David Murray @davidmurray1943 - Tumblr Blog

This Heron was fishing by the seaweed at the edge of the tide on the Derwent estuary, West Cumbria

https://mybirds.blog/my-little-bird-books

This Robin is singing. I wonder whether he's shouting out that my "Robin Redbreast" book is available on Amazon, with the Finches book to follow in the next few weeks.

#robin #redbreast #nature #someofmybirds

This Goldfinch photo represents the many others due to be in My Little Bird Book No.2, "The Goldfinch and Other Finches".

#My Little Bird Books #Goldfinch #Birds #nature

#babyrobin #birdstory #birdwatching #nature #nestling #robinpair #robinparents #robinpopulation #robinstory

No.2 in the "My Little Bird Books" series which is due out shortly will cover not only the main title bird, the Goldfinch, but also other finches including the Chaffinch. This image here is of a male Chaffinch in a tree.

My Little Bird Books No.1 - Robin Redbreast

If you haven't already guessed, this short post is about Finches, or at least a new little bird book about them.Having published "Robin Redbreast" recently I've been hard at work on the next in the "My Little Bird Books" series, especially on populating the pages with my photographs. This has forced me to look carefully though my photo files. With Goldfinches and Chaffinches I've had no problem. These are birds I see frequently and have no shortage of decent images. I've been surprised, though, to find so many of Linnets and Siskins. In the case of Greenfinch pictures it's the other way around. I can't find many even though I can remember taking the photos. It must be that I've missed indexing them properly so there's more searching to do. Anyway, the images are almost all in place now. The next stage is editing and expanding the draft paragraphs to go with them. I think people are going to like this little book, especially those new to looking at the birds all around them and who want an easy introduction to them.In "Robin Redbreast" I included a little about photography. This time the end section will be about feeding birds in the garden or back yard. Feeding finches can give great enjoyment but it does need to be done properly, with care over hygiene to avoid spreading bird diseases."Goldfinches and Other Finches"Timing? Very soon now. Next will be the proof stage, checking both the text and the pictures. In my previous books I've been surprised at which images print well, and which don't. Looking good on a computer screen does not always translate into looking good on the printed page, so there may be changes at the proof stage.Watch out for No.2 in the "My Little Bird Books" series.

#Chaffinch #Finches #Goldfinch

"Robin Redbreast", the European Robin (Erithacus rubecula), is the first of my new series of "My Little Bird Books". This page is the first in a series designed as an online companion, expanding the limited introductory content of the book. Close-up of Robin RedbreastThis first one is more technical in style than is typical of my writing about birds. If you're not interested, to be honest you won't lose a lot by skipping past it to the next page (when it's written!). However, I felt that I should at least make some sort of an attempt at boiling down to its essentials the question of where the British (European) Robin fits in the world of birds.There are thousands of different kinds of birds in the world, and we don't need to look very hard to realise that they differ greatly from one another. There are ducks and swans, eagles and crows, ostriches and oystercatchers, and many of the differences are obvious. Some system of classification, or "taxonomy", is essential and thankfully there is one. Our question now though is, "Where among all these different birds does the little redbreast Robin fit?Firstly, the Robin is a PasserineThe largest number of birds belong to the Passerines, scientifically referred to as the Order PASSERIFORMES. Often these are called "perching birds" as the structure and arrangement of their four toes equips them to grip a branch firmly.There are alimost two thousand species among the Passerines. It is therefore necessary to break them down into smaller groupings in some orderly manner.. There are Families within the Order which systematically group together birds such as sparrows, finches, thrushes, wagtails and warblers, to mention just a few. It has to be said that with respect to some birds there are areas of disagreement between equally expert scientists but the content covered in these paragraphs is generally agreed.Robin Taxonomy - A Thrush or not a Thrush?For many years the Robin was listed among the thrushes. On the face of it this may seem surprising as the Robin (previously known as the Redbreast) is a much smaller bird than, for example, a Song Thrush but its basic body shape is rather like a small thrush. Nowadays, though, it is considered to be nearer to Chats and Wheatears.In modern bird guidebooks such as the Collins Bird Guide or Britain's Birds (from WILDGuides) that is the general area in which to find the Erithacus rubecula European Robin, not among the thrushes.The massive 8-volume set of "The Birds of the Western Palearctic" (volume 5, 1988 - BWP) shows it clearly, with the Family Turdidae divided into two subfamilies. One of these subfamilies, the Turdinae, includes two tribes (i) chats, with c.33 genera, and (ii) the true thrushes, Turdini, with c.15 genera. The Erithacus genus is placed among the chats, along with other genera including redstarts, nightingales, wheatears and more. So yes, it's among the Turdinae, but separate from the true thrushes.Incidentally, the American Robin, Turdus migratorius, is placed among the true thrushes and described in BWP as a "quite large, robust thrush" with similarities to the Blackbird.The European Robin - Are they all the same?What about our "British Robin"? Is it exactly the same as robins found all over Europe and into Asia. Well, yes and no! The species Erithacus rubecula may be the same, but there are recognised subspecies. The British and Irish race, Erithacus rubecula melophilus, is described as having "upperparts warmer and darker tawny-brown" and "chest deeper rufous-orange" than the continental European E. r. rubecula. (I wish I had comparative photos, but I haven't; If ever I do I'll update this page).There are also six other subspecies found in Crimea, the Caucasus, Asia, N. Africa and the Atlantic islands. From the point of view of a British birdwatcher, however, it is safe to assume that the birds we see settled here in Spring and Summer are the melophilus subspecies, though in winter months we can have an influx of continental birds migrating away from areas of more extreme cold, some passing through and some wintering here.

