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Crested Tit - Lophophanes cristatus
Double Click
The European crested tit, or simply crested tit (Lophophanes cristatus) (formerly Parus cristatus), is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder in coniferous forests throughout central and northern Europe and in deciduous woodland in France and the Iberian peninsula.
In Great Britain, it is chiefly restricted to the ancient pinewoods of Inverness and Strathspey in Scotland, and seldom strays far from its haunts.
A few vagrant crested tits have been seen in England. It is resident, and most individuals do not migrate.
It is an easy tit to recognise, for besides its erectile crest, the tip of which is often recurved, its gorget and collar are distinctive. It is, like other tits, talkative, and birds keep up a constant zee, zee, zee ,similar to that of the coal tit.
It makes a nest in a hole in rotting stumps. This bird often feeds low down in trees, but although not shy, it is not always easily approached. It will join winter tit flocks with other species.
Like other tits it is found in pairs and it feeds on insects (including caterpillars) and seeds.
Population:
UK breeding:
1,500 pairs
UK wintering:
5,200-9,500 birds
On the way to Ooty while returning from Kodaikanal.
Forests on the top of Palani Hills of Kodaikanal are the most beautiful
forests I have seen in India.
Mosquito Lakes, Ebbetts Pass, California. Elevation 8,040 Ft, situated on a very, very narrow and winding National Scenic Byway.
To be in place for the sunrise began about 3AM with a short drive to the Storr parking area and an hour or so walk uphill in the pre-dawn darkness. I decided to position myself part way up the Storr along the cliff edge for a view looking down so as to keep most of the Old Man below the horizon.
I was in place and ready for the sunrise, but a heavy layer of clouds on the horizon was blocking the direct light. Fortunately the phrase “waiting for the light” worked in my favor. Several minutes after sunrise, the clouds parted enough for the sunlight to shine through.
It was a crystal clear morning with fabulous views all the way to Glamaig and beyond. Below the Old Man of Storr is Loch Leathan followed by the Sound of Raasay and finally the Isle of Raasay. The high point visible on Raasay is Dun Caan. Below Storr, near Loch Leathan the "grey" area is the former pine forest that was in the final stages of being cleared.
On the very right of the image is the sunlit cliff edge of the Storr.
So this is why I got up at 3am!
One thing I wanted to spend a bit of time doing while up in Ardnamurchan was camera trapping. Using a PIR at a selected spot, it triggers the camera based on movement. It gives a unique perspective, enabling you to capture photos you wouldn’t otherwise be able to.
In this case I was keen to show the Pine Marten that were visiting the cottage I was staying at in their forest environment. A little bit of fill flash was needed as it's quite dark in the wood, but I'm pleased with these.
Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra (m)
The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.
Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.
The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.
The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.
It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.
Population:
UK breeding:
40,000 pairs
Забавные пушистики на обочине лесной дорожки, хвойный лес Средиземноморья, вторая половина дня, солнечно.
I'm not long back from a lovely trip up to the Cairngorms in Scotland, somewhere I've been many times before and it never gets old. It's such a beautiful place.
This image was taken just outside the cottage I was staying in. Last time I visited a Pine Marten showed on the trail camera only once in two weeks. This time two were in the area every night, and occasionally first thing in the morning. This was taken via camera trap and on my last morning there.
I'm not sure what Kind this is, maybe mycena or something else.
I photographed him mainly because of the background.
Stack with 17 frames.
Grayling / hipparchia semele. Dunwich Forest, Suffolk. 23/07/20.
'ALLOWING ME JUST A GLIMPSE.'
An image that had to be made through the heather stems, because of the butterfly's position. It's all about the eye detail in this one!
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Red Squirrel - Sciurus Vulgaris
Highlands, Scotland.
The red squirrel is found in both coniferous forest and temperate broadleaf woodlands. The squirrel makes a drey (nest) out of twigs in a branch-fork, forming a domed structure about 25 to 30 cm in diameter. This is lined with moss, leaves, grass and bark. Tree hollows and woodpecker holes are also used. The red squirrel is a solitary animal and is shy and reluctant to share food with others. However, outside the breeding season and particularly in winter, several red squirrels may share a drey to keep warm. Social organization is based on dominance hierarchies within and between sexes; although males are not necessarily dominant to females, the dominant animals tend to be larger and older than subordinate animals, and dominant males tend to have larger home ranges than subordinate males or females.
Red squirrels that survive their first winter have a life expectancy of 3 years. Individuals may reach 7 years of age, and 10 in captivity. Survival is positively related to availability of autumn–winter tree seeds; on average, 75–85% of juveniles die during their first winter, and mortality is approximately 50% for winters following the first.
Although not thought to be under any threat worldwide, the red squirrel has nevertheless drastically reduced in number in the United Kingdom; especially after the grey squirrels were introduced from North America in the 1870s. Fewer than 140,000 individuals are thought to be left in 2013; approximately 85% of which are in Scotland, with the Isle of Wight being the largest haven in England. A local charity, the Wight Squirrel Project,[26] supports red squirrel conservation on the island, and islanders are actively recommended to report any invasive greys. The population decrease in Britain is often ascribed to the introduction of the eastern grey squirrel from North America, but the loss and fragmentation of its native woodland habitat has also played a role.
In January 1998, eradication of the non-native North American grey squirrel began on the North Wales island of Anglesey. This facilitated the natural recovery of the small remnant red squirrel population. It was followed by the successful reintroduction of the red squirrel into the pine stands of Newborough Forest. Subsequent reintroductions into broadleaved woodland followed and today the island has the single largest red squirrel population in Wales. Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour is also populated exclusively by red rather than grey squirrels (approximately 200 individuals).
Red Squirrel - Scirius Vulgaris
Highlands, Scotland
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Last few days have been very hazy around South East Queensland. While not ideal, it does help spread the light during sunrises and sunsets.
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Une scène capturée dans une forêt de pins un matin brumeux. Les arbres, dressés comme des silhouettes fantomatiques, se détachent dans un environnement apaisant. La simplicité de cette composition noir et blanc accentue l'atmosphère mystique, faisant écho à la tranquillité de la nature embrumée.
Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gamble) resting in a pine tree off the deck of a friend who lives on the pine covered slopes west of Montana City about 10 miles west of Helena, Montana, U.S.A.
8 September, 2017.
Slide # GWB_20170908_6361.CR2
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© Gerard W. Beyersbergen - All Rights Reserved Worldwide In Perpetuity - No Unauthorized Use.
Crested Tit - Lopophanes Cristatus
Cairngorms
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