Wheatear - Three Different Crops

Having spent some time trying to improve this particular shot I could not decide which cropped shot I preferred.  I have placed the three best and hope someone will help me decide.None of these have been processed other than cropping from the original.

Portrait Matches Erect Stance of the Bird

Landscape Shows Off Dead Grass Flowing like Water

Cropped to the Maximum to show Feathers

Original No Cropping

A Brambling 13/03/2011

A joy this winter has been the number of Brambling.  They have appeared in areas you would not associate with these winter visitors.  The shots below are of one bird that is the last remaining at a feeding station.  I have photographs of him before Christmas but he was much less attractive then.  He has a ring on and you can read 3 characters of probably 7.  This enables me to know it is not one of the few Brambling I have ringed. You should always enlarge photos of birds rings and try to read them.  If you are able to read enough numbers the BTO may be able to identify the bird.  

Notice the Spots 

Not One Of My Rings

Linnet

Male Linnet

Rival Male

Blood Spuggy
This is what they were known as locally with Spuggy being our name for Sparrow.  These names are disappearing along with, I am glad to say bird nesting

Siskin

Male Siskin

Male Siskin
Photograph aesthetically spoilt by ring on leg.  I put the ring there, so yes I shot myself in the foot.

Female/Juvenile Siskin
In the hand it is possible to tell adult females from juveniles.  Whilst doing this you see the true beauty of
these wonderful little finches.

Twite

A Twite in the hand is worth ten on the beach,

This was taken in our early days of trying to catch these birds.  We soon realised that although the flock may be one hundred strong you take what is under the net as adults are much more wary.

Although not as sharp as above a much more natural pose.

Less white on the wings indicates an older bird than the one above

Skylark Juvenile

l do not normaly keep a shot that is not of a full bird, but this I could not throw away.

I found this bird by nearly stepping on it. A very difficult bird to catch and also a challenge to find a nest.

Is it me or does it appear to have the head of a game bird?

Goldfinch

An easy bird to  photograph. These are of a probable male.  One means of telling the sex is by the amount of red behind the eye, the males having slightly more .

House Sparrow

As with the Hawfinch not an easy bird to photograph. Although common and living with man they are still wary and to find them in  aesthetic  background is not easy.  This bird was photographed on the beach.

Hawfinch

This is the only one of these I have been able to get a reasonable photograph.

Bullfinch

Ladies First

Should be on a "Chocolate Box"

Greenfinch

Any good birdwatcher will recognise this silhouette.

I must take a photo. of a  female.

Chaffinch

This handsome male

takes a bath

to meet this beautiful female

Tree Sparrow

Not locally common, I was lucky to find these whilst checking out a Quarry for Peregrines

Juvenile Pied Wagtail

There shots were taken at at Moore Reserve, Warrington, whilst waiting in vain for a Kingfisher.

Reed Bunting

This male is just starting to go out of pristine breeding condition, but was on breeding territory, so I did not try to get any closer.

Meadow Pipit

This bird obligingly sat within a few feet of me, and once I realised that the large lens needed putting on close focus I obtained these shots. This means I can get rid of a large number of photographs in my collection of this classic LBJ.

Robins

I have limited this Robin post to two pictures from the dozens that I have. I am experimenting with different layouts