Sunday 9 September 2012

Cor.....morants!


Yesterday I went to Anderton Nature Park with my mum, and as we started the journey I spotted what I think is a Speckled Wood butterfly.

                                     
When I arrived at Hadyns pool there wasn't much there apart from a Grey Heron and some Teal.
 Sooner or later we set off to Neumanns Flash which was teeming with birds.


I especially liked watching the feeding party of Long Tailed Tits which I finally got a pitcute of.  Every time I tried to find them through the lense, I lost them. 


It was rather nice to see the Black Swan preening it's self, first one I've seen in a while. 
 

Yes I know these are Cormorants but I never realised how white they are underneath.
 

But then these two didn't seem to have the white underneath, all a bit confusing.  Mum said maybe it was the way the light was shining on them, but do you have any thoughts?  As they flew away they formed a lovely V shape.


On the way back, I got watched by a cheeky squirrel . 
 

And to finish off the day the House Martins were landing on a house roof. Maybe a little rest before the journey ahead of them.

 I wanted to share this post and all the helpful comments with Wilde Bird Wednesday.



15 comments:

  1. I think the pale fronted Cormorants are juvenile ones.

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  2. Good shot of the Speckled Wood Findlay.

    The light colouring of the Cormorants is their breeding plumage.

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  3. Hi Findlay... It's the juvenile Cormorants that have the pale tummys. I have just been watching about 20 of them sitting in the same tree on the River Weaver near Acton Bridge... I hope to share a pic soon.

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  4. Thanks for your help. Looking forward to seeing you Cormorants.

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  5. Well done with your shots Findlay. I like the House Martin shot and a roof warmed by the sunshine is always a good place to find them. Speckled Wood and juv Cormorants is spot on.

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  6. Just found your blog Findlay and many thanks for looking in on Birds2blog and better still making a comment and becoming my 118th 'Follower'. It all goes to prove to me I'm not talking and publishing posts to myself.

    I'll keep my eye on you in the future and thanks again Findlay.

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  7. the long-tailed tit is so cute.

    i liked your idea of cutting a small hole in the back of the barn to use it as a birding blind. :)

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  8. Excellent day of birding Findlay! Cormorants aren't my favorite birds but your flight shots are really good -- I didn't realize how they looked on the bottom either! I've never seen the long-tailed tit...now I wonder why cute birds like that can't be everywhere in the world the way cormorants apparently are ;>)

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  9. Hi Findlay. I think it might be a 1 year old shag. You live in GB, right?

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  10. Great series of birds and photos. Love the cormorants in flight and the cute long-tailed tit. The house martins are one of my favorites. Great post, thanks for sharing.

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  11. Okay...I know about the cormorants, and the 'cheeky squirrel'...but I never knew of the house martins. Will now have to go do some research on the species.

    Great photos.

    Silent Silhouettes

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  12. Great cormorant flight captures!

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