#redbreast #robin #Erithacus rubecula

Yesterday morning I was on my way to a garden centre near Cockermouth when I decided to divert to Harris Park and take a walk by the River Cocker. The Dipper image above is from two years ago (in fact I see that it is only one day off two years to the day) and I was reminded of this as I walked down through the park to the river. Would I see one today? Being fast-flowing the River Cocker provides areas of ideal habitat for Dippers, as also does my local river, the Derwent at Workington.Looking upstream from the bridge at the southern end of the park I saw a Grey Wagtail, then a Carrion Crow. There was a Chaffinch singing in the tree behind me; I'd been trying to get a photo of him but failed due to the leaves. But no Dipper to be seen anywhere. Then suddenly I spotted something move by the water in the far distance.Dipper surveying the riverI was not sure whether I would get a useable shot as it was so far away, at more or less the limit of my 400 mm zoom lens . However, it turned out clearer than expected and I didn't need to enlarge the image. A Dipper was perched on a rock, surveying the river, looking for food. Then I noticed something else.Dipper Pair on the River Cocker at CockermouthA Dipper PairThere were two Dippers quite close together. I watched them for a while. They would appear to go their separate ways then come back together and fly off to the far bank of the river; to where I couldn't see. A minute or two later they'd return and either dip their heads in the river or patrol the pebbles at the water's margin. By the way, I referred to the Dipper as "perching" on the rock. It is a "perching bird", a Passerine, but an unusual one in that it is also capable of diving and swimming for considerable distances under water and is very much an aquatic bird.This Dipper is having fly-hunting success todayFood for the Little Dippers?From the way the two birds were behaving I was sure that these two adult Dippers were hunting for food for chicks in a nest. They love small fish and caddis fly larvae as well as other insects, beetles, shrimps and molluscs. Although I could not get to a position to see where the nest might be I did manage to walk to a point on the hillside from where I could get a closer look at them catching insects and grubs. The bird above had succeeded in getting at least two insects.Dipper with a Juicy GrubThe other one was not going to be outdone and quickly found what looks to be a nice juicy grub. At this point in time they weren't doing much diving, and I only saw one of them go under water once. They seemed to be getting their food from around the edge of the shallow water. If they keep it up at this pace they're going to have a well-fed brood but it's hard, relentless work bringing up a family of chicks to the point where, after three to four weeks, they fledge and then after another couple of weeks can learn to hunt for themselves and become independent.It is to be hoped that they do successfully raise at least one brood this year as there has been something of a decline in numbers and the bird is Amber rated.For more on Dippers see the relevant BTO pages.

#Cockermouth #Dipper #DivingBirds #LakeDistrict #RiverCocker #Riverside #WestCumbria

This little bird (Troglodytes troglodytes) appeared suddenly just as I was trying to decide whether a warbler on the same tree was a Chiffchaff or a Willow Warbler. I refocused the camera, got one shot then s/he moved. I got another very quickly and away he went. This was disappointing as I haven't been seeing many wrens for some time even though I know they're in the area. And of course, by the time this had happened the "Willow-Chiff" (my nickname for these often uncertain birds) had vanished without singing to let me know for certain what it was.This little Wren was about to fly awayMore about the WrenI had wondered whether I should include this bird in a fairly early book in the "My Little Bird Books" series, recently launched with "Robin Redbreast". These are designed to share my enthusiasm and introduce people to basic information about common British birds. They are packed with my own photographs. However, this latter point is my downfall in this connection. I don't yet have many Wren photographs and I need a minimum of thirty to be able to illustrate the book. Either it will have to wait some time until the number accumulates or I'll have to do some serious wren-hunting. Meanwhile .....Here's a link to information on the BTO site.And also on the RSPB site and the Woodland Trust.

#April #Cumbria #Wren

A Whitethroat perched up high

#someofmybirds #whitethroat #featheredfriends

"My Little Bird Books"This new series of "My Little Bird Books" by David Murray was launched in early April 2023 with the publication of the first one, Robin Redbreast. David writes as follows: The series aims to pass on something of the enjoyment I've experienced in recent years, wandering around woodland, along seashores and by lakes and ponds. Training myself to keep my eyes open for birds and other wildlife, with a camera at the ready, has led to new pleasures.At first it was just walking for relaxation and exercise but it soon became a serious hobby. Friends and family encouraged the publication of photographs online and then in print. I produced a paperback volume of almost a hundred pages, "Some of My Birds: Avian Therapy in West Cumbria", for private distribution around Christmas 2022. It is intended to develop this into a more comprehensive hardback version during 2023.Meanwhile this series of "little books" has been launched. Each will contain around 36 to 48 pages of colour photographs and information about either a single species or a group of related species. the following are currently in mind.The European Robin (published as "Robin Redbreast")Goldfinches and Other FinchesBlackbirds and Other ThrushesHerons and EgretsCormorantsDucks, Dabbling and DivingClick on the image to buy from Amazon

Robin photographs were a major part of "My Little Bird Books No.1 - Robin Redbreast" and this is a kind of supplement to the book with a few of the bird photos taken since the book was finalised. I thought also that, although this blog is meant to be more about the birds themselves than about bird photography, it might be good to add a few comments about when the photos were taken. The image above comes from a walk along the local cycle path. This Robin flew across just a few yards from me and, instead of hurrying into the bushes, perched right in full view. He allowed me to approach nearer and nearer, repeatedly taking photographs, until for this one I was only about six feet away, the bird almost filling the camera viewfinder. He seemed totally unafraid of a human coming up close, not at all camera-shy, a great example of the "friendly" Robin. Then a man with a dog walked past and away went Robin.Robin hiding in thick hedgeI was staying for a few days with some of my family in Yorkshire and watching the birds near their garden feeders.The Robin in the photo above would fly out to the feeder, take something and immediately return to the hedge and hide. Telling male and female apart is very difficult but I liked to think that this was an adult male and wondered whether he might be feeding his mate (male Robins do that in Spring) but there didn't appear to be another bird present. Erithacus rubecula, the European Robin (American robins are a totally different species) is known for being confident among humans, not shy although cautious, but this one was reclusive There seemed little likelihood of my being able to get robin photographs today.Then I realised that if I stood well back by the side of the house there was a slight gap in the foliage through which I might be able to see him clearly. My 400mm zoom lens proved sufficient and after a few failures I managed to get this shot. It's far from perfect but at least I could show the family a picture of their garden Robin.Robin with Caterpillar LunchHere's another example of a photo taken through a gap in the branches of a bush. With a long lens such as my Tamron 18-400 mm zoom it is often, though by no means always, possible to peer through small gaps between the brown and green which at first sight seem to hide the bird completely.Once again I was walking along a path when a Robin flew across immediately in front of me. He (or she?) landed briefly on the grass, picked up something and immediately flew into the nearest bush. As with the previous photo I had to decide how to get a clear line of sight through the branches. It wasn't easy. The bird was moving a little, and taking several shots in rapid succession seemed to be the best tactic. I was fortunate with this one. A twig does cut across the front of his face but it leaves his eye, his bill and his caterpillar in clear view. He then disappeared deep into the bush. Sometimes all that one can do is take a series of shots and hope that one of them turns out alright. Robin photographs, just as with other birds, can be rather unpredictable. This time it worked.Pair of Robins - April 2023Two for the price of one. Someone had left bird food on the top of the low wall of an old disused railway bridge. It attracted this Robin pair out together. How can you tell a male robin from a female? The answer is that it's quite difficult. Why do I think these two are a pair? Well at this time of year if they weren't they'd have been fighting. Protecting one's territory is vital, as I explain in the "Robin Redbreast" book, and when food is short in Winter that even includes chasing off some other birds such as Dunnocks. Since that day I've been back to this spot several times in the hope of seeing them together again, but have only found one at a time. Quite probably Mrs. Robin is more concerned at present with looking after her eggs.More Robin Photographs If you haven't already got a copy, click here TO BUY Robin Redbreast, No.1 in my new series, "My Little Bird Books". In just 36 pages it is packed with robin photographs and contains a lot more interesting information about these attractive birds, finishing with a crossword puzzle. The book is, of course, about the British bird, the European Robin. American Robins are different, more the size of a Blackbird and differently coloured.

#BirdPhotography #EnglishRobin #Erithacusrubecula #EuropeanRobin #Robin

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