Collared doves smooching in the garden last week
There was one day last week when I noticed the birds were going around in lovey-dovey pairs and those that weren’t were picking up home-making materials.
The collared doves (Streptopelia decaocto) pictured above actually copulated – and I took a picture! But I won’t be sharing that here as it just seems a bit rude, even though you see that sort of thing all the time on wildlife TV. Instead this is the pair looking starry-eyed after their brief encounter.
The thoughtful pair…
…starry-eyed
I have also seen blackbirds, magpies, hedge sparrows and even robins in pairs (putting aside their usual territorial instincts). The pictures aren’t great, but here are some of the regular visitors to my garden…
Male blackbird (Turdus merula)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Hedge sparrow or dunnock (Prunella modularis)
Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus) – rarely seen alone and we have had as many as eight at the bird table recently
I can only dream of taking a good portrait image of a long-tailed tit. I am impatient and they flit so fast…
The Squirrelbasket 
Dove-love! So sweet.
A shame they have taken the place of turtle doves, though – from pictures I have seen they were much prettier.
Best wishes 🙂
Those Doves must have appreciated your thoughtfulness. Why shouldn’t they have their privacy. Nice post. Thank you.
Mmm. I did feel a bit like a voyeur!
Best wishes 🙂
Hahaha fabulous!
Thanks – by the way, I am nearly finished reading Royal Assassin now, thoroughly enjoying it.
Best wishes 🙂
Awesome update thank you for sharing have a blessed day
Thanks so much, Linda 🙂
Definite pairing up going on here too. Long-tailed tits are my favourites. Don’t they make a cheerful racket?
Yes, they are chirpy!
But they are SO pretty, too.
Best wishes 🙂
Lovely photos. Does your camera have a burst mode? That way if you set the focus for the bird feeder, the camera could take many photos within a few seconds, which may help you get the photo you’re looking for?
I tend to have my compact camera to hand rather than my DSLR, which I guess may have that facility. But thanks for the suggestion.
I usually find the problem is that as soon as I lift my camera the bird flits to a different perch – I would much rather a portrait on a branch rather than on the feeder, but I just don’t get my act together fast enough. It’s usually not a matter of catching the perfect picture but catching the bird in the frame at all.
And I am impatient. That’s the real problem. Must do better!
All the best 🙂
These days I use a bridge camera. Lots of settings and much lighter than a DSLR – which makes it easier to hold the thing and direct focus on a known perch in anticipation of the bird making an appearance. lol I know what you mean about catching the bird in frame – sometimes I give up and just use the video setting so I have some footage of it!
Hope you manage to get the photos you want! Best wishes 🙂
Thanks for all that 🙂
The Spring sunshine is good for all of us after the dull days of winter.
Indeed. If I had sap in my veins it would be rising!
Best wishes 🙂
They seem excellent pictures to me. (Especially the ‘Starry Eyed’ one.)
Also . . . I decided it would be funny to have a ‘testimonials’ page on my blog http://tinyurl.com/zhlzlsz (They always look suspicious!) and I’ve included a quote from you and a link to this blog.
Hope this is ok and that the idea amuses you. If not, I can easily remove the quote and the link. Let me know. Best wishes. Esther Montgomery.
No problem at all with that!
By chance I had just been over to read your last three postings. I’m wondering how much of it is your real daily life in disguise. I’m not sure which would be cleverer, that it’s all completely made up or just a sideways look at your reality!
We get long-tailed tits through the garden most days at present, very pretty birds.
I have never seen so many as this year. In the past they tended to be here around dawn and dusk, but now they are back and fore all day.
All the best 🙂
Your photographs are always much better than you think they are! Long-tailed tits are dificult to capture well as they spend so much time flitting through vegetation, but you will get your ‘portrait’ one day!
One day!
All the best 🙂