Birds on Bright Water

Bird of Bright Water by annmackiemiller
Duck on moving water

Birds on Bright Water

As you know I love waterfowl but as often as not I feel as if I am photographing the water. I love to see the different effects of light, reflections and movement that make backgrounds to my photos. I'm experimenting with putting a few together on video - Tell me what you think?

Canada goose on water by annmackiemiller

moorhen on water by annmackiemiller

British Birds: Moorhens

Pictures of Birds: The Moorhen

Adult Moorhen feeding chick
photography by annmackiemiller

If you are interested in British birds, this photo journal by wildlife photographer AnnMackieMiller will delight you. Included are some spectacular original bird pictures of moorhens and chicks - so ugly they are cute. The avid birder will also find plenty of interesting facts about this feisty little bird. It is one of my favourite wildfowl so you will find me posting about them again and again.

Images: By AnnMackieMiller copyright 2011. Please do not copy them. I use low resolution images to discourage theft but if you would like high resolution copies please contact me.

"The moorhen is a commonly seen bird along British waterways, rivers and lakes and is much the same as the American gallinule. This photo journal contains some of my favourite chick pictures. It started off as a top10 - but who can resist those cute bundles? Included you will also find some information about moorhens that I hope you find interesting. You, the reader, is who make the hard work worthwhile so be sure to stop by to say Hi.

Adult Moorhen 

"The moorhen is easily identified by the bright red shield on its forehead and bill with a yellow tip. It bobs it's head forward in an endearing way as it walks and swims and it is a great climber. It is a small plump bird with, what looks like black and grey plumage, but on closer inspection is really greyish brown. Adults have long yellow legs and feet, ideal for traversing reeds and boggy ground. The chicks are little bundles of black fluff on stilts. During their first few weeks they have characteristic bug-eyed look with a tiny red beak with a yellow splash. When you see them first on the edges of the nest they almost look like furry spiders. Both adults brood and feed the chicks until they are around 6 weeks old.

nesting moorhen - they like to be well hidden in bushes or trees - except for my Micklethwaite Moorhens

Micklethwaite Moorhens nesting in the full view

I am lucky enough to be able to follow one particular family on the canal near my home, nesting in full view of anyone walking along the canal tow path. It makes bird watching accessible to many who might never have considered it before. When I am down there with my camera people stop to ask what I am watching and it is a joy to see their delight when I point out new chicks they might never have noticed otherwise. This year, 2011 they have had 3 broods, the juveniles of the brood before helping to care for the new chicks as they arrive. I hope you enjoy sharing these bird pictures.

Moorhen chick 

Moorhen Facts

Did you know?

• Order: Gruiformes
• Family: Rallidae
• Species: Gullinula chloropus
• Common Name: Moorhen
• Length: 12-14 inches
• Wingspan: 20-22 inches
• Weight: 9-15 ounces
• Lifespan: up to 15 years

"No! I am NOT waiting for a bus!"

This little guy looked so comical standing on the edge of the canal I just had to snap the shot.


Notecard: Moorhen Chick by annmackiemiller
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Moorhen facts

Did you know?

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• Moorhens fight with their feet.
• The red shield on their foreheads stands out when they are in aggressive mode.

Adult with two hungry chicks 

Running - they can get up quite a speed on land especially when they are chasing off threats to their chicks. 

I spotted these cuties high on the bank and saw they had climbed the tyre to get there.
Shows you how handy those big feet are right from the start.

Moorhen facts

• The juvenile moorhens from an earlier brood will help care for the next brood.
• Moorhen chicks will stay only 1 day in the nest before venturing out with the adults.
• Both parents feed, groom and protect the chicks.

"At home with Mum"

Notecard: Moorhen & Chick by annmackiemiller
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Moorhens are very loving birds taking tender care of their young. This is a delightful picture of a day old chick with an adult at the nest. This particular little fella kept falling into the water as he explored his new world but he had no problem getting back up to the nest with those big feet. His little stub wings are so cute!

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"Open wide."

Checking in on Sunday

I managed down to the canal on Friday but I haven't processed the photos yet - will do that soon.
But I also stopped on my way home last night near 10pm and that was interesting.  All the white geese were down at the canal as was Smudge with partner.  I read again how mallards don't keep the same mates year on year but these two are definately bonded.  No sign of babies though.  I don't know if she has abandoned them further up the canal.  I was also reading that isn't unsual with mallards as is adoption.  The same article talked about them laying eggs in other ducks nest too which I hadn't heard of before.

Also spotted for the first time in months - BOTH dark Blue Swedish ducks and the Splodged Swedish Duck together.  I really thought one had gone for good.  No sign of the youngsters at Greenhill last night but I did see them along at the boat yard on Friday and they look to be thriving.  I'm just about to write an article on them over on Hubpages.  (link when it is done)

Photography by AnnMackieMiller: copyright 2011
Aylesbury ducklings, Blue Swedish duckling and hybrid Blue  Swedish /Mallard duckling
about 4 weeks old

Also on Greenhill last night were TweddleDum and TweddleDee in company with the Swedish Brothers. On Friday the injured one was on its own and just sitting at the boat yard, but last night it looked a bit more mobile.  There is hope yet.

Just as I was leaving the three families of Canada Geese came down the canal and out to roost on Greenhill.  If we lose this site - well it will just be heartbreaking.

Little Mama the White Goose

Wildlife Photography by AnnMackieMiller
Copyright 2011
'Little Mama covers the eggs before leaving them'

 This white goose laid her eggs around the 14th March on the Greenhill, under an ancient hawthorn tree.  She is actually one of a threesome and the little grey companion laid her eggs in the same nest much later in March.  This one seems to be doing all the sitting and is very dilligent.  However, she doesn't want to miss out on any treats going.  She sees me coming complete with plastic bag of dried pellets but she doesn't have time to wait in queues. 
She very quickly covers the eggs then she flies right to my feet on the tow path for her share.  I love it.  Just look at her underbelly where she has been plucking the feathers out to line the next.  What a mama!

Goose picture by AnnMackieMiller
Copyright 2011
'INCOMING!'

TO SEE MORE GOOSE PICTURES - CLICK!

Ducking and Diving - Goose Style

Roly Poly Goose

This young goose gave me an entertaining half-hour yesterday as he made his bath time, a fun time.  He continually dived into the water coming up yards away then produced some fine rolls, maybe the goose equivalent of a cartwheel?  I have seen junvenile mallard ducks having fun like this but this is the first time I have seen a goose having a whale of a time. 

I hadn't seen this particular goose here before so  I don't know where he came from.  He is pretty distinctive with grey spotches, he looks almost polka dot at times.  He or she, is quite agreesive with other birds though.  He spent a lot of time chasing both geese and ducks away.  In fact he seemed more interested in that than in trying out the duck food I was giving the others. 

When he got out of the water it was obvious he was on his own, but then this is probably not the best time to be joining a flock, this being high breeding season.  The normally gregarious geese are more obviously in pairs or in threes than usual.  I hope he sticks around to make some friends.

I'm sure you will agree, he is a handsome beast.

 

Going Goofy on Valentine's Day

The facial expression says it all...

love makes goofs or us all

As one would expect, lots of pairing off today at the canal.

brown-headed male mallard and mate

The Greenhill geese were quite spread out: some (with Canada geese) along in the field above the weir (they spooted the plastic bag with food but couldn't figure out how to get to it), more in the field beside the allotments (also with Canada geese), some in the canal near the bramble field and the rest along at Greenhill.

above the weir, below Micklethwaite

I spotted one moorhen at the weir another at the coppice and two along at Micklethwaite Wharf though they didn't come close to each other while I was there.  It is early days I suppose. 
No sign of the swans or of the female goosander - they are very nervous birds so maybe she has flown.
TweddleDum and TweedleDee were out at Micklethwaite Wharf with VERY dirty beaks and the Swedish ducks gave me an excellent display of field running on the Greenhill.

