photos. exp 500, iso 16000 @6.3 apt.
A real horror of a day with a moderate W>5 and heavy horizontal drizzle this mornings watch and
heavy to torrential frequent showers the late afternoon watch. A very dark sky throughout stopping any chance of decent photos, working on a very low shutter speed and very high iso. With a still target you can just about get away with it if you have the camera on sticks or well supported on a fence or wall but the slightest movement and you,ve got a blurred image.
I had to take the woodpecker when it was motionless as when it was pecking the trunk all you got of its head was a blur. The afternoons tit flock had no chance of pics as they were mobile throughout and in very dark conditions.
Ogden was quiet in the bad conditions, the woodpecker being the star of the show whilst at least 6 Siskins were in the Alders but very high up in the trees.
No sign of the tit flock but I only walked on as far as passerine alley then back to the car park where a cronking Raven flew over being mobbed by 2 Crows.
Needing somewhere with a bit of shelter from the wind late afternoon and a shout from DJS with a Chiffchaff at Mixenden reservoir I thought it worth a trip there to check it out in hopes of a Siberian tristis , which can appear at this time of year, but usually following a few days of strong easterlies.
It didnt take long to locate the bird following Daves directions and although I only got a few quick sightings of the bird it didnt stand out as anything other than the British race
collybita although as Daves says, some photos would be good to check properly but several Chiffchaffs do now over winter in England.
The long hedge at the SW corner of the reservoir was alive with birds from top to bottom with a large tit flock comprising of the 4 common tit species as well as a Treecreeper and at least 5 Goldcrest along with 3 Blackbirds and a single Redwing. The group was very mobile working their way along the hedge to the top and then back down again.
The water held a pair of Goldeneye, 7 Mallard and around 50 small gulls.
BS