First pictures with my new Nikon D80

I think that I am going to have a lot of fun with this camera once I have learned how to use it properly!

W/E 31/3/2007

Frog spawn

Dragonfly (taken during summer 2006)

• HIGHLIGHTS THIS WEEK

• Increased Sparrowhawk activity around the garden including one particularly impressive but unsuccessful swoop. It looks like the same young male returning time after time.

• Lots of activity around two nesting boxes by Blue Tits. No sign of nest building yet but the birds are very interested and constantly chase other birds away.

• A pair of Wood Pigeons canoodling then mating on the trellis in front of our kitchen window.
  
• Discovery of frog spawn in a shallow area of our garden pond(pictured above).

• Getting up very close to Grey Heron (within 3-4 yards) while walking the dog. Could have had a really good photo if I'd had my camera, even the 3x zoom on my Powershot would have been sufficient.

On that theme I am now the proud owner of a Nikon D80 and just await memory cards coming in the post. I can't wait to test it out. I used the software to crop the photo shown above which I took last summer of a dragonfly.

Ospreys are back!

The 2007 Osprey season is almost on us and birds have already been sighted in this area.

I attended a refresher course today for the Tweed Valley Osprey Watch volunteers and the two viewing centres will be re-opening at Easter. Hopefully all our birds will have returned safely from Africa in time for mating.

Although the location of the nests are a closely guarded secret there is live coverage by CCTV from one of the nests which is broadcast in the viewing centres.

I am hopeful that this year I will be one of the volunteers who is chosen to visit a nest site in July when it is time for the chicks to be ringed.

Another "game" bird

We thought this was a Grouse at first when it appeared on the garden fence this lunchtime. However on closer inspection it appears to be a diferent breed of Pheasant to our previous visitor though I have been unable to establish exactly what type it is.

Game bird

Nothing much to report on this week and there have been no sightings of birds visiting our nesting boxes. I spotted the Blackcap one day visiting the ground feeder but the highlight this week has to be the return of a pheasant to our garden, probably the first one this year. I have seen several in the fields whilst out walking the pup first thing in the morning and there certainly seems to be a general increased activity in the pheasant population.

Kingfisher

Last time I wasn't absolutely certain what I saw as it passed me so quickly. However while walking the dog this morning there was no doubt at all that it was indeed a Kingfisher. It came out from under a small bridge a short distance in front of me and flew upstream away from me. I saw the bright blue body momentarily as it was caught in the morning sun. Wonderful!

Weekly Report

Main highlights this week;

There seems to be a few more Siskins visiting than before.

The elusive Blackcap put in a brief appearance yesterday morning so he is still around! His habits are very similar to the Dunnocks who are also fairly shy birds. They emerge from the undergrowth in neighbouring gardens and common land and come into our garden through the gaps in the fence to feed on a ground feeder which is actually sitting on an old bench.

Not had many Starlings for a while but I've noticed 2 or 3 in the garden since I put out some new fatty balls!

New sightings out and about this week consist of a pair of Dippers on the riverside and a couple of Treecreepers in nearby woodland. Unfortunately I did not have my camera handy on either occasion.