I’ve been dodging April showers and going out on the better mornings to see and listen to what’s going on in my local patch. I am so lucky to be able to step out of my back door and into the countryside. These past few mornings the overriding calls have been those of gutsy weeContinue reading “Idyllic Spring Mornings”
Author Archives: sarahthurlbeck
By the Waterside
The past two days I’ve gone with friends to the river Kelvin and the canal in the hope of seeing kingfishers. However none were to be seen. Nevertheless there were lots of other waterside birds worthy of photographing, not least this dipper who posed beautifully for me. It had been enjoying splashing in the rapidContinue reading “By the Waterside”
Wonderful Woodpeckers!
This week I got third time lucky searching for the green woodpecker at Edenmill. The green woodpecker is also known as a “yaffle” because of its mocking, laughing call. It certainly seemed to be laughing at me trying to spot it and was a case of heard but not seen. There is one pair atContinue reading “Wonderful Woodpeckers!”
Friday Foragers
At last, a dry day with morning and afternoon walks in the countryside with my camera and binoculars! Today I saw four jays and even managed to get this photo of one, albeit with branches in the way. They alerted me to their presence by squawking to each other. This morning we saw the canalContinue reading “Friday Foragers”
Tenerife birds and butterflies
What a treat to get some winter sunshine in Tenerife and do some birdwatching there. No surprise that being on one of the Canary Islands we should come across lots of canaries. They are amazing singers. For about a hundred years in Britain, miners used to take canaries down the mines as the birds wereContinue reading “Tenerife birds and butterflies”
Tufties
Its a great treat to watch red squirrels and one of the best places to observe them is in the wildlife hide at Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Aberfoyle. They are smaller and faster than grey squirrels and have long ear tufts. The tufts provide a bit of extra insulation in winter and they can useContinue reading “Tufties”
Kevin the Kelvin Kingfisher
Today a friend and I took the bus then subway into the heart of Glasgow’s West End where we had a walk along the river Kelvin hoping to spot a kingfisher. We got very lucky thanks to looking at where a photographer was pointing his big lens. I didn’t have my big lens but itContinue reading “Kevin the Kelvin Kingfisher”
January Gems
Only a week to go until the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch – I wonder if this great spotted woodpecker will make an appearance when I’m doing my hour’s counting- probably not! Great to see him close up! I know it’s a he from the red patch on the back of his head which females don’tContinue reading “January Gems”
Winter Wander Wonders
This photo of Britain’s smallest bird, the goldcrest, feeding amongst the yellow gorse flowers looks like it was taken in summer. Actually it was on a cold winter’s day after a hard frost! Gorse bushes seem to be a favourite feeding ground of this tiny, flighty creature. It took hundreds of attempts to capture itContinue reading “Winter Wander Wonders”
Christmas Kingfisher
This morning I was gifted a new big lens. So of course it was off to the canal this afternoon to see if we could spot a kingfisher to test it out on. For three quarters of an hour we sauntered up and down the canal scanning for a glimpse of orange or bright blue.Continue reading “Christmas Kingfisher”
Sarah's Wildlife Watch 