Feral Pigeon.

The Feral Pigeon (Columba livia domestica) originates from the wild Rock Dove and is a widespread resident of our towns, cities and parks.

Due to the high density populations in urban areas they are often considered a nuisance but possibly no worse than a large flock of Canada Geese or the very noisy Ring-necked Parakeets!

Feral Pigeons can be found on every continent except Antarctica and their plumage has a multitude of different colours, including metallic greens, bronzes and purples on the neck, as well as exquisite wing patterns but the 'Blue-bar' version is almost identical to the 'pure' ancestral Rock Dove.  FAB.

Linking to Saturday's Critters

Rear Views.

Sometimes you shoot whatever is on offer. In this instance just the rear views of Fallow Deer, hinds and a fawn, during a wander around Bushy Park.  FAB.

Linking to NATURE NOTES hosted by Michelle.

Coal Tit.

The colder temperatures at this time of year often bring additional species into the garden to take advantage of a free meal at one of the feeders including this Coal Tit (Periparus ater).

This tiny Tit constantly flitted around the branches above the feeder making the 'watcher' work hard for a few reasonable images.
  

Linking to I'D-Rather-B-Birdin'.

Male Tufted Duck.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday with a few recent shots of a male Tufted Duck.

Female Tufted Duck.

Most ducks usually head for the safety of the water if you get too close but this female Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) decided the lens wasn't a real threat.

She constantly kept her beady little yellow eye on the 'watcher'.

For a brief moment some action on the water caught her attention but she very quickly settled down again.

All images taken handheld with the 450D and 70-300mm lens. FAB.

Linking to Camera Critters, Saturday's Critters and I'D-Rather-B-Birdin'.

Grey Heron.

In most locations where I encounter a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) they are very flighty and don't allow a close approach. More recently I have had much better experiences with several individuals in Bushy Park where they are far more tolerant of human movements.

This week one individual was on sentry duty but later flew down to allow some rewarding close photos.

Linking to Camera Critters, Saturday's Critters and I'D-Rather-B-Birdin'.  FAB.

Black-tailed Godwit.

To compliment the post on my main blog I'm sharing a few more images of the Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa) that I watched feeding and preening inside the North Wall at Pagham Harbour on the weekend.

These birds are slowly changing from their colourful full summer plumage into their plain grey winter garb.

Linking to WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY.

Wasp Spider.

A female Wasp Spider (Argiope bruennichi), whose body is as big as a 2p piece, photographed at Tices Meadows on 18th September using my PowerShot SX50 HS.

A species native to the Mediterranean area that was first recorded at Rye on the south coast in 1922 and  subsequently spread throughout the south-east of UK. In 2007 it was reported that after years of milder winters this species had rapidly spread northwards. Last year the first sightings were reported from South Wales and East Anglia.   FAB.

Linking to Camera Critters.

Beating Wings.

A Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) in hover mode. There will be more images of this species on my main blog very soon.  FAB.

The Blues.

 Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus).

Photographed on 6 June at Denbies Hillside.

 Silver-studded Blue (Plebeius argus).

 Photographed on 26 June at Whitmoor Common.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus).

Photographed on 26 July at Epsom Common.

Chalkhill Blue (Lysandra coridon).

Photographed on 28 July at Denbies Hillside.

Adonis Blue (Lysandra bellargus).

Photographed on 18 August at Denbies Hillside.

A roundup of the blue flutters I have encountered locally during the past few months.  FAB.

Linking to Macro Monday 2.

The Obelisk Position.

A male Black Darter (Sympetrum danae) regulating its temperature by pointing its abdomen towards the sun in 'the obelisk position'. I will feature my session with this delightful little dragon on my main blog in the near future.  FAB.

Shot 'handheld' with 450D plus 70-300mm lens. [ISO 200; 1/320; f7.1 @ 200mm]

Linking to Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters.

Marsh Harrier.

From the recent archives, a couple of shots of a female [Western] Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) as she drifted high above a Kent reed bed in mid June.

