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Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image Taken on 03 Oct 2019 at 07:16    Image of day on 19 Nov 2019

... underlights this Red Kite ...


Ref: 20191119_d73_20191003_0716_013-016 red kite in flight at sunrise 1-4 of 4 (accurate montage @10fps)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 31 Jan 2023 at 15:32    Image of day on 02 Mar 2023

Red Kites have, in our 30 year tenure, become a delight to watch, thanks to an army of enthusiasts working on their re-introduction. When the sun is low in the sky, as here, the underside of the birds are struck by an ever changing pattern of light and shadow.


Ref: 20230302_df3_20230131_1532_091+095+098 red kite turning in flight changing light of low sun over underbody (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 17 Nov 2017 at 08:09    Image of day on 28 Dec 2017

This is a Redwing, a similar sized Thrush to the Fieldfare. Redwing often form a small proportion of the birds in a Fieldfare flock.


Ref: 20171228_e63_20171117_0809_106_fb1 redwing around sunrise(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 04 Jan 2011 at 08:23    Image of day on 24 Feb 2011

This camera traps also happened to catch a redwing taking off against the eclipsed sun (08:23 a.m.). The view of the sun through 2 hedge bottoms completely hides the unusual appearance of the sun.


Ref: 20110224_d45_20110104_0823_107_fb1 redwing taking off from ground with partial eclipsed sun (not obvious) through hedging (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg

Image Taken on 11 Dec 2018 at 08:23    Image of day on 22 Jan 2019

From the north we could see the rising sun finding it's was through the now leafless tangle of trees that form our little woodland.


Ref: 20190122_df3_20181211_0823_035 rising sun shining though woodland(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 04 Feb 2007 at 16:25    Image of day on 13 Feb 2007

Robin admiring the light of sunset on the hedge?


Ref: 20070213_d3e_20070204_1625_094 fb1 robin against sunset lit hedge(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 13 Apr 2012 at 20:17    Image of day on 14 May 2012

In the last of the daylight this late robin scare the s... out of the early emergent fieldmouse (wood mouse).


Ref: 20120514_d45_20120413_2017_066_fb1 robin flying over fleeing fieldmouse (wood mouse) 30m after sunset (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 18 Jan 2024 at 16:08    Image of day on 13 Feb 2024

The Robin 'owner' of this part of our patch stops by the Tree-stump as the sun starts to set.


Ref: 20240213_e6c_20240118_1608_016_fb4 robin on tree-stump at sunset(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 16 Jan 2024 at 15:45    Image of day on 09 Feb 2024

Only a few minutes before sunset, The Robin makes a final check that food hasn't miraculously appeared on the tree stump.


Ref: 20240209_e6c_20240116_1545_045_fb4 robin on tree-stump near sunset(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 19 Jan 2015 at 08:55    Image of day on 04 Mar 2015

In the winter the sun streaks through the depleted leaf canopy to illuminate things that are dark all summer!


Ref: 20150304_e64_20150119_0855_015_fb2 robin shortly after sunrise(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Dec 2016 at 07:12    Image of day on 07 Jan 2017

A Robin apparently calling before sunrise in this meadow site which, without any tree cover always gets hit by the more extreme of whatever the weather is doing.


Ref: 20170107_e62_20161201_0712_212_fb5 robin singing in pre-dawn frost(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 10 Apr 2006 at 19:04    Image of day on 19 Apr 2006

Our ever present robin with a backdrop of the glow of Sunset lighting the beech tree leaves still on the tree from last year.


Ref: 20060419_d35_20060410_1904_030 fb2 robin with sunset glow against beech tree(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 15 May 2016 at 05:45    Image of day on 22 Jun 2016

Next morning the Roe Deer wandered over the mound ( pond spoil heap) for a few minutes.


Ref: 20160622_bu1_20160515_0545_136+_0547_142+141 roe deer at round mound just after sunrise (montage over 3 minutes)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Nov 2012 at 14:59    Image of day on 23 Dec 2012

Oh dear - now we have the 'wistful' rook!
Is he watching the sun go down before another long and cold night?


Ref: 20121223_d5c_20121127_1459_056_fb2 rook at approaching sunset (crop 1)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 19 May 2018 at 14:15    Image of day on 05 Jul 2018

A genuine montage at 7fps of a Rook gliding across the crescent moon.


Ref: 20180705_df3_20180519_1415_128-130 rook flying across daytime crescent moon 1-3 of 4 (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Mar 2023 at 10:47    Image of day on 05 May 2023

It's not unusual to see a Corvids (Crow, Jackdaw etc.) in the distance, usually in the general direction of the sun, looking so bright that you momentarily think it must be an Egret of other white bird. Its just the sun glistening off the shiny feathers, and here you see the effect as sunlight catches the far wing of this flying Rook


Ref: 20230505_df3_20230327_1047_055 rook in low level flight catching sun reflections (crop without contrast adjustment)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 02 Jan 2022 at 12:30    Image of day on 04 Feb 2022

A Rook landing on the Meadow Post. Ahead of this is a cloud of midges


Ref: 20220204_d01_20220102_1230_129+130_fb6 rook landing on meadow post with cloud of midges ahead (montage over 400ms)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 31 Jan 2018 at 16:27    Image of day on 04 Mar 2018

For a week or two a month either side of the Winter Solstice the sun penetrates the trees at around sunset with the current layout of this site. Here a Rook triggers the camera.


Ref: 20180304_d36_20180131_1627_069_fb4 rook landing on tree-stump at sunset(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Dec 2017 at 15:23    Image of day on 14 Jan 2018

A Rook still folding wings as it settles onto the tree-stump.
The recent discovery in a piece of amber of a Dinosaur feather suggests that these wonderful objects evolved initially as thermal insulation.


Ref: 20180114_d36_20171208_1523_078_fb4 rook on tree-stump top as sun sets(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 09 Nov 2016 at 15:54    Image of day on 18 Dec 2016

Ah - in the twilight a couple of Rooks confirm their mutual attraction, said to last a lifetime.


Ref: 20161218_e64_20161109_1554_121_fb2 2 rooks touching (q) beaks in leaf litter against sunset (crop 2)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

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