Birds n Berries

4th November 2013

One of the things that I look forward to in the autumn is the appearance of Hawthorn berries. Not only do they provide food for birds during the winter, but also provide a super accompaniment for bird photos and in some of my shots they enjoy equal star rating. This year, due to the wet spring and the hot summer, there is a bumper crop and today at Rainham the bushes were no exception.

The first opportunity came when I was passing the cordite stores and a Robin was ticking loudly at the top of its Hawthorn. With a clear blue sky background this produced some shots with a distinct Christmassy feel.

The next subject to come along was this Magpie which was keeping an eye on me as I was waiting for the pipits to appear on the foreshore. I always find Magpies difficult to photograph due to their stark black and white appearance but here the foliage and berries soften the image which is set off by the blue sky.

But what was unexpected was this Meadow Pipit which suddenly decided to leave the safety of the foreshore and perch on top of one of the Hawthorns near the river wall. I am use to seeing pipits sitting on tops of bushes at inland sites, but in my experience they tend to stay on the ground and at worst on a barbed wire fence on the coast. Still a rewarding shot nevertheless.

Don't forget that for better reproduction of my photos, see my photo gallery at flickr.com/photos/seymourbirdies

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