Some Colourful Characters

Here are some photos of some colourful characters I’ve come across whilst out and about these last few months, trying to get the hang of a new camera. I was delighted to hear that kingsfishers had once again been seen by the canal in Bishopbriggs and even more chuffed to photograph this one across the water from me. In some ways kingfishers are easier to spot in winter, with less foliage to hide in. However they can be harder to see when the light is poor.

I sometimes overlook the colourful male mallard, but he really is a beauty.

Robins are never shy and are often quite happy to have their photograph taken, making them good subjects to practice on. My new camera has an eye tracker which is quite something … when I can get it to work.

Stonechats are bonny wee birds which I often see on rough moorland. I caught this one chasing off a robin!

At this time of year the hawthorn and other berry bushes are visited by fieldfares and redwings, visiting winter thrushes from Scandanavia, Russia and Iceland. You can hear the “chuck, chuck” sound of the fieldfares, which move around in flocks. Sometimes you see them pecking about on grassy fields.

Fieldfares are fawn and grey and are bigger than redwings. Redwings are browner and have distinct red patches underneath their wings.

As well as the birds it’s a pleasure to see red squirrels out and about collecting nuts to cache for winter. Here is one scampering on the ground in Queen Elizabeth forest in the Trossachs.

It’s great to come across wildlife , adding colour to walks on these shorter days of autumn and winter. These colourful characters never fail to cheer me.