Saturday, January 2, 2010

Bramblings



No sign of a let-up in the weather but at least it's bringing some interesting birds into the garden, including this female brambling. This is the first I've seen this winter, but sometimes at this time of year there are enormous flocks in the beech woods at Stanhope Dene in Weardale, just  a few miles up the road from here.



We haven't had snow like this for some time so we've decided to make the most of it and venture out whatever the weather, as long as we can stagger through the drifts...



...where a bit of wind-driven snow has turned some very mundame trees into attractive pieces of graphic art....and  ...



... sharp, bare hawthorn twigs emphasise the harshness of the weather... until..



... the arrival of a sudden blizzard drove us back indoors.. (you'll need to double-click the blizzard picture to see the snowflakes)

8 comments:

  1. Phil a grand set of pictures, The last is art.

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  2. Yes, the snow really came down hard and fast today! We had to do some shopping for my elderly parents and the traffic came to a standstill at Hunwick when we were heading home.

    The pictures are all fab. The little chubby brambling reminds me of the fluffy toy birds that the RSPB sell. :O) I LOVE the photo of the Hawthorn framing the outhouse and trees beyond.

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  3. Thanks Adrian, many years ago I used a high-speed film call Ilford HPS that was so grainy that most pictures looked like they'd been taken in a snowstorm..

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  4. Hi Lesley, bramblings are really attractive birds, the males even more so, as they have black heads and darker markings that contrast with that lovely peachy orange..

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  5. I've not seen a Brambling in ages Phil. Cracking little birds.
    Love that last shot too. That'd drive me homeward as well lol

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  6. Beautiful brambling pictures, Phil. The first pair of the winter appeared in my garden this morning.

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  7. Best wishes for 2010 Emma. The bird was conveniently perched in a hawthorn tree outside one of our bedroom windows. I'm hoping a male will turn up now..........

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  8. Hi Keith, they only ever come into our garden in small numbers but I always look forward to their arrival. I waiting for the siskins to turn up now...

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