Change of scene

Not exactly a break from the birds, as some of the pics were taken going to or from my project sites, but others were taken walking the dog and there's not a bird to be seen.
A favourite of mine at this time of year is the cuckoo pint.  It;s a shame the 'flowers' don't last longer. 

The young mare's tail caught my eye, but they are soon turning into the more familiar indestructible shoots.  I must snap the mature form too, just for the record.

The stars of the show though are the orchids.  To start early purple noticed in the woods - snapped with the pocket camera, so wide angle and not the highest quality

and secondly a new one for me - green winged - Rich and Nic's second orchid species in their meadow.  I wonder how many more types will pop up over the next few years.  I so hope we get some in our (the villages) own meadow.  Patience will be key.  Anyway some rather rushed  shots between showers and pre-gym.  Click on the pic to see bigger views showing why they have the name they do.

Another woodland gem, the wood anemone.

And finally a few of the old favourites from the local fields.

Near project 1, Far project 11

Although I have had a good time at my far project I was increasingly aware I hadn't spent any time at our village woodland  Along with a local girl guide group we had got a small grant and set up a feeding station to add to the nest boxes we'd put up the year before.  As well as some feeders I'd made a bird table big enough to balance some branches on, I'd replanted a small fallen tree and we had created a drinking pool - again raised for a log pile underneath.  Last week the guides came back and decorated the pool and drilled some holes in the tree so we could jam in some hazelnuts and peanuts to attract woodpeckers.
You may be thinking it sounds like an area that might also be usable for photography - how very dare you!  But ............ I did nip back at the weekend and put up a hide, resulting in some pleasant surprises.  We had found early in the week the nuts were going from the tree (the next day in fact) and sure enough great spotted woodpeckers were on the case as a pair started coming (you can see a part pecked hazelnut in the middle picture)  ......

At one point the male froze like this for several minutes. 

I wondered about a raptor somewhere, but then in a blur of action a second male shot in and displaced him.  So at least 3 coming and more than happy with the hide.

In amongst the usual expected birds ............

there were 2 pleasant surprises.  A redpoll was visiting the niger feeder .....

but more surprisingly still (well it was to me) so was a marsh tit.

This completely ignored the range of other seeds on offer and seemed to be eating the niger rather than the millet I had also added to the mix.  That's one to log away for future reference.  I'm hoping it might even be using one of the nest boxes.

Back at the far project I was reminded of how harsh midday sun can be as the contrast was more or less unmanageable.  I'd been determined to try for some better shots of the redpoll and siskin, and hoped some new props might bring some new angles for the other birds.
I did get some redpoll shots, but not siskin. 

A GS woodpecker licked her lips and picked her teeth, and then went around either probing the ground or maybe grabbing ants (colour confusion?).  A greenfinch and some tits used the prop branches even if the haws didn't.  At least one pair of haws are still coming though which is a real bonus - when I used to snap them at Forest of Dean they always disappeared during spring - back to the treetops as Chris G would say.  Fingers crossed.  The female seems to hug the shadows, the male more brash.

The shallow depth of field has made it hard to get a shot of the pair in focus, and even the effort below looks a bit photoshopped.

The vole was back too, looking quite hamster-like from some angles.

After the weather last year I never thought I'd be missing just a bit of cloud!

Far project sessions 9 + 10

Having worked out that the hawfinches were coming in the afternoons my normal weekend schedule had to change, but other factors have caused some hassles, so I've not managed to get out as much as I would have liked. 
Session 9 saw some light showers adding a certain gloss to the woodwork and leaves, but meant that I had to go without the 1.4 extender.  Normally that wouldn't be a bad thing - you don't always want to be in tight, but this is unavoidably a very small area I have to work in so setting the bird in the landscape doesn't work so well - the landscape isn't that photogenic!
Still the session saw the arrival of a furry visitor as well as feathered ones, and for the first time I saw more than one hawfinch.  I now know there are at least 4 visiting and I suspect there may be more.  Although I have only ever seen three at one time, two are carrying bling.  So I know there are 2 males, one ringed, and two females, one ringed.  The female had a colour ring, so I can maybe find out where it was trapped.

Session 10 saw the sun out again.I'm still struggling to get clean snaps, but gradually getting there when the birds play ball with the props.  I think I'll have to rig up a background, but just a bit worried that it might put the haws off.  I also need to spend a bit more time on the redpoll and siskin which have been neglected with my haw obsession.

I love the attitude in that last shot - just a shame about the scenery.