Having told my Father about the public feeding the birds in Sandwell Valley, he advised that they do the same on Cannock Chase - today I came accross one such location.
First though, I popped over to the location where I first saw the deer (where I spent 20 minutes with them with my new camera some 2½ years ago). I hoped having another new camera would bring me similar luck - it was not to be.
I turned off the tarmac road onto one of the many permissive dirt roads to find a Thrush sitting in a puddle, apparently bathing:
Thrush
by Trugga, on FlickrThrush
At the end of a long drive I came accross a woman photographing birds on a feeder, a man nearby also showing an interest (who I later discover is responcible for putting out feed and water and is also a knoweledgeable and accomplished wildlife photographer):
Chaffinch
by Trugga, on FlickrChaffinch
Blue Tit
by Trugga, on FlickrBlue Tit
[Rant]
Why do some people dislike us "birders" ? In the small car park, the cars were parked nose on to the verge (you could then watch the birds through your wind screen). I was stood in a gap between two cars (the gap was almost a car width wide). On two occasions, the car owner walked directly towards me and asked be to move (where she, and her dog, could of walked around me). I was polite, and moved out of the way. I then noticed she had parked her car (a small hatch-back) quite far into the parking area, in so much that the front was actually covering some bird seed on the grass. She also did nothing to stop her dog eating bread from the obvious feeding area.
[/Rant]
I has a very plesant chat with the gentleman who fed the birds and also another bystander.
Nuthatch
by Trugga, on FlickrNuthatch
I was very pleased to see the Coal Tits again, and in so many numbers (I've not seen one since the beginning of the year):
Coal Tit
by Trugga, on FlickrCoal Tit
Coal Tit
by Trugga, on FlickrCoal Tit
Finally, I was given a hint at where I might see some dear (my back has been plaing up, so didn't fancy too much of a walk). I parked up at the reccomended location and went for a stroll - I was amazed to see two dear:
Deer
by Trugga, on FlickrDeer
I took the above picture and as it was a little dark, looked down to the camera to change some settings, looked up and they had both dissapeared.
Another pleasant few hours out in the countryside.
Lawrence
