. Last year I recorded the sounds emerging from the largest hole as the chicks grew. This year, I tried photography. The problems, without special equipment, were lighting and focus. I wasted a vast number of shots on useless photos before realising that I only had to wait until the evening sun was full on the wall. Here are some resulting photos. A few days later, they had flown!

Apart from the noise of the chicks awaiting food, nothing much to see here…

Half an hour later the sun has helpfully moved round Sparrow Nest Totnell 3

The ‘money shot’!

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A BABY SONGBIRD OUT OF ITS NEST…

Published on April 24, 2014April 24, 2014 by Rolling Harbour4 Comments

There’s plenty of advice on this fraught topic to be found on the internet and elsewhere, much of it common sense. I haven’t seen it set out as simply as in this graphic from the US, leavened with a good dose of humour too. Well, it made me laugh, anyway. I normally put my own stuff on this blog, but occasionally it’s worth making an exception. I have to say that if the answer to the first question is ‘Yes’ and the injury is serious, there may in fact be a need to take more swift and drastic action for the bird’s own sake. That’s another topic, however…

Props to birdandmoon.com; baby blackbirds in Dorset RH

SPRING IN THE AIR IN DORSET THIS WEEK

Published on April 17, 2014 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

The sun is shining, the birds are twitterpating (©Disney), the trout season has opened. Also, the first swallows arrived on Tuesday, followed by the martins on Wednesday. These birds are already checking out the mud nests under the eaves that remain from last year. Martins' Nest Totnell 4.14

The hedges are suddenly greening up and the grass is beginning to grow fast. The Alpacas, formerly the official lawnmowers for the paddock, have been banished to another field to give the ground a rest. That means resorting to the mechanical method for the first cut of the year.

Some creatures appear to have got Spring fever. The rabbits for a start, who are clearly ‘going at it’ for all they are worth. And the sheep over the road surprised me one evening when I opened the kitchen door (the notice on the gate is good for their self-esteem). Sheep climbing bales Totnell 14

My first fishing of the season yesterday, on the River Piddle (as in Tolpuddle) – very pretty, pretty unproductive… Today on the River Frome, the swallows were skimming insects off the surface of the water. There were heron and egrets, and a pair of common sandpipers clearly looking for a suitable nesting site. It’s been a great Spring week.

The moon and stars have been wonderful all week. There have been plenty of moon photos around, pink or otherwise, but one evening Mars was gleaming brightly too. Only one shot was steady enough to use – at maximum zoom most of the images looked like squiggles.

Full Moon Totnell 14 Mars Totnell 14

TUFTED DUCKS ON WIMBLEDON COMMON

Published on April 7, 2014 by Rolling Harbour5 Comments

A family walk, a new place to explore (notwithstanding that we’ve lived within 5 miles of it for 35 years… ), and a small point & shoot camera. I took advice from the youngest member of the party and snapped these tufted ducks. I was lucky with the light on the water. In the last one I happened to point the camera in the right place just as it surfaced from a dive. No wonder it looks a bit surprised…

OTHERWISE ENGAGED…

Published on March 25, 2014 by Rolling Harbour10 Comments

This little Blog has been rather more neglected than usual of late while we have been away. Now back in the UK, and hoping to pay it some attention soon now that all the fun is over… Book launched, fish caught, things eaten and drunk. Reality check starts… NOW.

CANADA GEESE STUDIES

Published on March 5, 2014 by Rolling Harbour3 Comments

AN OSPREY WITH ITS CATCH

Published on February 13, 2014 by Rolling Harbour4 Comments

The Osprey is one of relatively few bird species that can be found both in Britain and in the Bahamas. This picture was taken by a friend on ABACO last year. It swooped into the sea, snatched a fair-sized bonefish (note the distinctive deeply forked tail), and carried it to a convenient utility post for lunch.

Photo credit: Woody Bracey

I’ve never seen an osprey that close anywhere. Some years ago we watched one take a large salmon from the mouth of the River Spey and carry it off held characteristically ‘fore and aft’, but we had no camera with us. My best shot was also in Scotland in the very early days of digital cameras when 4mb and 2x zoom was considered amazing. Here it is, in all its majesty…