Click on the button (GOLDCREST) above to hear the song of a Goldcrest – Regulus regulus.

Podcast about Goldcrest and finding a Water Rail.

I had a the rare opportunity (for me that is), to photograph a Goldcrest today. This is a great little bird, tiny of course, and along with the Firecrest, Britain's smallest breeding species. It was freezing when I saw it this early afternoon, there were two of them constantly foraging in trees, on the hunt for tiny insects. I haven't managed to get a good shot of oneof these before and today's image can be improved upon, hopefully I wont have to wait another four years before that happens.

A winter Goldcrest

I had been down on to Exminster Marsh, I dont know what I expected to find that was different than the last few days, but there was a slight sprinkle of snow and I thought that would make any picture taken, a bit more inteesting. Well that proved to be the case, there were a few well known birders around, all of them declined to make a comment on the podcast…… cowards…… but I chatted o them anyway and found out that they had not long seen a Water Rail, very close as it emerged from a ditch. I was a bit interested in that and started to make a plan to go back there, then another chap arrived and started to tell us in an excitable voice, that he had been watching a rail close to the carpark by the canal. This is a well known area for them. Andy Bond offered me a lift up there and I hopped in to his car, worried about messing up his carpet with my dirty boots. As soon as we got to the ditch before the carpark Andy said,"there it is" and sure enough a Water Rail, my first of the year……. well I have been away….. was there just as described only feet from the path. I junped out of his car, I really want a good photo of this species, and of course, I was too noisey and off it scurried, thats the only way to describe the way it ran over the ice and away from me. Andy told me not to worry, it would soon be back as soon as it went quiet and thats exactly what happened and I got a couple of poor photos of it. For anyone who hasn't seen Water Rail before, they are smaller than you imagine, with a long noticeable reddish beak, long legs and nice markings on the flanks.

Just for those who enjoy to see my pictures, here's a few photos of the Widgeon that I enjoyed this morning.