Bluebird...

Found myself heading to Gloucestershire on 30th December for an unanticipated look for a male Blue Rock Thrush that had been found feeding in Stow-on-the-Wold. A bit further than I would have liked, but holidays permitted a bit of extra effort. 

2 hours had passed before the bird was located, feeding in a back-garden and breaking between feeds on nearby roof tops. Just like they do...

Winter mist did not help, but the occasional break of sunshine brought out the colours.

Swan & Gooses

From dusk till

Beeley...

Arrived just after midday on Sunday after earlier news had confirmed that the Dusky Thrush was still present at the rather quaint setting of Beeley in Derbyshire. However, it wasn't as straight forward as I had hoped - still a large crowd viewing from a restrictive area obscured with tangled hawthorn - so opted with a few others to view from an alternative corner. Two plus hours passed before the Thrush returned and it was a bit of a scramble to the other viewing area to grab an obscured view.

A few record shots with the lens pointing through a table of hedging, and in very dull cloudy winter light (it was approaching 3pm), a high ISO and ridiculously low exposure of 1/60 - 1/40... grainy images obtained...

Who's a?

Pottering around Hyde Park on Saturday morning provided some views of the elusive Ring-Necked Parakeets.