27th April : Stonechat.

A nice male Stonechat, along with another pair on Compton Downs in Berkshire today. Also plenty of Common Whitethroats & a single singing male Corn Bunting.

Image : Copyright © Don Stone. 

22nd April : Tufted Duck & Gadwall.

Had a phone call from a farming friend today telling me he has an unusual pair of ducks on his pond. Popped around to take a look, turns out to be a pair of Tufted Ducks, along with a pair of Gadwall, bit unusual for a small farm pond, still it is that time of year when birds are on the move, when anything can turn up anywhere.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

15th April : Blackbird & Starling.

A male Blackbird has been busy visiting the garden lawn for the last couple as he searches for worms & other grubs.

A Starling also visited, but only the once, a scarce bird in our garden.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

Spring Flowers.

A small selection of  Spring Flowers that have heralded the arrival of Spring in the garden over the last few weeks.

 

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

11th April : Sparrowhawk.

This female Sparrowhawk joined us for breakfast as it dined on a Pigeon for 46 minutes just yards from our kitchen window.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

23rd March : River Thame at Ickford.

View from the two bridges over the River Thame at Ickford on the borders of Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire.

 

A flock of 5 Oystercatchers feed in the distant scape in the above photo.

3 of the 5 Oystercatchers.

Wigeon in flight.

Great White Egret.

Saw my first Swallow of the year as it flew through heading north. Other birds seen included 2 Little Egrets, 2 Grey Wagtails, 5 Teal, Cormorant & a Kingfisher all viewed from the road.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

Chess Valley

A few photos taken on a couple of recent visits to the Chess Valley. 

A Grey Heron was very approachable, mainly as it spent most of the time looking in the opposite direction.

Little Egret was also very obliging.

Kestrel as it hovered just above where I was sitting.

 

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

17th March : Brambling.

It's not often that we get a Brambling visit the bird feeder during the Winter, in fact today's female was the only so far this Winter. It was only by chance that I happened to glance out of the window, stop what I was doing grab the camera, take three photos & she was gone in the blink of an eye, returning later for another sharp feed.

  

Coal Tit enjoying the seeds.

Magpie watching proceedings.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

10th March : Dunnock.

Dunnocks are often over looked as being boring little brown birds, if you take a closer look they have a certain charm with intricate markings, basically in various shades of brown & grey. They spend most of their time quietly going about their business on the ground under hedges & bushes, mostly going unnoticed. 

 

Image : Copyright © Don Stone.

Garden Frogs.

This year the first Frog spawn appeared in the garden pond on the 27th February.

Frogs always provide great photo opportunities, whether in the water or on land.  

Been doing my bit with the local Frog Patrol.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.

10th March : Blackcap.

Although Blackcaps spend the Summer in our garden, they are rarely seen during the Winter months. Today's visitor being only the 3rd here in 21 years, they've all been males including this one, but surprisingly after 90 minutes a female joined him with them both feeding on sunflower hearts throughout the day. As I type this the male is still with us, but no sign of the female.

Images : Copyright © Don Stone.