A Week Of Hobbling

 Well, I'm a bit upset as over the last week I haven't been able to walk the distance I usually cover due to a bad foot, so the opportunities for photographs and decent walks have been curtailed.

However, a few photos have been taken and I've posted them just to keep updates coming. The highlight of the past week was the Crossbills feeding in the pine trees along the start of the woodland walk.

To start with though, we had a couple of Great White Egrets which was nice, for a short while anyway, until the Grey Herons saw off the addition to our one long-staying bird.

2 Great White Egrets and a Grey Heron

Grey Heron seeing off a Great White Egret

Moorhens have been visible more than usual, maybe the fact that the Marsh Harriers are no longer feeding young has made them a bit braver.

Moorhen

Moorhen nibbling a water snail

Obviously not scared of the Sparrowhawk!

Sparrowhawk with its head in the shadow of the early morning sun

The Stonechats that have been with us for a week or more were still there yesterday morning, despite the vegetation being cut down.

Stonechat

Stonechat

The Crossbills were the stars of the wildlife show though, feeding and flying between the pine trees on Saturday morning. I had two juvenile Crossbills earlier in the year and they came lower down than these birds so the images aren't as good. I was more than happy to see them though, especially the brightly coloured males.

Acrobatic creatures these Crossbills

male Crossbill

female Crossbill

male Crossbill showing under tail coverts

6 of them landed in a dead tree on their way west

male Crossbill

 While I was busy with the Crossbills on the dead tree I noticed a Great Spotted Woodpecker land next door to them...

 

male Great Spotted Woodpecker

My field guide to British mushrooms and toadstools arrived so I've been spending a fair amount of time trying to id the species I've photographed over the last few weeks. I find them fascinating but quite difficult to separate from each other when there are so many species that look similar.

common bonnet fungus I think

common jellyspot

honey fungus, armillaria sp.

jelly ear fungus, photo'd with selective colour function

yellow brain fungus, photo'd with the selective colour function

Up to date now with these photos of a Dunlin on first field shore this morning.

Dunlin

Dunlin