As we approach the latter end of the year, the local wildlife embarks on its annual feeding frenzy in preparation for the difficult months ahead. Most common are the birds on feeders and the garden gets regular visits from various species, including blue and great tits, starlings, chaffinches and greenfinches, as well as pigeons rooting around on the grass and up in the trees.
The garden is also home to numerous blackbirds. Not the easiest of birds to photograph (they like the dense cover of the trees and rarely fly above the garden, tending to dart rapidly from one area of cover to the next). Today though I was able to capture a couple of shots of one feeding on some berries.
As well as the birds, we are still getting some butterflies, and today's visitor was one of the less common sight in the garden. Very welcome though.
And of course, the wood mouse is happily getting fat for winter.
There was one other 'visitor' today worth mentioning. Over 60 years old, somewhat noisy and originally from Leicestershire, this 1944 De Havilland DH-89A Dragon Rapide 6 flew overhead this afternoon.
De Havilland DH-89A Dragon Rapide 6
Camera note: all photos taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens, except the wood mouse which was with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.
Flying Red Fox Blog
7 Oct 2007Nice shots there Words:D I went to Heathrow Airport yesterday and saw loads of planes, will upload later on my blog.
Went passed Shoreham airport on the way back home, i think i saw that plane but not too sure, i took a pic of a Cessna 172 land though:)
Words
7 Oct 2007Quite possible you saw the same plane. I guessed it was heading to Shoreham when it went overhead.
We get Cessna 172s overhead quite a lot. I'm beginning to be able to recognize what's what (a bit like with birds). Another regular is the Pitts S-2A (oh, google is useful for this :lol:). What I love about the vintage planes though is the sound they make. Quite unlike the modern aircraft. You can almost hear them rattle!
SittingFox
7 Oct 2007Yet another nice collection of pictures! 🙂 That blackbird looks like it needs to moult before the winter! 😆
I photographed a goldcrest in my garden on Friday but it was in very bad shade, and I'll have to see if I can rescue the picture when I get my own computer back (I cannot do much processing on here). This is a great time of year for birdwatching. I'm looking out for redwings already 😀