Bird of the day!

smartie · #**501** (**permalink**) 02-04-2007, 12:53 PM

Today's bird of the day for me is this blackbird. Won't win any prizes for originality or quality of image, but it's the first one I've taken with my new Olympus SP-550UZ and I'm soooo excited.

ps: hand held - the tripod hasn't arrived yet!

rolf · #**502** (**permalink**) 02-04-2007, 01:42 PM

Nice photo smartie, just looked at the spec' of the camera, huge zoom on the lens.

smartie · #**503** (**permalink**) 02-04-2007, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rolf

Nice photo smartie, just looked at the spec' of the camera, huge zoom on the lens.

Yes, that was one of the big attractions. And once my teleconverter and the tripod arrive there will be no stopping me! It seems to do decent macro as well for the type of camera. The DSLR experts won't be over-impressed, I'm sure, but it's way better than anything I have previously had.

colincurry · #**504** (**permalink**) 02-04-2007, 08:42 PM

My bird of the day was yesterday. Sorry I'm late.

Last year, a pair of tomtits nested successfully in one of our nest boxes. Lately, there has been some activity around the same box. Yesterday afternoon, I looked up into an ash tree and there was a tomtit with a beak full of nesting material. He then swooped down to the nest box and disappeared inside.

Really exciting and a lt to look forward to.

Colin

glsammy · #**505** (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 12:05 AM

Mine today was what some would call a pest, but not to us. A pair of Starlings have arrived and are setting up a nest in our neighbours roof, last year they gave us some great shots with their young, so I'm hoping for more this year.

Here's one of last years shots:

And one from Today:

almostnormal · #**506** (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 09:30 AM

so although no pictures for you as yet (my new camera only arrived yesterday, and i've got to work it out before i can take piccies) my birds of the day are the collared doves who have once again taken up residence in the tree out the front of our house. last year we watched in trepidation and then astonishment as they built a nest and successfully reared two young in the most precarious place ever seen, between two twigs, and they are now back. hopefully will be able to get some pictures soon!

Chiltern Chris · #**507** (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 11:13 AM

My bird of the day is the red-legged partridge. I’ve lived in a Chiltern village for 10 years and never seen a partridge in the village or surrounding fields but this morning there were two red-legged partridges patrolling the lawn

. It caused quite a problem with the sparrows, chaffinches and blue tits that were all confined to the apple tree in a state of confusion

. I hoped the partridges would fly into a our pear tree, as I’ve never seen a partridge in a pear tree. However, they ignored the pear tree and flew onto our neighbour’s roof before vanishing. Normal service was then resumed at the bird feeder and bath

.

badgerwatcher · #**508** (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 11:55 AM

What more can you do, Chris, than provide the pair tree?
Maybe they were waiting until no-one was looking, for fear of hysterical photographers. They must get so much of it, poor things.
Great birds, aren't they?

Chiltern Chris · #**509** (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 03:03 PM

I’m happy when almost any birds come to visit – I really fit into what Simon Barnes calls a bad bird watcher – I can’t tell all of the lbjs apart and I’m just as happy watching the chaffinches and long-tailed tits as cirl buntings. Male chaffinches and blue tits are looking fabulous at the moment with world class plumage as far as I’m concerned. Why be a twitcher when top class birds are happy to visit me?