1 EAGLETON NOTES: Lucky

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Sunday 7 June 2015

Lucky

For weeks now I have been trying to get photos of fledglings being fed. Every day my bird feeders dispose of nearly ½ kilo of bird food so the sparrows are already on their second brood. I feel very protective of them because they live under the roof tiles above my bedroom. Houses in Scotland are constructed with wooden sarking under the tiles so there is no access to the house roof space for the sparrows and they are therefore not a nuisance. Usually I seem to have a ‘year of the sparrows’ or a ‘year of the greenfinches’. This year is a year of both. My cameras are nearly always within a metre or two of me when I’m in the kitchen or study where I have the best views of the birds. The light and weather (and no rain on the windows!) have to be just right for me to get a photo. That happens occasionally but then there have to be birds too. The day after my birthday I had a wonderful and slightly belated present:







And then they were gone


26 comments:

  1. This is a cracking sequence. I don't see many fledglings.

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    1. Adrian there are three youngsters. They are still being fed by their parents but may not strictly still be fledglings.

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  2. Lucky indeed! Mama or Papa Greenfinch have their hands (or, rather, beaks) full with their three children.
    Belated Happy Birthday wishes to you, Graham! When exactly was it?

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  3. Great photos Graham - as always. Very professional and would not look out of place in National Geographic!!

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    1. You're very kind Carol but perhaps a tad biased?

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    1. Sorry Andrea I should have included one in B & W.

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  5. Aww, so cute. And I love the twist with the empty twig as well :) Earlier this week I had a few brief visits from fledglings on my balcony rail - I think blue tits, or else great tits. Even though I had the camera within reach, they did not stay long enough for me to snap a photo though!

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    1. I rarely see Great Tits Monica and never on the Island.

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  6. The Greenfinches - a great pop group! I wonder what they were singing? Perhaps your all-time favourite Graham - "The Birdie Song"! You have every right to feel proud of these pictures. My favourite was the second one down.

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    1. Thank you YOP. The Birdie Song. That's a blast from the past. Presumably if I have grandchildren I will renew my acquaintance with it.

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  7. Oh, my goodness, Mr. Edwards. Those pictures are beautiful. You can see the hunger of the babies and the work and worry of the parents. I just love those pictures. Wow! May those babies have a wonderful, healthy, carefree life!

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  8. I never get tired of watching young birds being fed. There's a lot of action and competition for getting fed.

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  9. These are wonderful photos, GB. Thanks for sharing. And a very happy belated birthday to you! xoxox DeeDee

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  10. What a treat indeed! How lovely to have captured these.

    Sadly we found three dead baby birds the other morning....not sure if something got them, or if they left the nest too early or fell out....but they weren't far from it.

    Not seen any other fledglings at all so far this year, which is most unusual.

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    1. That's such a shame Serenata. I found one egg with a semi-hatched chick but it was a long way from any nests an was a mystery to me too.

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  11. What lovely photos, and an unexpected birthday gift too...who could ask for more?

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    1. Heaven's above Virginia is it really that long since I wrote this post and you commented? Thank you.

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  12. Perfectly wonderful photos, they look entirely professional. I'm glad they were all sustained enough by their meal to fly away! or at least, I hope they didn't fall off......

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    1. Thank you Jenny. They did fly away. They've been returning but not in quite such photogenic poses.

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  13. I LOVE these photos! Birds are VERY difficult to photograph, they are so fast in their movements and all of a sudden, they TAKE OFF in flight! You are lucky but you must also be very patient to get great shots like these.
    Happy belated birthday by the way!

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    1. Thanks Kay. Yes birds can be difficult but I'm fortunate to have them outside the window I use most when I'm in the house.

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