Birds in bushes in the snow

First, the fieldfares - we had four of them at one stage.

Then a redwing. See photo below.

Redwing, not quite in focus, but look at the colour. 

Then there were the blackbirds battering five bells out of each other as usual, and sparrows, and starligans . . .

A moment's respite?

Female blackbird in the yew tree

. . . and a camouflaged pied wagtail

Kingfisher

Kingfisher by the Welland, photo cropped and enlarged.  Very pleased to get the shot.

Seven cygnets swimming

An unusually large brood, seven cygnets, now the size of their parents.  They arrived in orderly fashion, in single file, with one parent ahead and one behind . . .

 In turn they looked up as the camera clicked when they emerged from under the bridge . . .

 Papa stretched his wings .

 All found plenty of weed to feed on in the old mill pool . 

Finally they left in convoy as they arrived.

The swans have been luckier than the dead sheep lying at the bottom of the weir, bloated and with legs in the air.

A swimming goose

I love the nonchalantly trailing feet

Corby boating lake

Taken with my mini camera, and some photos are not very sharp.

First a few of the many goslings, and then some posturing by two herons.

Mallard female preening

Swans at Rutland Water

Boating Lake Birds

Crows in the willow

Coming in to land - and no he hasn't really got passengers.

Boldest of birds - greylag. The pink footed geese have blacker beaks.

Domestic harmony

Seeing off the opposition

Click on photos to enlarge.

parenthood at Rutland Water

Garden birds

Snow birds

Two linnets

Taken with handheld 75-300 mm lens through the window. Then cropped, so not very sharp, but it does show the colours on the two birds.  I also "enhanced" it in i-photo.

We have seen the occasional one on the feeders for about a month, but today there were two, and one of them perched nearer to the house for a short time, allowing us a better view.

birds in falling snow