A New Kind of Patch Yearlist, Rose-coloured Starling and Waxwings

Firstly I'd like to wish a Happy New Year to all my readers and also apologize for the lack of content on here of late. I'm determined to turn over a new leaf this year and get back to blogging far more frequently and to help me achieve this I've decided to do a photographic patch yearlist. Don't worry it will only be birds! It will give me a chance to use my camera a bit more than I've been doing and also get me out and about even in the quiet times. I'm not going to count blurry record shots and distant specks, the photos must be easily recognisable. Hopefully I'll manage to get some nice shots of birds that I've never really bothered to photograph before.

Today I've got my first four on the list. I popped over to get Bewick's Swan while it's still with us and also bagged a bonus Mute Swan.

No1. Bewick's Swan with No2. Mute Swan

No3. The Chaffinch 

 No4. Coal Tit

The Chaffinch and Coal Tit were in my garden but I didn't have time to add anything else because news of four Waxwings at Exeter Services had reached me and so that's where I went along with Bun. I was really hoping that these ones would behave well enough for me to get some nice photos and they did just that! What a great way to start the year! After spending  a really pleasant hour or so with the Waxwings and various Devon birders we decided to try for the Exminster first winter Rose-coloured Starling as well. This was visiting its favourite bush on a regular basis and we saw it soon after arriving. Unfortunately it seems to like spending most of its time in the thick branches and greenery around the base of the bush so getting a photo was a bit challenging, nevertheless after about twenty minutes record shots were in the bag and we were on our way home.

A typical view of the Rose-coloured Starling

A bit more of it...

All of it.

 Looking a bit on the scrawny side though. Someone should put out a few fat balls.

Waxwings

Sorry there are so many photos, there could have been so many more!

I'm really pleased with how several of these turned out.

That's not sky behind them it's a sky blue roof. 

Unfortunately the sun only graced us with its presence for a few minutes so the real thing was of at a bit of a premium!

 

Grabbing a berry in flight.

The next two shots are the best I've ever taken of Waxwings, I'm so pleased I went today :-)