Opportunists

The humble house sparrow may not be the most glamorous of our garden birds, lacking the showy colours of the blue tit or the twinkling song of the goldfinch, but nevertheless they have a beauty and charm all of their own. Several weeks ago, during a spot of lunch at a peaceful riverside cafe we…

Nature’s architects: Part 2

Today my plan was to capture some close up shots as the house martins gather nesting materials down on the ground. Each year I eagerly await the arrival of these birds and these opportunity to improve on last years photographs. House martins return to the patch here in Aberystwyth each year, after a long migration from…

Nature’s architects: Part 1

Spring is a busy time of year for Britain’s birds as they begin to construct their nests ready to safely incubate their eggs and rear their chicks in the weeks to come. It often isn’t hard to find signs of nesting activity and once you start looking you can spot birds gathering nesting materials everywhere….

A furry find

It was a relatively quiet day today, with deep blue sky and dazzling sunshine but little in the way of bird activity or things to photograph. I was getting ready to call it a day and head home when a Jackdaw landing in the grass a short distance away caught my attention. It immediately began…

Nest building

Spring is a busy time for birds with those having made it through the harsh winter now turning their attention to finding mates, building a nest and raising the next generation. Living on the edge of the tidal mudflat provides a great opportunity to watch all kinds of birds gather nesting materials from the flotsam…

Resourceful Jackdaws

With Spring now well under way the local birds have turned their attention to breeding. Whilst the mallards and swans get amorous down on the water the Jackdaws have been busy collecting stick and twigs with which they will construct a nest. Jackdaw nests are surprisingly large and usually built in tree cavities, on buildings…