Wildlife Photography across the Water: behaviour

Sunday, 28 February 2010

How wildlife adapts to the challenges of feeding

One of the food options that I put out in my garden is a suet/fat/seed/nut mix that I wedge into the cracks in trees and my mark 2 feeding tree. I place it for Woodpeckers and Tits to feed on. All the other species have plenty of other options.

But as the Chaffinches, Blackbirds and Sparrows eat all of their food, they then start to adapt their feeding techniques to go for the fat/suet mix.

I have always put the feed into areas where the trees are leaning over so the wildlife has to work to get it and does not have an easy option. It also makes more difficult for any marauding squirel.

However while I spent some time watching the birds yesterday, I noted two different and unusual behaviours that I thought I would share with you.

Firstly, I saw the Blackbirds flying up to the underside of the overhangs and either pecking (more like head butting) or footing the suet/fat to dislodge it. Then they shuttled around on the ground eating up their gains. This continued for quite a while. They clearly learn quickly as different birds where doing the same thing in different parts of the garden.

The next behaviour of interests was from the Chaffinches. Now I have seen them come into a seed tray or one of the feeding stumps and hover overhead just before setting down on many an occasion. But with the suet/fat, they would approach the tree and go into the hover while eating the mix while on the wing, just like a humming bird.

Will come back later today with the female Sparrowhawk images.

Martin

Monday, 8 February 2010

Look out for - Buzzard Behaviour

Two things for you to look out for in the forthcoming period and an unusual observation today to tell you about.

The first I was reminded of the other day when I witnessed it again. I have now seen it three times, in each case at this time of the year.

It was this week two years ago that I went and stayed with Dave and Marion while they were still in Switzerland. We were driving back towards Dave's apartment, having had a great day out. There had been quite a bit of heavy rain while we had been in a hide, fortunately. I noticed a couple of buzzards out on a freshly ploughed field, then I noticed more and more and more. It seemed that the rain had bought the worms to the surface and the Buzzards were down for a feast. There were at least 12 of them if I recall correctly.

Then twelve months ago, after a similar heavy rain shower near to Stratford , I saw the same phenomenon on my way to work, except this time I counted seventeen in two adjacent fields.

Finally, last week, the same but only five this time.

The next bit of behaviour to watch out for is the mating aerobatic flying. Hopefully on a good sunny day at this time of year, you can observe the male displaying with an almost roller-coaster type flight where it stoops, ball shaped, then pulls out and zoom climbs with the speed gathered in the dive to carry it back up. It is fantastic to see - so keep your eyes peeled.

The observation that surprised me today happened very early as I was driving to work. I needed to get in even earlier than normal, and it was still pitch black. It was near a reasonably lit roundabout that I noticed movement to my left, and then watched a buzzard flying low, making small stoops from about a metre above the ground. Clearly this was one hungry bird after some very small prey, but very early. And I thought they were traditional day time hunters.....I guess when needs must at this time of year.

Now have we got a treat for you later this week.

My good friend Robbie Brookes has written an article as our next guest photographer, and I am so excited to be able to share his words and images with you. The article covers four seasons of wildlife on Shetland

So make sure you stay with us.

Martin

Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.