Pure gold

I was walking along the public footpath to photograph Red Squirrels at Center Parcs when I abruptly stopped still. A Goldcrest was feeding on an outstretched branch at eye level just in front of me. It was so close. They are such tiny little birds with their dark green appearance and bright crest. I watched it taking insects from the pine needles and then it did what Goldcrest do but what would surprise the casual onlooker. Jumping off the branch it hovered like a hummingbird and began picking insects off the very tips of the branches with such grace and precision, whist still right in front of me. It rested briefly before returning to feed gradually moving closer towards me as it worked its way along the ends of the pines branches. Resting once more and as it stopped to look at me for one last time before disappearing I admired the colours of its crest and took in the detail. Best view yet.

Monday was the same day I took the Bull Finch image. As the day wore on and the sun broke through an overcast cloudy morning I sat there and watched the world go by. By now squirrel activity had slowed down to nothing much as it always does. Now being around mid day. Generally speaking any activity after 10am or before 6pm is pushing it if you're a squirrel. The calls were the first thing to get my attention. Using the cameras viewfinder as the lazy mans answer to binoculars I looked through the lens just to take a look and photographed what I saw. Interestingly enough there was a count of only one adult Bull Finch all day. It was busily going back and forth constantly between the feeder and a high branch of the nearest tree trying to satisfy its hungry young. Two young Great Tits also clambered in the branches of the same tree.