After a 3 minute drive (well I'm only a mile away!) I parked up at the church and started my trek, noting the usual Greenfinches, Blackbirds, Fieldfare, Chaffinch, Robin, Wood Pigeons, Collard Dove etc. (no sign of the usual mass of Redwings?!). I couldnt see any Waxwings so I made my way along the path, until I saw both a man with a big Lens camera, and also a woman with binoculars.
Before I took another step, at least 30 Waxwings flew over me into a tree, so I walked back and took some photos of them, at one point they dropped into a berry bush of some kind, and I think I was within 10 feet of them. Then they flew across the orchard and settled on the power lines, where they were joined by another flock. I had a count up and I made it 80. I spoke briefly to Clare and we agreed on the numbers, then I made my way back to the church.
But those Waxwings had some surprises for me still, they flew ahead of me and settled in the two small orchards before the church, to both eat the fruit, and best of all, bath/drink! So I spent the next 30 minutes taking various photos of them, but I shall start with the bathing/drinking shots first.
Have to say a big thank you to Adam(and his very informative blog) As the Americans would say, "Thanks for the Heads Up".
Whilst taking some shots of them eating the apples, I noticed them flying down into a mud pool, I was soon down the other path to shoot some pics whilst leaning my camera on the fence.
As usual, if you click on a photo, it will enlarge, cheers.
Nice action photo's Paul, I had a waxwing go over today, just heard it though.
ReplyDeletePaul, you've made me very jealous with that first photo - superb! You did well in such gloomy weather, and glad you caught up with the largest flock yet recorded on the site...and in the company of Clare ;-) Keep pulling photos like that out the bag and I'll let you in on a few other species!
ReplyDeleteAdam
Hi Warren, Cheers for your comments on my photos, I do have a few other pics too, but I wanted to show these first, because of the amount of them bathing in that one muddy puddle.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised you heard a Waxwing fly over your patch, they seem to be all around your area. Fingers crossed you will get a few of them touch down on your patch soon enough.
Hi Adam, Thanks a lot, I actually took that photo at 3.11pm, so with the bad light conditions it came out ok. Like most of my photos, I do tweak them with light/contrast etc. but I try to make them appear close to the original if I can. Clare's company was most enjoyable! I do try to take a half decent shot, so I'm only too happy for a chance with other species too, cheers.
ReplyDeletePS. I was in Stickens Lane today(East Malling)and I shot some long range pics of both Male and Female Bullfinch. Poor quality photos(because of distance) but captured them both together in the same shot!
Well done on the Bullfinches Paul, never managed to get a decent shot of them despite seeing them most days. Hope you found some goodies on your Stickens Lane sortie, get them on BirdTrack (or send them to me and I'll enter them) as we need as many species from that end of East Malling/West Malling as possible...including Bullfinch ;-)
ReplyDeleteAdam
Hi Adam, Cheers about the Bullfinches mate, it was totally by luck that I stumbled on them. This is the first time I have seen a pair together like this, and it was cold standing there for awhile, waiting for them to come out of hiding! I will have to list all my birds together that I have seen in that area, and I might just have more new ones for you too!!
ReplyDeleteIve just blogged the Bullfinch pics now too, cheers.