Post its

This past month a common sight has been buzzards perched on roadside posts. Last Saturday, driving over the hills, we saw as many as half a dozen perched on posts by the roadside. They seemed to be enjoying the morning sunshine after a few days of rain.

Another common post sitter in winter is the robin, always curious to come closer to any human activity. Indeed they are often quite happy to pose for a photograph.

Wrens normally rattle loudly from the undergrowth, but sometimes one will pop up into plain sight.

In the summer I was lucky to see this snipe sitting on a post at the side of the road in Uist. I had enjoyed watching listening to them making their drumming sound high over my head the evening before. I’ve often disturbed them from their hidey holes on moorland but they’ve flown off so fast I’ve never been able to photograph them.

And here is a young redshank sitting on a post , also in Uist.

Finally here is a colourful stonechat taking up its post. Stonechats sound like two pebbles being banged together.

I was so thrilled when this long eared owl fledgling broke cover and alighted on this post. The great thing about birds on posts is that they are still enough to focus on and photograph.

That is…until they take off!!