Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

March 14, 2012

This image gives me so much pleasure, I love the way that the trees are reflected in the white water and the more you look the more you see including water spots on the birds head.

I enjoyed my session today, there is a big change in atmosphere at the nest. Firstly both birds are spending time in the nest together now, I am presuming that it is approaching completion. It seems that their bond has really strengthened now and each time they met up again, even if only separated for just a minute or two, there was a greeting display from both birds and the female also offered herself to be mated on a couple of occasions. Displaying by the female involved stretching up to her full height with much neck stretching and pointing of her beak upwards, followed by crouching with the wings dropped and rapid quivering.

The female greets the male as he flies towards her.

The pair greet each other, male on the right.

The male, on the other hand, called musically, also with dropped wings and the sibilant greeting heard in the nest was also used. I have't seen mating yet. Specifically today, both birds brought nesting material to the nest, a mixture of moss and grasses but as yet I haven't seen beech and oak leaves being brought this year. They spent far less time on nest building today while I was there. They had both vacated for their favourite feeding area up river by midday. Later on the male returned to a rock in front of the nest just to sing his territorial song, 10 minutes later after the usual good stretch and after a long preening session and a full rendition of his song, twice over, he flew back up river and by 3.30 they still hadn't returned. Pretty much the same as last year.

I sat, tucked away in a woodpile right opposite the nest. The meal came in to sing his territorial song. At the end of these sessions this wing stretch always takes place (without exception), I was ready when it came and focused in tight as you can see.