nature

Early summer walks

Nannie RaRa has been out and about with her camera taking photographs of nature both during her morning walks and in her garden. She is lucky in having woods, fields, a river and a wildlife site all nearby.

Here are a few pictures from those walks. I’ve named the birds as best I can, but do correct me if I have them wrong.

First up is a black cap. I heard him singing every day as I walked along the path and managed to get this photo.

Black cap
Black cap

Then over the wildlife site I saw a jay. I first noticed it when a lot of the smaller birds were making a ruckus.

Jay

Down by the river I stood watching a cormorant drying its wings. It stood there for ages.

Cormorant

On the river one morning when it was as still as a mill pond I watched two great crested grebes doing their neck dance.

Great crested grebe
Great crested grebe

The last two photographs are not the clearest as the birds were a long way away.

A goldfinch was perched on the overhead wires.

Goldfinch
Goldfinch

The next two photos are of a common whitethroat. It was among the brambles which were growing near a small lake on the wildlife site.

Common whitethroat
Common whitethroat
Common whitethroat
Common whitethroat

This bird looks similar to the common whitethroat. Is it the same or is it a lesser whitethroat?

Lesser whitethroat (?)
Lesser whitethroat (?)

Also near the lake on an old tree stump was a rook, or was it a crow?

Rook or crow
Rook or crow

A group of long-tailed tits were in a tree.

Long-tailed tit
Long-tailed tit

A chaffinch was patiently sitting on a twig.

This bluetit was taken in the garden as it was looking for insects among the holly.

Bluetit
Bluetit

Nearby there have been some robins nesting. First I saw the male robin with insects in its beak. Then the baby robins appeared and were fed for a while before finding their own food.

Robin with insects
Robin with insects
Feeding the baby robin
Feeding the baby robin
Young robin
Adult robin

There was a family of starlings in the garden looking for food. The young sat there waiting to be fed, then opend their mouths and squawked when they couldn’t wait any longer.

Starlings looking for food
Starlings looking for food
Young starling squawking for food
Young starling squawking for food

Finally there are a few photographs of insects found in the garden.

Honey bee on orange buddleia
Honey bee on orange buddleia
Bumble bee diving into a chive flower
Bumble bee diving into a chive flower
And finally a dreaded lily beetle
And finally a dreaded lily beetle

Do let me know if any of the birds are mis-identified. Nannie RaRa is fairly new to birdwatching and to photographing them. There are so many blurry photos I won’t show you.

Let me know if you like these.