Birds are back.........

The birds have been a bit shy recently, and they have other things to do, like feed families, so birds have been a bit short on recent pictures.
I had a plan though. I’ll tempt them with food.
I paid a visit the other day to a local country park; before it got too busy with people.
I set some food on a post………and waited for the visitors.
I prefer more natural shots, but I needed to get some pictures of my feathered friends; so here are a few.
.

Nuthatch

Great Tit, throwing a few poses

A scruffy looking Blue Tit

A scruffy looking Robin

And a handsome male Chaffinch.

.

.

Away from the baited post, I found a few ducks roaming the path. There’s a Mandarin lady in there.

.

and a young Crow, calling for his mum

.

.

And of course, beautiful wild flowers
.

.
Not sure of it’s name. Maybe a ‘mallow’ of some sort?
.

.

and Yellow Loosestrife
.

.

Enjoy the day.
.

.

And if I don’t make the weekend, enjoy that too.
.

.

A walk to the water

The brown eyed dragon, (Four-spotted Chaser), watches as we take the path, through the fields of grasses and seeds heads.

.

.

.

On we go, down to the waters edge; a mother and her children scurrying away,
.

.
as another, herds her adolescence towards the safety of deeper waters, her eyes locked on ours, for signs of danger.
.

.
The edge of the lake holds more plants, and rich coloured grasses.
.

Betony
.

.

Yellow Loosestrife
.

.

And the edges of the water, more dragons, go about their business,

.

Black-tailed Skimmer
.

.

Emperor Dragonfly
.

.

And far out over the lake, Damsels skim the water, egg laying and feeding.

.

.

Butterflies gently float around us, and soon settle to take in food from the flowers, or drink from the waters edge.

.

.

Common Blue
.

.

Large White (thanks Roy)
.

.

Holly Blue
.

.

A Jay flies past, as we fill our senses with the magic nature offers us,
.

.
and from the trees, the birds eye us with suspicion,
.

.

Blue Tit
.
.

Nuthatch
.

.

We’ll sit a while, and rest.
.

.

The week starts

.
I have an appointment this morning at the doctors. A Cardiac Clinic.
Yea, the heart malfunction still drags on. lol
.
So, a few pictures to kick off the week, and I’ll catch up with everyone later
.

Poppy

Small Tortoiseshell

Marbled White

Small Skipper

Green-veined White

Small Copper

.

.

I hope that’s not too many flutters……..here’s some flowers

Common Knapweed

Heather, waiting for its moment to bloom

.

.

And a couple of birds to finish on. I think they were wondering what this crazy man with a camera was doing….

Chaffinch

Great Tit
.

.

Catch up with you all later.
.

.

The eyes have it.

.

Eyes that look and eyes that stare……….

Great Tit

Canada Geese goslings

Manx Loghtan Sheep

Small Skipper

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Greylag Goose

House Sparrow

Bush Cricket

Common Darter

.

.

.
Enjoy the upcoming weekend.
.

.

Little Egret

.
This first one isn’t a Little Egret…….it isn’t even a good picture, but, I just wanted to share it. It’s a couple of baby Common Terns, born on one of the local lakes. It’s a heavy crop; they were some distance away, but I just liked the way they stood……waiting and calling for mum.
.

Well, it made me go ‘awwwww’ ;)
.
Right, enough lol
Back on track. This is just a selection of Little Egrets, taken over a couple of days. Again, one of the local lakes played host to them, and this year they have successfully bred again.
One day, hopefully I’ll be able to get closer to them………..or maybe have a bigger lens. For now, though…………
.
.

.

Hope you enjoyed them.

.