Birds of Bushy and ID confirmation please.

Well - today has been thick fog all day.!!

Yesterday I went wandering in Bushy - it was very misty and therefore dull.

I heard and saw about 5 Mistle Thrushes up in the trees again.. there seem to be quite a few around at the moment.

Record shot only!!

And whilst I was walking toward some Red Deer that were in the (now mostly flattened) bracken, a group of about 5/6 small birds flew up. I watched them flit about for some time, bobbing up and down in the bracken, and eventually they came a little nearer; I managed to get (yet another!) record shot and I believe these are female Stonechats?

(If anyone could confirm/disagree I would be grateful please)

Edit: Thanks to Oscar, Midland Birder and Pete for identifying this as

Meadow Pipit!!

I rather liked the way the, now weak, sun, lit the branches of the tree. It wasn't until I had the picture on the PC that I noticed the bird in the bottom right-hand corner of the picture.

And in the same area as the Mistle Thrushes and Stonechats (?) were two very active Goldcrests! Woo hoo

(If Brian and Jenny are reading this, it was all happening in the usual spot over by the house with the fence)

and yet another (yes, you've sussed it!) record shot!!

After a hearty lunch of lentil and vegetable soup and some warm bread (very nice) in the Pheasantry cafe, I headed off into the Woodland Gardens.

Most of the photo opportunities were provided by the regular Bushy inhabitants!

Female Mandarin.

Bathing Female Mallard - she seemed happy :D

A grey squirrel stopped to watch me, watching it!

Over in the other section of the gardens, two Mute Swans preened.

and now, on the way back and around the Boating Pond..

I was entertained by a pair of Jackdaws.

"Ok, what's happening in the world today then"

"Anyone around then?"

"Ah, what's down there do you reckon?"

"Not anything very interesting"

"You watch that way, and I'll watch this"

"Well, let's have a clean up then"

"Do you really have to do that in public !! "

"It's not THAT bad is it?"

"I shall say nowt"

"Hmm, a good friend you turned out to be!"

and finally, a Red Deer Hind watching.....


A pleasant stroll even if the sun arrived a little too late .