Long Tailed Tits in the Snow

 I've recently installed a new bird feeder and was very pleased to see birds starting to use it pretty quickly.   I've rarely bought coconuts filled with a fat ball mix, so both these features were graced by Long Tailed Tits on 8 February, within days and in the snow.   There must have been about 8 birds in the group that visited the feeder but it wasn't possible to capture them all at onece.   Social distancing isn't a consideration for these birds until such time as they pair off in the summer.

Other sightings - Cottenham IV

 The main focus of this visit was to photograph Whooper Swans and other animals were seen, including a lovely dog called Skye.   She remained on the lead so that she didn't swim across the dyke and chase Whoopers!

The Yellow Hammer was intensively coloured and secretive.    The Lapwing sparkled as the light caught them in flight and the Starlings were pretty numerous but insufficient in number for a murmuration or at the right time of day.

Whooper Swans - Cottenham III

 Although these Whoopers are using standing water, and the two 'ponds' were pretty heavily 'stocked' with them, there were also times when a collection of the Swans appeared 'excited' and more than just a pair where displaying.   Chaotic is the word that came to mind!

Whooper Swans - Cottenham II

A number of the Whoopers are beginning to pair up with plenty of display and splash to show for it.   Breeding doesn't start until they are 4-5 years old, and they stay together until one dies.   Having seen Whooper Swans in Iceland and reading that they pair for life, presumably they travel together so that when in the UK they decide whether they will spend time at Welney (conditions being conducive) or Cottenham for the sugar beet remains!

Whooper Swans - Cottenham I

 Yesterday I'd arranged to drop off some things in Cottenham and was 'tipped off' that locals were visiting and photographing masses of Whooper Swans who are relishing feeding on sugar beet fields.   It really was a pretty good venue to see a few hundred Whoopers who might otherwise have been based at Welney (but for the extensive flooding there).   The walk along a bank was exceptionally muddy but worth the venture and there's plenty of standing water too.

I was photographing straight into the sun, but have emphasised in some of the images just how translucent the outstretched wings can look. 

In the first image is the standing water the Whoopers are spending time in, the second image shows how high up the stem of a bullrush the water is, and the third image shows the colour of the wake when a Whooper comes into land on shallow standing water!

Tonight's Sunset

 I am invariably attracted to colourful sunrises and sunsets.   I was glad I noticed the clouds visible from the house picking up colour, so got out into the field just after the sun had disappeared.    The intensity of colour in the sky was tremendous and there were some interesting cloud shapes too.    I am happy to take some landscape photographs in 'portrait' format.