My garden birds 3

The birds are errr flocking into my garden. Word must be getting around about the free food and drink.

Annitsford Pond 2

This afternoon I had a walk to Annitsford Pond again, as before there was some ducks that flew away before I could get a look at them but today in addition to the Mute Swan, coot, mallard and moorhen there was some a pair shoveler ducks on the pond and some teal.

I've recently learnt about manual focus on my camera so I spend some time trying it out.

A trip to Arcot Hall near Cramlington.

I had a walk to Arcot Hall it’s actually a grass reserve with rare grass but there is a lake with wildlife. I had set up my tripod and was having a look around with my binoculars and across the lake I spotted a deer, on the lake there mute swans, teal and Gadwall. On a walk in the nearby woods I saw a woodpecker and a treecreeper hovering nearby was a bird of prey but it flew away before I could get a decent picture. There was also a nice yellow bird but I did not get a picture.

Someone came over with a tripod and a terrific monocular he let me look at the deer with it he told me there are terrapins in the lake about the size of dinner plates and told me where I might see them in the summer, something to look forward to.

Today I also discovered manual focus on my camera and tried it out on some swans and seagulls.The highlight of the day was the deer after taking more photos of it than a Vogue photo shoot it came forward out of the grass and was followed by another deer they walked along by the side of the lake which was frozen and they were reflected on the ice, I have a couple of photos of them and I’m really pleased with the image.

When I was at The Rising Sun Nature park the other day I had picked up a leaflet about a photo competition for north east wildlife one of the rules is that pictures can not be published so I am taking no chances with them and not putting on any websites, the prize is£250 and the picture produced and hung in the Hancock natural history museum but I do have a couple to show around.

When my wife came home from a shopping trip she’s bought me one of those fleece balaclava hats and its camaflage so I’ll be able to sneak around the undergrowth and they’ll never see me coming :)

Annitsford pond

I've been going to Annitsford pond a small nature reserve near were I live.

On the water I have spotted, 2 adult mute swan and 1 juvenile, 3 mallard,  1 coot, 1 Teal and several unidentified birds that took off from the water and flew away.

I have been told that otters have been spotted by the allotments at the far side of the lake.

My garden birds 2

Today  I spent some time using rocks that have been lying around in the garden to build a small wall. It's only three feet long and about one and a half feet high its built in a corner area near my bird table.  I'm using the far side of it to create a small compost heap using the leaves and twigs in the garden. The wall is just a small dry stone wall so there are plenty of gaps for insects and slugs to make their home which of course will be a free buffet for the birds.

Due to the wall building work dinner was late for the birds. From my dinning room window today I saw great tit, blue tit, robin, blackbirds and dunnock.

Looking at my garden and the neighbours gardens I have a cared for trimmed lawn on one side and an unkempt garden on the other, my own garden has a tree and several smaller bushes and has not been tidied for quite a few years.

One neighbour has put up bird boxes and the other has a peanut dispenser so between the three of us the birds are being well catered for.

My photographs

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davekane13/

My garden birds

I have decided to try and attract more wildlife into my garden.

I've been buying some bird feeders for the garden a fat ball holder a peanut feeder and a couple of seed feeders.I have also made my own bird table by turning a bin upside down and and using the bottom for a table, the lid is upside down on the ground with water in.

I'm hoping over time to get a proper bird table as my improvised bird table has been a success birds this week , blackbirds, sparrows, magpie, Collared doves, robin, jackdaw and some dunnocks.

My garden is a mess and I am hoping to sort it out and create a wildlife friendly garden so that in the summer I will not only have birds but maybe butterflies as well by planting flowers. Also hope to add some bird boxes as I understand food water and shelter are the three basics to keep birds in the garden.