Out and About

Finally have a car, and after a week of I've put it to good use. Trying to get out and about to as many places as my petrol budget will allow. 

Recently had a friendly voice tell me of a few places to watch a lovely set of fledged wrens chicks, beautiful to watch. The area is a wildlife hotspot, everything from small birds to passing Otters, and grazing Roe Deer. 

From standing the wild flower meadow, sounds could be heard in nearly every direction, it was like wren paradise.

Nuthatches were also present.

A juvenile dipper was making good use of the stream, flying back and forth, and there seemed to be no fear of my presence.

Song Thrush wandering around eying up the worms.

After an hour or two in the wild meadows. I decided to head to Bassenthwaite lake to watch out around to see if any sighting of the Osprey could be seen. Although i dint see it i did have fun with the local Mallards, who seemed very keen to know what was in my camera bag.

After another few more shifts at work, it was time to head back out, but this time take the camera to work. Started off my walk around Centre Parcs and headed towards the Bird Hide that they have, my first visit there infact, and when i arrived i wasn't disappointed. There was more than enough to keep my shutter button pressed down.

The pigeons were making good use of the bird feeders that where dotted around and catching the odd seed that fell from the many birds that were feeding from it, great tits, coal tits, chaffinches, bullfinches. An often occurrence around the hide was a sparrow hawk flying around at immense speeds and swooping for tit or two.

The Red Squireel that didn't want its photo taken.

Looking for his nuts!

Happily munching away in front of me.

After watching this wood mouse for a while i started to feel sorry it, Every time it tried to venture out of its habitat, it got bullied back in from the "bouncer pigeon".

After a while of waiting around and happily snapping up photos of the red squirrels, the illusive Jay finally turned up. and it made my day!!! hard to believe they are part of the Corvidae family, beautiful birds.

After my little stint at CP, jumped back into the car and headed out to a beck at Cockermouth in search for a Kingfisher........ nice holes in the banks of the river..... but no bird!! =[
I was in the presence of a Pied Wagtail. and later on a Grey Wagtail, nice to see the flash of yellow!

Next stop was Siddick Ponds. Many juvenile blue tits flying around.

Nice to see a good number of Mute swan cygnets.

And the Greylag family.