Hens on Slope.

After we have celebrated my husband's eighty second birthday with the family tomorrow, hubby and I will be leaving at 5am on Sunday morning for the Algarve, where we have a place by the sea.The change of scenery and sea air is so beneficial, and we enjoy walking along the shore, and on the cliff tops with our dog Mel. I'm really looking forward to photographing some seascapes, and taking photos of the wildlife down there, and perhaps I will be lucky enough to see a Bee-eater, a bird I have seen there before, but never had the chance to photograph. We are staying until the end of the month, so what with the birthday lunch and last minute packing there won't be much time for visiting. I will visit you all however as soon as possible. Goodbye for now.:)

Leaving you with this country view, hoping to share some seabirds on our return, until then, take care:)

Bird, Barn, and vine Fences.

 

 

 

 

 

A sweet little grey bird which I think might be a flycatcher, and a red barn with grape vine fences. I am linking up with Stewart at Wild Bird Wednesday, Anni at The Bird D' Pot, Eileen at Saturdays Critters, and Theresa at the Run-Around Ranch where you can see birds from different parts of the world. Just click on the links and they will take you there. Many thanks to Stewart, Eileen, Anni and Theresa for hosting.
WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS
I'D RATHER B BIRDIN, GOOD FENCES .

The Short-toed Snake Eagle

Hello again! Well, I had a wonderful two week reunion with my friend, and a fabulous Sunday birthday lunch with all the family, but as always it's good to be back with my blogging friends and today I would like to share the beautiful Short-toed Snake Eagle.

The Short-toed Snake Eagle  ( Circaetus  gallicus )
 

The eagle didn't bathe, just stood in the water,  his watchful eyes surveying the area for snakes. It uses a range of habitats, from fairly dense forest, to open woodland, to arid grasslands, but generally prefers mixed habitat that combines open areas rich in reptile prey.
 

It's a medium sized eagle. Those present on the northern edge of the Mediterranean and other parts of Europe, migrate mainly to sub-Saharan Africa, north of the equator, leaving in Sept/Oct, and returning in April/May. In the Middle and Far East the populations are resident. 

This is only the second time I have seen the Short-toed Eagle. In Europe, it is most numerous in Spain, where it is fairly common, but here in Portugal the numbers are small, and it is mostly seen in Sagres,  Cabranosa, and in the mountainous Alenteijo region, and other mountainous regions
 

It's prey as it's name suggests, is mostly reptiles, mainly snakes, but also some lizards.
 

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS
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I'D RATHER B BIRDIN

Young Jays at the Feeder

 

 

These shots of the Juvenile Jays were taken moments ago through our lounge window.
 

 

 

 

Click on the links below to see more birds from all over the globe. Thank you to Anni and Stewart for hosting.
I'D RATHER B BIRDIN
WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS

The Black Kite a Gate and Fence

Whilst our friends were here we visited a nature reserve with an extensive thirtyfive hectares of woodlands and farms, with rivers and ponds. We took the three kilometre long pathways, seeing many varieties of trees and plants. Along the way, wooden hides with benches to view the wildlife were numerous, as were the benches situated by the ponds and river, and I was thrilled to see so many wonderful species of birds, from raptors to water fowl, and wading birds to pheasants, however today, I would like to share the Black Kite.

The Black Kite   Milvus migrans
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My thanks to Theresa, Anni, Eileen, and Stewart for hosting, and if you would like to join in just click on their links below.
WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS
I'D RATHER B BIRDIN
GOOD FENCES

Twilit Flycatcher and Long-tailed Tit

The Spotted Flycatcher




The Long.tailed Tit

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I'D RATHER B BIRDIN

Inauguration

A pair of Blackcaps have taken up residence in my garden, both the female
 

and male are very possessive of this new feeder.
 

especially the female, who is most confrontational with any bird who comes near.
 

There have been a few altercations between the Blackcaps and The Great tits.
 

My daughter Eva gave me this new feeder at Christmas, and I love it but couldn't find a place near enough to the house to hang it, so that I could take photos through the window. In the end I hung it near our fish pond,...where I could still see it, albeit a little far away, and here are some of the captures I took this week.


One Coal Tit with the Great Tit, who seems to be checking out the other birds!:)
 

The Blue Tits just wait patiently until the Blackcaps move away, but they don't linger.
 

There are a pair of Great Tits also in the garden, and I'm hoping to get a shot of them both together one day
 

 

The Coal Tits are often chased away by the Blackcap female, who hides in the vines overhead.
 

The Crested Tits were the first birds to inspect the new feeder.
 

Besides the birds shared here, the Robins and a Long-tailed Tit and Greenfinches have paid visits to the feeder.
 

I am linking this post to the following memes.

WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS
I'D RATHER B BIRDIN

MistleThrush! Blackcap,Black Redstart Wagtail and Sparrow Hawk.

I heard him singing ouside, and went to investigate. It wasn't a sound I could easily recognize, as I knew all the bird songs of my regular visiters. It was bitterly cold, inspite of the blue sky and sunny day. In my eagerness to get a photo of an unknown bird I had gone outside without a coat and even though I had more or less located the tree from where I could hear the song I still couldn't see a bird. I was looking up into the high branches of  a conifer tree, and was just about to go indoors, chilled to the bone, when I saw a movement, and a bird flew to a lower branch, and although my captures are of poor quality, I am hoping that someone will recognize it.

 

The bird was very light in colour.... 

 

 

and the speckled breast was most distinctive, I think it might be a Song Thrush!

I have since been reliably informed that it is not a Song Thrush, but a Mistle Thrush.

 

Male Blackcap.



Female Black Redstart.



Male Black Redstart



I have had many sightings of The Black Redstart.



Female

I took this photograph through the studio window and was amazed to see the bird had eyelashes. After looking up if birds really do have eyelashes, I found out they are tiny feathers, but isn't it a sweet look!



The Wagtail

The Sparrow Hawk, perched on a tree on our drive way. I shot into the sun, through our lounge window to get this poor image. It was a huge surprise for me to see it again, as I had seen it for the first time only the day before.

I have been reliably informed that the bird in the first two images is a Mistle Thrush. Many thanks to Frank, from Wild Bird Watching with Fab.



Below are the links to wonderful bird blogs, why don't you check them out! My thanks to Stewart, Eileen, and Anni for hosting their fabulous memes. WILD BIRD WEDNESDAYS
SATURDAY'S CRITTERS
I'D RATHER B BIRDIN