Woodpecker & Blue Tit
Still no joy with the chicks showing at the nest although I’m sure this forthcoming week will be the one.
We had a lovely spell on light during the morning followed by glorious sun, which was a bit harsh one the nest itself so the best shots were early on.
Afterwards I took a walk into the ancient woods to see if anything was showing there but all seemed very quiet.
Dad with a real beak full of food for the chicks
The Dad showing no sign of slowing down bringing the grubs
Again the male being very busy, this time cleaning the nest a little
Blue Tit for a change, with a small grub for the young
Nikon D300 & Male Great Spotted Woodpecker
I took the D300 out today which I part exchanged for an old lens, so what better way tot est it than in the tricky lit woods where my Great Spotted Woodpeckers are nesting.
Initial impessions of the D300 are very very good! I have used a D300s before and this is no different in my opinion other than no video mode.
Low light shooting seems very capable and low signs of noise where my D200 would have been pretty terrible.
More to come tomorrow where hopefully we may see some signs of the chicks heads.
Nikon D300, Nikon 300mm f/2.8 AF-S MKII – Male taking food to the nest
Nikon D300, Nikon 300mm f/2.8 AF-S MKII – Male close to the nest hole
Weekend Woodpeckers
A little round-up of the Woodpeckers from the weekend.
Both parents have been non-stop feeding, tending to the chicks and also cleaning out the nest after almost every feed.
Please see images below highlighting some of the best moments.
The male perched nicely in the afternoon sun
The male seems to be the busiest with finding food
The male certainly knows how to find food in good quantity
Again, the male during one of his cleaning periods.
Wood and mess is thrown from the nest hole
Male Woodpecker
Today spent at the Woodpecker nest proved difficult with the light and cloud that was wreaking havoc through the woods, but I did manage a couple of the male bringing food to the nest.
Feeding was busy as expected with around a week to go until fledging, it appears they have been feeding now for 2 weeks, sadly I mised the first week. However, I shall make every effort to visit daily this forthcoming week to see how the young progress.
Watch this space for the Treecreeper nest pictures that I managed to capture today in between visiting the Woodpeckers, they are remarkable little birds and hopefully the images will portray this.
Male with good nutritious food
A dedicated Dad, the male seems to work tirelessly to feed the young
Feeding at the Woodpecker nest
Following on from the previous post, I managed to continue seeing the Woodpeckers feeding at the nesthole, and once the rain had stopped I was granted a spell of sunshine and decent light for grabbing some photographs.
Feeding times have sped up of late, and rather than taking turns, it seems both parents can be out at the same time and return closely together. If one is already feeding or has fed and is waiting for the other return it will tend to the chicks and await a returning call from the other and then leave the nest for the next feeding spree.
Another thing I have spotted is what looks like waste from the nest, either from the young, excess food or general rubbish from within the nest made up of wood etc. This cleaning operation appears to be made on almost every feed at present.
Plenty of flies for lunch
Female with food for the young
Male with his offerings for the young
Male checking the coast is clear
Female taking the waste from the nest
The male made several maintenance checks to the nest hole entrance
Final image of the day before leaving the family for the evening, the Dad checking things out
Great Spotted Woodpecker Nest
Living very close to Cannock Chase I am able to regularly see Great Spotted Woodpecker, a personal favourite of mine.
Spring is another favourite of mine especially with the Woodpeckers. I enjoy spending time seeing the male and female taking turns in the nest and out of it bringing in food for the young.
Today I was able to see some positive activity at a nest I found a few weeks ago, and that was the sight of a male bringing food to the nest hole and a female leaving – exact signs of young being tendered to inside.
I stayed out of sight for a while and managed to shots of both parents.
The next few weeks I will be visiting regularly to see how they are getting on and will be updating with images as and when.
Female Great Spotted Woodpecker
Male Great Spotted Woodpecker
Yellowhammer on the way home