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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Birds - Skylarks, Larks, Pipits, Flycatchers & Treecreeper Page 1
Image of day on 25 Dec 2008
A little Christmas day special.
This year has been exceptional for Dragonflies and Raptors,
so here is a little montage of birds:-
| Osprey | Skylark | Red Kite |
| | Tawny Owls | |
| Short-eared Owl | Little Owl | Sparrowhawk |
.jpg)
Ref: 20081225_bird montage from top left - osprey+skylark+red kite+sparrowhawk+little owl+short-eared owl+tawny owls(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 27 Jun 2008
at 07:32 Image of day on 12 Jul 2008
We assumed it was the end of seeing skylarks over the field but
no - he was back to full enthusiasm. He is further away now but
still a delight. They have had time for one brood & will hopefully
now manage another.
.jpg)
Ref: 20080712_dc1_20080627_0732_008 skylark ascending over partially baled meadow(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 20 Jun 2008
at 14:11 Image of day on 04 Jul 2008
Skylarks descend much faster than they rise. Sometimes they come down in
a chaotic flurry of legs and feather, at other times under more control
as this montage shows. The birds spacings are fairly accurate (based on
positions against the same clouds in different shots) taken at about
7 frames per Second.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20080704_dc1_20080620_1411_165-167 skylark descending (montage at about 7 fps)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Apr 2012
at 10:16 Image of day on 19 May 2012
This seems to be typical of a Skylark returning to earth - a WHOOSH downward
with feet down. This sequence is about 0.6 seconds worth - don't miss the one
at the bottom right corner against the tree.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20120519_df1_20120422_1016_089-093 skylark flying to ground 1-5 of 5 (acc montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Jun 2008
at 16:29 Image of day on 30 Jun 2008
This joyous little creature flew for us 4 times at various
distances and lighting. Here are a couple of the best images we got.
This is the bird that normally hovers like a speck in the sky -
we were lucky to get this one hovering low down.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20080630_dc1_20080617_1629_434 skylark in flight (web crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Jun 2008
at 07:21 Image of day on 11 Jun 2008
This is a montage of a single skylark ascending, images a second or two apart.
This is the first time we remember getting a skylark image that is more
than a speck in the sky.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20080611_dc1_20080607_0721_004&010 skylark in flight (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Jun 2008
at 16:29 Image of day on 30 Jun 2008
Skylarks seem to spend some their time in flight with
wings closed. Do wish we could include the liquid song, but even
if we recorded it the noise from the camera would drown it out.
.jpg)
Ref: 20080630_dc1_20080617_1629_442 skylark in flight with wings almost closed(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Jun 2011
at 10:22 Image of day on 10 Jul 2011
This skylark seem to have a nest about 300m away in the (still uncut but very
sparse) meadow to our east and we got an atypically good view of the top of the wing.
Try to imagine the liquid silver song pouring from that open beak.
 01 of 16 (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg)
Ref: 20110710_df1_20110607_1022_039 skylark singing in flight (selected) 01 of 16 (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Jun 2011
at 10:22 Image of day on 10 Jul 2011
About 1 second of 'The Lark Ascending'.
The spacing and slope is reconstructed from memory and probably
too close - see later.
 09-14 of 16 (sequential impression montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20110710_df1_20110607_1022_060-065 skylark singing in flight (selected) 09-14 of 16 (sequential impression montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Jun 2011
at 16:33 Image of day on 10 Jul 2011
And then he briefly got quite close to us overhead.
(r+mb id@432).jpg)
Ref: 20110710_df1_20110608_1633_602 skylark singing in flight 3 of 7 (crop @432)(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Jun 2011
at 15:13 Image of day on 10 Jul 2011
Next day some soft cumulus clouds gave us reference points to
accurately space the images but were sparse enough not to flare
out the images. So this is about half a second of 'flight' -
skylarks seem to spend about half their time singing with wings
firmly closed.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20110710_df1_20110608_1513_296-298+1414_299 skylark singing in flight 3-6 of 8 (accurate montage @ 7fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Apr 2012
at 10:13 Image of day on 11 May 2012
Over a corn crop in an adjacent field, this Skylark waves it's head about to direct the sound,
creating the characteristic rise and fall in volume. Read left to right moving down -
bottom right he stopped singing and started his dive to ground.
 1-9 of 9 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20120511_df1_20120417_1013_055-118 skylark singing in flight turning head to direct sound (selected) 1-9 of 9 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Sep 2010
at 17:48 Image of day on 25 Oct 2010
And now a moment from their hunting technique - sit on a wire,
post or branch until you see a tempting insect. Launch towards
it (may be 0.5 to several metres away), grab it, then fly back
to your previous perch or another one nearby.
Here we were lucky to catch the exact moment of the insect
inside the beak but not yet captive - it did get it judging
by the following two frames.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20101025_df1_20100901_1748_163 spotted flycatcher in flight with insect going into beak (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Sep 2010
at 14:55 Image of day on 25 Oct 2010
We must have seen these Spotted flycatchers before, but have not
recognised them. First a portrait.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20101025_df1_20100901_1455_020 spotted flycatcher on wires (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Dec 2010
at 10:46 Image of day on 04 Feb 2011
This treecreeper is only the second time we have photographed one
here, the first time was a juvenile in June 2008 (not published).
We occasionally see them on vertical trunks of old fruit trees and
many years ago one nested in an old tit box but too awkwardly
placed to photograph without disturbance. Anyway it looks like
the bird shuffled it's way up the side as they do, reached the
top and by chance broke the IR trigger beam.
(r+mb id@432).jpg)
Ref: 20110204_d35_20101204_1046_066_fb4 treecreeper (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Feb 2012
at 14:25 Image of day on 18 Mar 2012
Treecreeper behaviour we have glimpsed a few times over the years,
but never photographed. These 3 images were taken over a few
seconds as the bird moved left to right moving down and up again
- literally creeping over the tree before disappearing round the
back and magically vanishing.
 (acc montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20120318_df1_20120215_1425_087+089+091 treecreeper on willow trunk by orchard pond (left to right over a few seconds) (acc montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
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