The Mother of all Geese

Greylag Geese on the Isle of Mull Scotland

Happy Wild Bird Wednesday :0)

Click the link below to see photographs from many talented folk around the world and feast your eyes on our fine feathered friends!!

The Greylag Goose (Anser anser) is believed to be the ancestor of most modern day domestic Geese. It is the largest of the native UK and European native Geese and, to my eye, it is very similar in size to a Canada Goose (Branta canadensis).
This beautiful bird is officially classed as amber status in the UK, meaning moderate cause for concern for the population numbers.
In the South of England release of birds has been on going for a number of years to help re-establish their population with some success, but the population found in Scotland are from the original native stock and retain more of the natural behaviors of true wild birds.
This was taken on the Isle of Mull, the second largest of the “Inner Hebrides” off the West Coast of Scotland.
Another first for me on a really rather wonderful trip to magical Mull :0)

Shot with the my trusty Canon 100-400mm f/4.8-5.6 L lens wide open on the Canon 7D to get the shallow depth of field to give the soft focus bokeh of the 2 Geese in the background

The Sad Sentinel on the Isle of Mull, Scotland

Heron on a loch on Mull, Scotland

Happy Wild Bird Wednesday :0)

Click the link below to see photographs from many talented folk around the world and feast your eyes on our fine feathered friends!!

More from my trip to Magical Mull, one of the small Inner Hebrides Islands off the West Coast of Scotland.
At the start of this amazing holiday, I reached dry(ish!) land at Tobermory and found a B&B for the next few nights. Nice and early, so set off in search of the Otters I had travelled so far to see.
The weather was awful, so I decided to drive around the island making notes of where to visit if and when the rain stopped. A small Island, so after one circuit, I did stake myself out in the rain for a few hours to find these elusive creatures, but no luck.
I was joined by this Grey Heron. I am a huge fan of these guys and they always remind me of rather comical, grumpy old men all hunched up.
There is no denying that the surroundings were beautiful, with the Kelp covered Granite and the calm, Loch water, even in the misty rain, and I enjoyed his company very much
I have broken the rules by placing him centrally, but I have never been a great one for rules and for this shot I think it works and I am happy to break them :0)
I do adore the hugely therapeutic time, just me and wildlife, and on this occasion I felt particularly at one with the heron – cold, wet and bloody miserable!!!

Delicate Spring Apple blossom

Beautiful Spring Apple Blossom in my garden in Sissinghurst, Kent England

On the Apple tree in my Garden in Sissinghurst Kent, UK. The tree was smothered with these beautiful blossoms last spring and a beautiful white climbing rose scrabbled through producing the most wonderful sight. Nine months on and a good crop of apples has come and gone and I can’t wait for these gorgeous flowers to emerge again this Spring!

Common Myna (Wild Bird Wednesday)

Common Myna In Cairns

Happy Wild Bird Wednesday :0)
Stewart Monkton has set up a weekly page with links to bird photographers from around the world’s pages each week
Follow this link to see links to all the submissions and feast your eyes on our Feathered friends!!

Here is my first WBW and this is a Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), also known as the Common Mynah under the shade of a Eucalyptus tree by the Boardwalk in Cairns, Queensland Australia. These are a medium sized bird of the Starling family and a bout the same size as the European Starling. They are disconcertingly clever and will watch you with knowing eyes and I clearly remember, as a child, people having these as Pets un the UK and that some could say a few mimicked words. These are pretty tame when near to cities as the get used to humans easily, so I did not need much bush craft to get close enough for this shot, but it was still a thrill to see one of these birds I saw caged as a child living free. I personally love them, but they are hated by most Australians as a pest and known as “Flying Rats”!. The shadow has made for a fairly richly coloured shot with the bright yellow beak, seeming to shine out, and the dappled light on the multicoloured leaves on the ground around the bird make an interesting diversion

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Australian bird, Brush Turkey

I shall never forget my first encounter with the Australian Brush Turkey (Alectura lathami)

They are a strange looking bird, appearing to have been made from pieces of other animals!

They have the body of a Black Swan, the vibrant colours of a parrot, the neck and wattle of a turkey, the bald head and the beak of a vulture and a strange vertical fan of tail feathers tail resembling a Shark’s tail

I met this fellow in woods near Barron Falls, near Cairns, Queensland, Australia and spent some quality time in his company until he wandered into a pool of light into the undergrowth, when I took this shot

They make huge mounds of earth and vegetation up to 4ft high and 13ft across and the male controls the size to maintain incubation temperature

A truly fascinating bird!

Magpie lark (Peewee)

Magpie Lark

Here we have the delicate and delightful Magpie-lark, (Grallina cyanoleuca), affectionately known as the Peewee, singing her little heart out!
The white throat shows this to be female, as the male has a black throat.

It is neither a magpie, nor a lark, but gets its name from the magpie colours and the lark-like song.
They pair for life and as their partnership lengthens and strengthens, their songs synchronise. They duet, and take turns to sing their love songs, with one taking over as the other finishes in short bursts, so that birds in long relationships can have such smooth transitions that they sound like a single bird in song

Not the most beautiful Australian bird, but one which I shall long remember from my trip as utterly enchanting

This was taken just behind the Esplanade in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

Welcome to my wildlife photography blog :0)

Follow my blog to see wildlife photography from the UK and my travels to Florida, America and Queensland,Australia.

 

Birds will feature prominently, along with reptiles, amphibians, mammals (stay tuned for Humpback Whales!!) and insect macro photography. I shall be giving you background to photography techniques and technical detail about the wildlife. I look forward to sharing my passion with you :0)