Linking to Feathers on Friday, Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters.

Comma.

A resting Comma (Polygonia c-album) soaking up the very limited sunshine during one of my patch walks earlier this week.

Both images (straight out of the camera) taken 'handheld' with Cannon PowerShot SX50 HS.  FAB.

Linking to Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters.

Black and Yellow Dragonfly.

A chance encounter during a stroll through a area of damp woodland adjoining a Surrey heathland habitat was one of our largest dragonflies, the Golden-ringed (Cordulegaster boltinii). After making several territorial passes just inches above the water in a clear, deep sided stream overhanging with vegetation this male, with its club shaped abdomen,  perched at the same level as my feet for my first photo opportunity with this species.  FAB.

Dark Green Fritillary.

A breezy day yesterday but I finally got the lens to focus on a Dark Green Fritillary (Argynnis aglaja) during a search of the grassy downland slopes below Juniper Top, Box Hill.

I managed to bag a few images of this fast and powerful flying butterfly so it will also feature on my main blog in the near future.  FAB.

Fallow Buck.

A Fallow Buck checking out what he might like for a snack. Shot during a session in Bushy Park from about 30 yards away and cropped. [f7.1; 1/250; ISO 400 @ 300mm]. 

More images will appear on my main blog very soon.  FAB.

Linking to Camera Critters and Saturday's Critters.

Black and White Beauties.

During the past few days I have been fortunate to catch up with two of our very distinctive black and white butterflies.

Last Thursday it was the Marbled White (Melanargia galathea). Photographed amongst the tall grasses on the southern slope of the North Downs at Ranmore Common. [450D with 70-300 lens].

Today it was the turn of a White Admiral (Limenitis camilla). Photographed in a small sunlit glade along a path leading to Banks Common. [PowerShot SX50 HS].

Both species are likely to also feature in posts on my main blog very soon. During today's stroll I also saw plenty of Meadow Brown and Ringlets, Comma, Red Admiral, Large Skipper and a handful of Silver-washed Fritillary. You can view my photos of all of these species HERE.  FAB.

Linking to Nature Notes and Our World Tuesday.

Mirror Image.

A pair of friendly [Western] Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) spending a bit of quiet, quality time together. From a distance the untrained eye of the layman often thinks they are just a dark 'crow' but when you get up close you can appreciate their distinctive and contrasting head pattern plus their inquisitive grey-white eyes.  FAB.

Linking to Saturday's Critters hosted by Eileen and Camera Critters hosted by Misty.

Silver-washed Fritillary.

My first sighting of a Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia) this year during a stroll around the woodland glades on Bookham Common. This male was constantly on the wing and only settled briefly on two or three occasions so I was pleased to capture a decent image with a single shot.  FAB.

Linking to Saturday's Critters.

Reed Bunting.

One from the archives, a male Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoenichus) showing off its full breeding plumage in a coastal Kent reed-bed.

To bring things more up to date below are two shots taken last week of the same species but in a totally different habitat very much closer to home... open parkland with plenty of ferns to provide a song post.

In between singing sessions he dropped down into the lush vegetation but soon reappeared even after a brief rain shower that left everything else dripping.

 Linking to WILD BIRD WEDNESDAY (100th edition) hosted by Stewart.

Red Doe.

A brief encounter with a Red Doe in Bushy Park last week. As expected she was inquisitive but also very wary so a very quiet approach was necessary. 

[Both images were shot at  f/10: 1/160; ISO 400 at 221-269mm and very slightly cropped] 

The session lasted just three minutes and then I backed off to allow her to quietly walk away.  FAB. 

Linking to Saturday's Critters.

Canada Goslings.

Canada goslings photographed during their daily feeding sessions around the Stew Pond on Epsom Common. The first image (above) was taken twelve days ago of one individual from a total brood of eight. The following two images were taken today and surprisingly all eight are still with us but there is a definite size difference between some of this family.

Linking to Our World Tuesday and Nature Notes