Swedish ducks doing a runner

I'll be off for a few days while my camera gets cleaned, so hope nothing monumental happens meantime.

Introducing you to the Coppice Pond: St Ives Estate Bingley

We had a light dusting of snow overnight but this morning (Friday) the sun came out.  It was a beautiful day: sun shining on snow, so perfect for a visit to St Ives.  St Ives is a huge estate just outside Bingley that is now open to the public.  Needless to say my favourite place is a lake known as Coppice Pond. 

It is home to a resident flock of noisy Canada geese.  The geese are managed by a ranger so any eggs laid are coated with petrolium jelly to prevent them from hatching.  These are the same Canada geese that pay us visits down at Micklethwaite Wharf and last year one pair mated and nested at Greenhill and they produced seven goslings who all survived.  I had great fun watching them getting flight lessons on the Greenhill.  Hopefully we will get more this year.

There is also this interesting little family. 

Two large white domestic ducks make their home there, both males I think and last year one mated with a female mallard and produced this fella.  I'm pretty sure the hybrid is a male because of the green sploches on his head but I could be wrong.  If I don't know something I feel quite justified in making it up :0) I'm no expert after all and will never claim to be.  I am fascinated by bird behaviour and these four stick very closely together.  I think the female will probably mate again this year judging by her behaviour.



It is always a joy to watch and listen to the coots - I just love those huge feet

 

The Coppice pond also has moorhens plus I saw a couple of male gooseanders but not close enough to photograph. 

The feeding station for woodland birds had a delightful colony of grey squirrels.  Unfortunately they were chased away by blooming dogs let loose by careless owners.  I saw loads of robins, some chaffinches and blackbirds and various tits.  I didn't stay there long as Big Bertha, my Sigma 50-500mm lens, was playing up and I was sulking at having to use the little lens.  I have yet to take a decent photo with the big lens but ONE day I will master it!  Watch this space. 



Water off a duck's back? Too Right!

Welcome to my new blog: Watching Bingley Birds

As you will gather, I am a keen birdwatching and photographer.  I prefer water birds and am lucky enough to live near the Leeds to Liverpool canal, near Bingley in West Yorkshire, England. 

This year I plan to document in words and photographs the wonderful array of birds in this part of the world.  I am particularly interested in bird behaviour so I hope I can capture the essense of what makes these creatures tick.

To start I need to introduce you to my neighbourhood.  There are three main areas I tend to go to most around here:

The Leeds to Liverpool canal at the bottom of my road - this is a stretch less than two miles long but teeming with life.  For me it starts at the top of the Five Rise Locks at Bingley.  This is a series of locks that raise and lower barges and canal boats.  Yorkshire is hilly - and the canal was a major feat of engineering in tackling how to get these heavy industrial boats up and down the hills.  You can read more about the canal in my lens on Squidoo -  Walking the Towpath
This stretch of canal is the most important for me but I do visit other stretches of the canal so will include sightings along there from time to time.

Coppice Pond on the St Ives Estate, Bingley - this is a large estate near Bingley that is now open to the public.  On part of it is the Coppice Pond, home to a large flock of Canada geese as well as coots, moorhens and so on.  The ranger has set up a feeding station for woodland birds so I often go up to watch them and the squirrels.

Myrtle Park in the centre of Bingley - this public park has the Aire River running through it.  So far I haven't studied the wildlife there much but mean to rectify that this year.

I spend most of my time at the canal.  Last year I was lucky enough to follow several wildfowl families through the breeding season with all the ups and downs that entailed.  I produced several small photobooks of their stories on Blurb.com and make several lenses on Squidoo.  This year, I mean to do even better and this blog is the start.  Part of it will be a diary in words and pictures, and part will be articles on the various birds I come across.  I may even throw in a little history now and then!

You can find the complete list of my storybook photography lenses that cover last year's stories of my favourite wildfowl families CLICK HERE - on Squidoo

A Tale of Two Swans by AnnMackieMiller | Make Your Own Book