Posting Five Hundred

I went out quite early today as I wanted to see what birds were about in the woods. I was hoping I could film some of the birds singing the new day in. While I got plenty of film of tail feathers and empty branches I never really got what I was hoping to film. Just before Christmas I had bought a LANC controller for the camera. This allows me to control the camera from the tripod, and this was the first time that I had really been able to put it to the test. It really does make life easier as I can concentrate on the subject and because it helps minimise my hand movements, I am less likely to disturb my subject. I had to order it from America as while I could get one over here it was six times the price I paid, including shipping. Well I have done my bit to stimulate the US economy.

To illustrate its use, I was trying to film a Goldfinch, it’s a tiny bird and there was a few feeding on the last remaining tufts of thistle heads. I was waiting to get a clear view, and as I was able to remain motionless a blackbird alighted on a twig right by my shoulder. Initially it did not realise I was there then suddenly shrilled its alarm call in my ear, scattering the goldfinches too. Thanks Blackbird you’re sacked and will never act in one of films again.

One thing that is worth mentioning, I did notice that the goldfinches are starting to look resplendent in their breeding plumage. So while winter is not over it’s the first real sign that Spring is not that far away.

I was telling one of the regular dog walkers that I see of this, and he told me that he thought he had seen a Red Kite building a nest. Very interested I asked some questions and while I cannot be sure, it sounds like he saw the kite that had flown off with the bag of meat the other day. But as Kites regularly use plastic bags to line their nests, who knows, perhaps it was building a nest.

One other good bit of news, over in western shores of England, fifty or sixty miles from here, a White Tailed Sea Eagle has been seen. If I had the time, I would get over there and look myself, but as I am no Twitcher that goes chasing rare birds just to tick them off a list, I may just wait until I can go and visit Scotland and see them along with Golden Eagles.

It is nice that in this my five hundredth posting here is a bit of good news for a change.