11/01/2021 Just trying to catch up........

The first four photos were taken just down the road from the house.

Grey herons (Ardea cinerea)...

As above in flight.

Great egret (Ardea alba)...

As above.

 Every photo below was taken in the garden

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)...

As above.

Dunnock (Prunella modularis)...

As above.

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)...

As above.

European robin (Erithacus rubecula)...

As above...

As above - checking out the rain gauge.

Great Tit (Parus major).

Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) peering in the window ...

and on the window sill...

Reflections in the mint pot after masses of rain.  Mint flavoured water seems to appeal!

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Joining up with   

Wild Bird Wednesday   

I'd Rather B Birdin   

and   

My Corner of the World

More photos taken out on my walks, and a couple in the garden.

 

Dunnock (Prunella modularis) seen in the garden, the first sighting of one for a couple of years, I was delighted...

As above...

As above.

Out walking - Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)...

As above...

As above.

Woodlark (Lullula arborea).

Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis).

Common or European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)...

As above.

Unusual to catch 2 robins in the same photo.

European robin (Erithacus rubecula).

European stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)...

As above...

As above...

As above.

Mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

The first mistle thrush I have seen in 15 years of living in France!

As above.  It was far away and I thought it might have been a blackbird with the naked eye, only when I got home did I discover it was a thrush!

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Joining up with  

Wild Bird Wednesday  

I'd Rather B Birdin  

and  

My Corner of the World

South Africa and France this week

Thanks once again to Christelle for these three photos of the Kingfisher taken in her garden on the South coast of  South Africa.

Brown-hooded kingfisher (Halcyon albiventris)...

As above...

As above.

Back home, the Little Owl I am seeing almost daily (Athene noctua)...

For those that commented last week about possible nesting under the tiles on the side of the barn, the space you see next to the beam here is where they appear to have nested.  Sadly no youngsters though it seems.

Standing on the lamp post watching all the bugs go by....  

I have never seen them up here at all this year but I guess they have a very good view across the field.

Out walking yesterday I saw this grey heron (Ardea cinerea) on the opposite side of the dam to where I was so not the best photo...

Seconds later it was in the air and it disappeared.

See also my Photodiary 

Joining up with 

Wild Bird Wednesday

I'd Rather B Birdin

and 

My Corner of the World

Moving to the North-Eastern part of South Africa and a few different birds.

Bateleur eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus) adult....

Bateleur youngster.

The immature bateleur eagle's feathers are a uniform dark brown. Around the third year, this plumage starts to turn into adult colours of black, white and grey. It can take an immature bateleur up to 8 years to shed all their brown plumage and turn in to full adults

As above.

Martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus). The largest eagle in Africa, it weighs in at almost  6.5 Kg (14 lbs) and has a wingspan of about 6 feet 4 inches. It is 32 inches long.

As above.

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Morning wing-spread behaviour is a means of absorbing solar energy and passively raising their temperature to proper daytime levels...

As above...

As above.

Grey lourie (Corythaixoides concolor), also known as go-away bird, It is a very vocal bird with a nasal call “g'wa-ay, g'wa-ay” call, thus its name.

Giant kingfisher (Megaceryle maxima). It is the largest kingfisher in Africa.

Woolly-necked stork or whitenecked stork (Ciconia episcopus).

Helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris).

Joining up with

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin