A much better crop than the last corvette photo, at least to me - an entire side, at a sharp angle, with a bit of room to breathe (i.e. the back wall gives it space and context), and an single, but complete, headlight.
I just know it as (or would guess at) Mountain Ash - I hadn't realised there was an American species with the same name. Very common over here, and birds are fond of the berries when ripe. Also called a Rowan, but that's not the name I use.
Thank you, though as much luck as anything else, I suspect!
I was to far away to find out if the Starlings and Red Kite were shouting insults and threats at each other, but I like to imagine they were.
As it happened, the Starlings flew away first, but only by a matter of seconds.
Prospect Park, Reading, UK
Pair of Song Thrushes, Prospect Park, Reading, UK
Before a closer look I'd been assuming Red Wings because of the time of year, but no.
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
Very nice layering (blue sky, cloud, tree, dry grass, reflection, water, distant reeds, close reeds) of nice component parts.
Sadly they never listen to "Could you turn a little bit more this way, please?"
A Yakuza Magpie, perhaps? It would fit with La gazza ladra :)
Magpie, waiting on me to throw some cake crumbs: the claws rather catch my attention.
Quite close, thus the crop, and sadly Lemmy World had me shrink it by half to allow it to be loaded.
Prospect Park, Reading, UK. Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
So, in what way is this crop interesting? Only two minor features (a single headlight & a logo) is intact - I'd assume any sensible crop, that isn't just the full car, would have at least one major feature intact - an entire corner, the entire make name, the entire front grill, you get the idea.
It's been too long since I've seen a kestrel even this well, so I was likewise pleased :)
First row - juvenile or female, other two rows, a male
Alas, neither really got close enough for a satisfying photo.
Fobney Marsh, nr Reading, UK
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
It's a shame the photo (or this crop of it) lost the very tip of the top corner.
Nice photo - I especially like the clouds. However, you might want to check your memory of the place, and the raw photos - that blue sky looks rather implausibly intense, as if some AI (or at least HDR) has got at it.
Proof that Crows just grow out of trees, no eggs involved.
It's shocking that these birds deliberately hang around shady trees rather than in the open! I'd say it's deliberate :)
P.S. not a bad photo even as is, and I'd have thought playing with the luminance curve might do interesting things.
All I can suggest is Merlin Sound ID to at least get an idea of what's around, and lots of looking for birds! Or hang around bird feeders (my feeders are on a small balcony so hard to get the distance to photo/not scare off).
Appears I've not had much success with (European) Nuthatch photos for a while - these are from 2024, and they are larger than Treecreepers (perhaps Blackbird > Nuthatch > Tree Creeper > Blue Tit)
From yesterday's walk and more shaded than the wren I posted - still, I think it gets the vibe. It's the hind claws that get me on treecreepers.
A wren, having successfully chased another wren away.
I thought it was in good sunlight, but alas ISO12800 at 1/1250s tells a different story - so gone with a downscaled by x2 jpeg
Prospect Park, Reading, UK where most birds were either hiding from, or battered by, strong winds.
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
I'm guessing some kind of Hawker dragonfly, but I can't be sure.
Dinton Pastures, nr. Reading, UK
Kind of absurdly photoed with a Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800 - but there were two of them with rather predictable pathing, and going close to reeds allowing focus to be preset. 1/1250s speed which says something about their wing speed as well.
This heron had found a perch and pose it liked and was not moving. I can't complain, got some nice shots.
Dinton Pastures, nr. Reading, UK Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
Its pose was a little unusual, too... I think it had been hanging around with the local cormorants
For fans of subtle plumage
Dinton Pastures, nr. Reading, UK
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
Nothing common about this one :)
Prospect Park, Reading, UK
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800mm
(Had to scale down the picture to fit Lemmy's constraints - hope I've not lost too much. Was 2752x2752, this is 1575x1575)
Normally, Jays flee my camera, but not this one. I suspect it's because the Park woods were full of cyclists and red safety tape, and this tree was away from that. Either that, or, this being an oak tree and jays adore acorns, it had its eye on a tasty treat.
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
