Great Tit Flight - February 2016

With springtime somewhat on hold in the flower garden, this week I concentrated on photographing birds. I was hoping to capture a good cross-section of British garden birds, and I ended up with quite a good collection - even if I say so myself!

My favourite of the week was the Great Tit (Parus major) above. I've attempted to capture them in flight many times, but I think this is the first time I've managed to grab a pin sharp image, with the bonus that its against the perfect blue sky.

Sequinned Starling - February 2016

One of the garden bullies at this time of year is the Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). They seem to devour anything and everything in sight, making it very difficult for the smaller species to get anything from the bird table. However, I think they're understated in their beauty, especially when viewed in full sun.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - February 2016

Although I occasionally see them, I wasn't expecting to catch a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) bouncing through the bright blue morning sky. He flew back and forth between several different trees thankfully, giving me the opportunity to try and get a decent shot on several occasions.

Blackbird at Rest - February 2016

A more traditional garden species is the Blackbird (Turdus merula), and this male was on high alert for most of the morning, letting out alarm calls, and usually staying well hidden amongst the branches of a tree.

Goldfinch at Rest - February 2016

The same can be said for the local population of Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), who seemed to be quite jittery, and didn't stay too long in any one place.

Prowling Buzzard - February 2016

They obviously knew something that I didn't, and when I glimpsed this Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) I realised what was alarming them!

Feral Pigeon Flight - February 2016

In fact, shortly after observing the Buzzard, a group of Feral Pigeons (Columba livia) scattered, putting me in a quandary over which one I should be pointing my camera at!

Soaring Gull - February 2016

While all this was going on, the Black Headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) soared majestically overhead, giving little thought to what was going on below, other than probably wondering where their next meal was coming from.

So, big thanks must go to my feathered friends for making it an enjoyable photographic experience, and especially to the Great Tit, who obviously enjoyed the camera attention, and is therefore my Image of the Week...