20120207

Dunnock

The thaw that set in today saw an explosion in activity among those garden birds that like to forage on the ground for their meals. Two reasons for this, I would imagine. First, several inches of lying snow would have hampered their efforts over the last couple of days; and, second, the gradual release of considerable moisture into the ground once temperatures climbed would have seen a rise in the invertebrate offerings available. This Dunnock was typical of the ground attack, scuttling along from one patch of ground to the next, where it would bury its beak, turn things over a little, look up to check all was OK, repeat the exercise and then move on.

Canon 1Ds MkII, Canon 100-400mm IS USM lens, 1/320th sec, f/7, 400mm at ISO 500. Distance to subject: 4m

2 comments:

  1. Oh, such a sweet, orange-legged creature. Freezing temperatures expected again tonight, even this far across.

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  2. Yes the Dunnock is predominantly a ground feeder Tim and you superb image also reveals how it has fluffed up its feathers to combat the cold.

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