Friday, January 28, 2011

 

Birds at Wakehurst.

The bird feeding station at Wakehurst Place.
There was no food out for the birds, but this is the place to see many small birds.
We stayed for quite a while.
The pictures are all taken by Bill


We begin with a mystery - at least a mystery to us.
We have checked and still don't know the name of this bird. It has the beak of a finch.
I presume this is the female of the species - the more colourful male appears a little later.
Stella - you will be able to tell us.

Nuthatch. I was encouraged to know birds when I was young by my parents and by Enid Blyton; I learned then that the nuthatch is not very common in our gardens. There was much excitement in the family home when they appeared on our bird table.


Is it a bird?
It surely is. Bill had lined up a shot of the nuthatch on the trunk of a tree.
Just as the shutter was pressed the bird flew off and so Bill has him in flight.
The nuthatch had not had time to lift its undercarriage, legs still dangling a bit.

I presume this is the male of the unknown bird we began with.
Is it a bull finch?
I think that a bullfinch has much stronger colouring.


Could it be a robin without its redbreast - a first winter robin maybe.


Of course, this is a robin.


Isn't he lovely?
Do enlarge the pictures by clicking on them and using the back arrow on the computer to return to the blog posting.
The feathers look superb in a bigger picture.

Blue tit on the fence.


Mrs Pheasant.


Mr Pheasant.
There were lots of pheasants wandering about.
Maybe over the weekend we ought to take part in the RSPB bird watch programme.
I am sure we could spare an hour.

Birds at Wakehurst.
posted by Grandma P on Friday, January 28, 2011