Kerioak - Christine Nichols Photography

Singing Nuthatch – video

I spent a couple of days trying to get a video of this bird singing – managed it at last

Just click on the white triangle below to see the Nuthatch (Sitta Europaea not europa as on the video )

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Andalucia, Spain

Late March

I spent a few days in Spain at the end of March, much of spent bird watching where I photographed a few species that were new to me, amongst them this Great Spotted Cuckoo, (Clamator glandarius), frequently heard before it was seen as it was very noisy.  It took me a while to identify it as none of the pictures I came across had the raised crest visible here

I found the Spanish birds very flightly, certainly in the area I was in and it is very difficult to get anywhere close to them but this Serin ( Serinus serinus) at least came out into the open for a few seconds for me .  They really are beautiful little birds

and something I was not that happy about seeing although it is not venomous – but I was not aware of that at the time, a Ladder Snake (Elaphe scalaris) !  Adults like this one, reach around five foot and have two lines running down their backs but the young ones have a cross patterning as well resembling a ladder.
The countryside was more colourful than I have ever seen it there before as the abundant rainfall over the winter has encouraged lots of flower/weed seeds to germinate and in one area I visited there are great swathes of ground covered with these yellow daisies

Alexandra Park, Hastings

Monday 9th March
Birds, Squirrels and Dogs

I called into Alexandra Park on my way back from Hastings (if you ever get the chance then spend some time wandering around as there is so much to see here with all the different areas.

I came across this very friendly and laid back Newfoundland who I thought looked lovely ambling amongst the crocuses, even if he did squash a few

Then a squirrel who I am sure uses this as a “I am so cute, feed me!” pose as it seemed so contrived

and a blackbird who paused in his hunting for food to post for a picture for me – complete with muddy beak

This Moorhen was spending most of the time I was watching chasing others around on the bowling green, I wonder what the people who spend so much time keeping the bowling green so pristine think of it?

This Spaniel was having great fun with its owner throwing the ball for her

Various Birds

Buzzard and Crows, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Siskin and Chaffinch
Thursday 5th March

I had a great day photography wise today as I managed to catch some species that I had not photographed before so I am going to post more pictures than usual – first was an aerial scrap between two Crows and a Buzzard

Next was a Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Then a Siskin – I had only previously seen one of these for a couple of seconds so I was delighted to catch one while I was out.  Strangely enough a flock of them decended in my garden shortly before it got dark – perhaps they followed me home

and finally a beautiful cock Chaffinch singing his heart out in a eucalpytus tree

Greylag Goose Waving Goodbye …

….. with its tail
Wednesday 4th March

I have to admit that I took this picture on Monday and not today but have just got around to editing them and liked it so decided to share it with anyone who might be reading this section of the forum

Coal Tit

Tuesday 3rd March

This beautiful little Coal Tit is another regular visitor to my garden and occasionally sits still for a fraction of a second so I can get its photograph

Green Woodpecker

Sunday 1st March
Lawn Aeration

Green Woodpeckers are the largest of our native woodpeckers and this female is a regular and welcome visitor to our garden lawns, with the double benefit of aerating it and raiding the anthills.  Even at this time of year she seems to find something to eat in them.

Wildlife at Arlington Reservoir

Friday 27th February

It was a nice sunny day, too nice to be indoors so I decided on a trip to Arlington Reservoir, somewhere I have been meaning to go for ages, not much in the way of waterbirds other than lots of cormorants today and a few Great Crested Grebe which were too far away to get a really good shot of.  I got fairly close to a rabbit though.

Grey Heron

Monday 23rd February

This is another photograph from Friday’s visit to Hampden Park

Moorhens having a scrap

Friday 20th February

I was  down at the lake in Hampden Park, Eastbourne watching the various birds and taking photographs, when one of these two Moorhens decided the other was a bit too close and decided to see it off: