December 2025
Last month of the year started out wet and dismal but 2nd was bright and sunny so headed out into the woods and then for some raptor action
Began the day with a rather high up and skulky Nuthatch
None of the hoped for Hawfinches but one or two Brambling and a few Crossbills flying around
Complementing the beautiful autumn colours
Lots of Coal Tits collecting the beech mast
I paid attention to the mantle colour of these birds following the big irruption out of Scandinavia in the autumn but judging olive toned - grey and lead grey is tricky - flanks on this individual were quite washed out
Smart little birds and something I have seldom photographed
Golden crested wren
On the farm the Corn Bunting flock numbered at least 74 (in one image)
Winter food availability is clearly a key factor in the survival of this species with 99% of the barren arable landscape providing no food for passerines - these fields are thus a magnet
All shot with the Canon R6II and 200-800 lens
A rather tame juvenile Common Buzzard hunting voles
Light was beautiful
Kestrels do not like Buzzards
A distant 2cy male Hen Harrier
Juvenile Marsh Harrier
spotting a vole
This cracking male kept giving me a wide berth
a bit of confrontation
Corvids leaving their roost in trees from the back garden - up to 350 Jackdaws roost in the town with a few Rooks
Scandinavian Rock Pipit at Filey - an offshoot of the Eastern Black Redstart trip
Golden Plovers on the Humber 199 on the challenge
200 up with the Eastern Black Redstart - I ognore taxonomic traits and follow the old DIMW mantra if it looks different thne it is different - lots more in the blog post above
Grey Heron in Barton Haven
House Sparrows Waters Edge - I thought they were making a bit of a comeback but this year they seem to have crashed again locally at least
Black-headed Gulls on the new boardwalk Waters Edge
There have been some spectacular early morning skies this week - Carrion Crow from the back garden
gull and sky
And Woodpigeons sky
Goosander ripples
Robin in bracken in a very wet Lake District
Tarn Hows just before the next rain - subtle reflections
Wet and grim works better in B&W
Blue Tit - if they were rare
Just one more Bully
female Gadwall in beautiful late afternoon sun
Goldfinch on the jump
Long-tailed Tit peeping
Some roosting Marsh Harriers
I feel I am becoming slightly obsessed with Robins
Getting to know my local Song Thrushes by name! a few birds have been singing on mild days this week
Practicing my technique fopr when there’s a skulking White’s Thrush in there
Continuing the December coloured skies theme the 15th was again dismal until mid-afternoon when the sun broke through the cloud for about an hour - a Carrion Crow on bare tree
a 1cy male Hen Harrier hunting in the last rays of light
Kestrel at sunset
Two Kestrelks bedding down
Lapwings
Gulls moving to roost against an epic sky
Stonechat in a scenic field of moisture
Fieldfare 201 on the challenge and I become aware that I have missed out some fairly easy species this year but inspiration levels are falling!
Full blog post on the Salfleet Black Brant linked above
Herring Gull on Barton Mill at sunrise -
Great White Egret one of up to five locally this early winter period an amazing upturn in occurrence patterns
1cy male Hen Harrier and accompanying Rook - always surprising how samll male Hen Harriers are and how big Rooks are
Wood Mouse in the garden this morning in very dull light at 3200 ISO and 1/50th second with the RF 100-500
A rather dull presumably 1cy female Yellowhammer locally
Long-tailed Tit in the garden wisteria - a flock of 12 have been passing through fairly regularly but seldom stop on the feeders
A break from the norm - a fog bank lifting off the Humber and partly shrouding ther Humber Bridge a few days back - a 300 mm lens shot on the Canon 100-500
One of the male garden Blackbirds
Black-headed Gulls - which one do you choose
Coot aggression maybe a sign of spring!!!
Bought a 28mm lens fr the arre landscape shots and skies but tried it out on the feeding Malalrd frenzy from above - ish
202 not the best or desired but Ring-necked Parakeet in a busy London Park on Christmas day
A cracking Woodcock flew past us in beautiful light on 31st concluding with my best ever images of this species
One of those decisions that pays off - we were walking elsewhere but changed plans at the last minute and took the camera -