Resizing this image has unfortunately not done justice to the original, it would be nice to post the original 2.98 mb. version but that would take up too much space on the blog.
Both Male and Female use this perch before flitting across to a peanut feeder placed near to the hide.
They have become very confiding over the last couple of months and, whilst remaining alert, take little or no notice of the bursts of noise from the shutter release.
....... conditions that can conspire against you relent and give you a break, it makes all of the time and effort that we invest in our hobby worth while.
At Titchmarsh LNR this afternoon the sky was cloudless, the spring sunshine was warm and mellow and the subject was fairly predictable allowing me to pre-focus on a spot that it was flying to on a regular basis.
I don't know how many times the shutter release on my D300s has actuated since I purchased it but the resultant image in this case is worthy of being up there with the best that, as an amateur, I have achieved.
I am away tomorrow so I couldn't resist posting this image today, love it !.
Whilst I was taking images at ground level of woodland birds alighting on a perch above a little patch that I have been seeding, a pair of these Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were in the trees above and showing an interest in what was going on.
I wonder if they can be tempted to come down and join in ?
Time will tell, certainly the other birds have become very confident and ignore my presence, when I was last out a Blue Tit nearly flew into the car avoiding the open window at the last split-second.
One species that is taking a keen interest in the feeding area are the resident Sparrowhawks who swoop past with wings fixed at speed at a height of three to four feet above the ground, to date I don't think that they have been successful as the ground cover is not too far away but at some stage I am sure that they will get a return on the energy that they are investing.
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