I like to post the very best photographs that I can and I have been trying on and off to get good shots of my Siskin visitors. If you are from the USA you will know this bird as the Pine Siskin. Males are more yellow with a black cap and females a little more drab but with hints of yellow in the plumage. I have brought some Larch cones in to the garden to act as “photographic props” and I was pleased to see that the female Siskin recognised them as a food source and immediately started to pick out the seeds. I was only around 2 mtrs from her in my pop-up seat hide. In between the showers the sun flooded on to her and I gat a great shot of her feeding. I really am so pleased with this shot because I had set the camera quite differently than normal. I chose a very large f stop and then adjusting the compensation to try and get the best depth of field possible, hopefully this would give really sharp definition and with good bright light as well, this is what I have achieved.

After a few minutes, as a goldfinch dominated the feeder, a male Siskin came to try and get his share and as he surveyed the scene, again in strong light he posed nicely on the lichen covered perch.
I spent quite a big part of my day doing office work but at around 3 o’clock, with the sun still shining, I dressed up, climbed on the Chinese Bike and went out to Powderham to see if the Cattle Egrets were in amongst the sheep as on previous days. I thought that even if they were absent at least the Little Egrets would be there feeding amongst the mud. The light in the late afternoon is always nice and I was hoping that it was bright enough to get some crisp shots of either species. The Cattle Egrets were in the field in the distance amongst the cows so no chance of them today but the sheep field was full of little Egrets. The light had an orangey glow and picked out the Egrets really nicely but there was only a small “window” when it was all going to come together. That is Little Egrets close enought to me with the sun still high enough to cast some strong light. I managed to get almost the shot I wanted but never the less it was interesting watching the Egrets feed. The sheep were also very interesting and one young ram took exception to what he saw in a paddle and believe it or not was trying to butt his reflection which was a great photo opportunity that I missed!
Anyway here is the Little Egret.

It is a very muddy field and full of worms which is the attraction for the Egrets who obviously are opportunistic feeders. It was high tide at the time and these Egrets would normally be feeding on the foreshore in the mud there if it were low tide.