Tag: Birdbath

Birdbath Cam

Olympus Tough
Olympus EM10 MkII

1.45 pm, Monday 25 January: So far no takers. I’ve somewhat hopefully set up my DSLR, Olympus Tough and even my iPhone all focussed on the birdbath. Just a few feet away there are long-tailed tits, wood pigeons and starlings feeding but nothing is touching down for a quick drink.

What do you know?! – just as I wrote that, a blue tit came down and perched exactly on the spot that I’d focussed on. Let’s hope that the memory card lasted out!

Later

Unfortunately it’s just as I expected: the blue tit turned up a few minutes after the two cameras ran out of memory. It should be there on the iPhone but that’s just taking a general view.

Back at the Waterhole

blue tit

I give it another try and 3.30 pm, which in winter is late afternoon, proves to be a better time. Within the first five minutes this blue tit comes down to drink, then flies up to the sunflower hearts feeder.

I could have guaranteed some bird action if I’d focussed on the feeders but it’s going to take a bit more arranging to get my cameras up on that level. Besides, a bird’s bathing routine is going to be more interesting than just watching them feeding.

Just to be sure that I’d get something, I set up the iPhone at the foot of feeding pole, so at least I’ll have some close-up shots of blackbirds, chaffinch and robin on the ground.

Birdbath

pheasantsrobin3.45 p.m.: Three female pheasants walk up the wood-chip path to peck at spilt sunflower hearts beneath the bird feeders.

blackbird bathingA robin’s bathing routine is interrupted by a blackbird, a more enthusiastic bather.

Two male and one female blackbird patrol the lawn. The female comes lower in the pecking order and is seen off by one of the males when she darts forward to pick up a morsel.

female blackbird female blackbird

The Anywhere Bird-bath

4.20 pm; THIS RUGGED polypropylene ‘Anywhere’ bird-bath, which we bought at the RSPB visitor centre at Fairburn Ings yesterday, is designed to go ‘Anywhere’ as its name suggests; hanging from the bird-feeder, fixed around the pole or staked to the ground with the plastic stake supplied, however we wanted to put it up on the patio, so we’ve just propped it up on bricks.

As I draw it, it’s freezing over, in fact thin ice has been forming all day, but a kettle of hot water should melt that away in the morning. So far it hasn’t attracted any of the birds that have been busy at the feeders right next to it all day.

4.03 pm: As sunset approaches (in about 15 minutes; the days are getting noticeably longer), a Heron flies across the meadow, away from the stream and the wood.

Link: Anywhere Bird-bath at the RSPB shop