Life can’t be all nature reserves and rarities, so yesterday saw us back at Rufford Abbey. There was, as usual, nothing rare, but there’s always something worth seeing.
The Robins were in good voice.

Singing Robin – Rufford Abbey
We spent a while watching two Magpies building a nest in the tree tops (without being able to get a clear shot) and a pair of Nuthatches popped out of the woods to have a look at us. They are always a challenging subject as they tend to flit about without regard to the needs of photography. This was the best photo, despite only showing one of the pair.

Nuthatch in an Elder tree
We saw two Wrens and managed to get a couple of shots (they are worse than Nuthatches for flitting about), checked out the Great Crested Greebes (now in full breeding plumage) and watched a Grey Heron drop in to fish. Great Tits and Dunnocks also cooperated by posing.
Despite the fact we walk here most weeks, there’s always something new to see and always something new to learn. I never knew, for instance, that magpies build nests using branches that are nearly as long as they are.
Looks like you had a good day of birding. Beautiful photos! The robin in full-throated song is my favorite.
Thanks, I was pleased with that one.
Beautifull nyc click 😍😍👌
🙂
Excellent gallery of birds! The grebe photo is very good and I always like to see wrens!
Thanks. It turned out to be a productive day for photos.
Always something new to see! But even when there isn’t, seeing old “friends” is still such a pleasure. I so enjoy your pictures.
Thank you. They are always doing something new – lots of singing and a bit of nest building this time.
Excellent photos…it’s a lot more difficult than it looks.
Thank you. It certainly is. 🙂
Beautiful photos, Quercus. I like the one of the grebe especially.
They are magnificent at this time of year.
I agree with Derrick. Catching a wren at all is a triumph and your nuthatch and your robin pictures were very striking.
Thanks – I belong to that school of photography that believes in taking as many as possible to get one good one. In the case of the Wren I only managed three shots and only two of them actually had a Wren in them. 🙂
That’s more than I have managed lately.
Great pictures, I love watching the birds but am shocking at actually getting any decent pictures of them, and they’re only in our back garden!
That’s because you spend too much time digging trenches and not enough time loafing in the garden with a camera. On the other hand you will have a better garden than me. 😉
Feeling more like WW1 re-enacter than gardener at the mo 😀
You could invite school parties to come round and experience the full 1917 Centenary Experience. You just need some entrenching tools and explosives and a risk assessment…
I feel more like a WW1 re-enacter than a gardener at the mo 😀
Nice shots! You saw quite a variety of birds.
Thanks. It was nice to get shots of the Wren and Nuthatch as they can be quite tricky. 🙂
Those two and the chickadees are the hardest for me to get. The little birds sneak in and out quickly.
Yes, they do that. 🙂
Your pictures get better and better
Thank you Derrick. 🙂