This feels like old but familiar and, to an extent, neglected territory. It's a simple post of some birds photographed this morning on the South Downs. No ponds, no ducks, no cormorants, just a selection of local bird life. I'll start, appropriately (as this was quite early) with a pair of skylarks.
There were a few of them in the vicinity, but they were not nearly so prominent or active as the most colourful of our corvids, the jay. A pair, or maybe more than one pair, were criss-crossing the valley laden with acorns. As well as the one carried in the beak, they will have packed a number into their throat pouch for transporting back to a cache that will see them through winter. You can easily see the bulging pouch in these shots.
A local kestrel flew past, but she didn't stop to hover or hunt. 
Most of the rest of the time I had was spent watching the goldfinches. Several small flocks were busy feeding on teasel and other seed-bearing plants. I counted 14 in this one shot, but they take some hunting out. They are very flightly, skipping in small groups from one food source to another. And when the light catches them right there are few prettier birds to watch.
This one is a little easier to see.
Once they take to the air, it's easy to see how they came by their name.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D EF and 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.
gdare
17 Oct 2011Goldfinches look excellent, I like their colours :up:
cakkleberrylane
18 Oct 2011Very nice indeed!
Words
18 Oct 2011Lois, thanks!
Words
18 Oct 2011Darko, thanks. I always like the goldfinches and this is a great time of year for them.
Words
18 Oct 2011Erwin, thanks!
SittingFox
19 Oct 2011I got to carry a goldfinch back from the net to the ringing station the other week (in a little bag, of course!) Beautiful to see them in the sunshine like that. Jays are certainly busy right now as well.
Words
20 Oct 2011Adele, that's very cool!
Wulpen
19 Oct 2012Beautiful shots