I am just about to leave on a trip out and about, the storms have disappeared and wahoooooo………… we have sunshine. Looking out into the garden this beauty was on the feeder so I quickly sat in the hide and waited for him to present himself again, what a cracker and I just couldn't wait to share it with the world! Check back later to see what else I Blog today…… more bird pics I promise!

I decided to visit a beauty spot on Dartmoor in the hope of some Marsh Tit Photos. Believe it or not the sun was almost constantly shining and when I arrived at the car park of my chosen spot, complete with portable hide and a sunflower feeder I knew instantly that it was going to be a good trip. it wasn't long before I was snapping away at this Marsh Tit.

They are a bit more difficult to get good pictures of.  With their black caps it's hard to find the eye which is always a feature of any good portrait. one of the accepted ways to tell this species apart from the very similar Willow Warbler is the shiny black cap of the Mrash, they don't come much shinier than

this do they?

 

Cock Chaffinch, he is just moulting into his smart summer plumage . 

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….and this a Coal Tit, probably my best ever photo of this species. This isn't a stripe on the beak it's just a very strong shadow! We haven't had Coal Tits in the garden for several weeks now. In November and part of December they were seen all the time in the garden. I have no idea why they have moved on.on.

I also got my best ever Great Tit portraits. They are quite a lot larger than the other British Tit species. Males can be told by the thickness and extent of the black band running down the breast. I have rarely seen such a strongly marked bird as this one. It's a good opportunity to compare these photos because the first two are of the same male and the third is probably a female. 

I really like this unusual pose, it makes a fascinating image. Then the next one is more conventional but just not how intense the black breast strip is indicating a male for certain.

This next one is more likely a female. 

and finally this lovely Coal Tit