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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 08 Jan 2023 at 12:17    Image of day on 03 Feb 2023

Dunnock tries to chase away Robin


Ref: 20230203_e6a_20230108_1217_305_fb5 dunnock in flight challenges robin on ground(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 19 Apr 2013 at 20:03    Image of day on 31 May 2013

A Dunnock in flight chasing off a confused merging of 2 birds hurriedly leaving the log.


Ref: 20130531_d5c_20130419_2003_056_fb2 dunnock in flight chasing others from the log (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 21 Aug 2016 at 07:05    Image of day on 08 Oct 2016

Here a Dunnock flies lower over the ground with head level with ground but whole underbody facing the camera.


Ref: 20161008_e64_20160821_0705_144_fb2 dunnock in flight close to ground (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 07 Sep 2010 at 18:38    Image of day on 29 Oct 2010

A Dunnock gives us a view of it's underside, claws and both of the Alulae (singular Alula) which are the birds 'thumbs' with a few feathers on that it raises to help prevent it 'stalling' at low speeds. Note the head and wing shadow on the bark on the stem of the hedging.


Ref: 20101029_d45_20100907_1838_194_fb1 dunnock in flight over ground (crop 1)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Jan 2023 at 15:30    Image of day on 22 Feb 2023

There isn't much food left at the hedge bottom, and these two birds are prepared to fight over access.


Ref: 20230222_e63_20230125_1530_341_fb1 dunnock in flight threatening chaffinch female on ground(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Sep 2013 at 06:35    Image of day on 11 Nov 2013

A Dunnock was the first daytime visitor to this heap of food already nibbled by the nighttime fieldmouse (wood mouse).


Ref: 20131111_d36_20130906_0635_045_fb4 dunnock landing to inspect food heap(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Dec 2007 at 08:35    Image of day on 30 Dec 2007

A dunnock makes an elegant takeoff.


Ref: 20071230_d3b_20071202_0835_160 fb1 dunnock takeoff(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 06 Sep 2016 at 08:36    Image of day on 25 Oct 2016

A Dunnock twisting in the air as it approaches the bird table perch below.


Ref: 20161025_e60_20160906_0836_013_fb3 dunnock twisting in flight (crop 1)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 24 Jun 2001 at 09:43    Image of day on 16 Jun 2008

7 years ago (24 June 2001) we photographed the same species in flight using a electronically triggered camera and flash. Its a genuine single image of a rather tatty individual, though the 'sky' was a painted backboard.


Ref: 20080616_d30_20010624_0943_696 elephant hawk-moth in flight with honeysuckle (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 30 May 2020 at 12:24    Image of day on 04 Jul 2020

At the corner of the Wheat crop this immature female Emperor Hawker Dragonfly was hunting over the field margin.


Ref: 20200704_df3_20200530_1224_015-019 emperor dragonfly female immature in flight @7fps 1-5 of 5 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Jun 2023 at 12:51    Image of day on 23 Aug 2023

This is our first sighting of an Emperor Dragonfly for 3 years.
Positioning is accurate at about 7 fps.


Ref: 20230823_df3_20230625_1251_222-224 emperor dragonfly female in flight (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 25 Jun 2023 at 12:51    Image of day on 23 Aug 2023

The middle pic in the montage at a more easily identifiable scale.


Ref: 20230823_df3_20230625_1251_223 emperor dragonfly female in flight 2 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 19 Jul 2020 at 12:24    Image of day on 28 Aug 2020

We first saw (no photo) a male Emperor Dragonfly some weeks back in this area. At last getting a photo, we see he has led a busy life in the interim, wings now really tatty from endless brushing on foliage, but still flying well. These at 10 fps.


Ref: 20200828_d73_20200719_1224_106-109 emperor dragonfly male (old & very tatty) in flight 1-4 of 4 (accurate montage with insert)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 11 Nov 2015 at 11:01    Image of day on 24 Dec 2015

Several small (10 or 20) bird well spaced flocks of Fieldfares are flying around the area. Here is a single bird in a strong wind from the right initially gliding with wings partly folded, and then spreading the wings for a few power strokes.
The Fieldfare version of 'Bounding flight' without losing much height with wings closed - you don't notice their height changing as they fly like you do with Woodpeckers who completely fold their wings.


Ref: 20151224_df3_20151111_1101_044-048 fieldfare gliding then flapping flight overhead in strong wind 1-5 of 5 (approx accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Mar 2009 at 16:07    Image of day on 16 Apr 2009

This is the first year we remember fieldfares still being around in March. We used to only see them on the windfall apples in the Autumn.


Ref: 20090416_db1_20090323_1607_102 fieldfare in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 23 Nov 2007 at 14:36    Image of day on 24 Dec 2007

The fieldfares were fluttering through the Hawthorn hedges and we love the spread and translucency of the wings in this fleeting moment.


Ref: 20071224_d01_20071123_1436_271 fieldfare in flight(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Dec 2009 at 09:57    Image of day on 02 Jan 2010

Fieldfares are a regular delight this time of year, though they are very nervous birds that it is very hard to get close to. So one flying past (as opposed to 'away') is a nice bonus. Here 2 successive frames are montaged, mirrored to give a 'left to right' feel, but the positions are for appearance rather than accuracy - the bland blue sky provides nothing to register the images against.


Ref: 20100102_db1_20091205_0957_058+059 fieldfare in flight (mirrored arbitrary montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Dec 2008 at 14:02    Image of day on 20 Dec 2008

Flocks of fieldfares are about but very wary of humans, so we were lucky to get close enough to this one 'out in the open' to catch it departing.


Ref: 20081220_dc1_20081202_1402_061&062 fieldfare in flight montage(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Dec 2015 at 12:46    Image of day on 11 Jan 2016

A small group of Fieldfares flew by and while concentrating on keeping the bird starting at middle left in focus and in frame 2 other birds crossed it's path. Spacing is possibly half the true spacings but there is nothing to align for accuracy.


Ref: 20160111_df3_20151201_1246_073-079 fieldfare in flight with 2 others 1-7 of 7 (close spaced montage 1)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image of day on 21 Jan 2005

Night Photo Kit 1: Fieldfare turning in flight taken 19 Jan 2005 16-45


Ref: 20050121_d3e_08026 fb1 fieldfare turning in flight 2005jan19_16-45-00(r+mb id@576).jpg

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