Bird project 4 - Treecreeper and nuthatch

A bit of sunshine was forecast today, so I planned a longish walk, taking in several locations. I wasn't actually expecting any new species, but there are a few that I might still encounter locally, and I got lucky - twice. I was actually seeing where I might pitch a portable bird hide - I'm hoping to get one in a month or so, and wanted to find nearby locations where I could site it. I'm hoping this will allow much better close shots of familiar birds that don't frequent feeders, and maybe help me find less common species too. I found a handful of places - far enough off the path to not attract the attention of passing dogs, in or next to undergrowth or low trees, so it will blend in, and with a long enough view to give me a good chance of seeing a range of birds.

Cutting through the park first, I almost immediately stumbled on a new species. On a tree by a busy path, with families and dogs all around, a treecreeper. I followed it for a while, and watched a second nearby. A little later on, in a slightly wilder area of woodland (though still busy), high up on a tree a nuthatch. I had just enough time to get a few ID shots, before noisy dogs disrupted my work, and the bird flew off. A good day!

3/101.
Certhia familiaris Treecreeper
Location: Stanley Park, Blackpool.
Conditions: Light cloud, low sun in the southwest, cool.
Photograph quality: 1-2.

Comments: Amazing to see such a relatively unusual species in such a familiar location. Actually, these are common enough in the park for an information board to feature them - yet in all my years of visiting, I've never seen them before. I hope this means I'm getting better at noticing birds - I certainly feel I am.

Sadly, I had my ISO a stop too low, so most shots were blurred due to having too long an exposure time - these birds move quickly. But I was able to approach to within a few metres, and they seemed oblivious. Beautiful birds, fascinating behaviour. In one shot, it appears to have found a hibernating ladybird to snack on.

4/101.
Sitta europaea Nuthatch

Location: Salisbury Woodland Garden, Blackpool.
Conditions: Deep shade of woodland, clear sky, near sunset.
Photograph quality: 2.

Comments: The species I thought I might see in the park was the nuthatch. They are used to people, and will come down and eat bird seed left in a specific location. However, I had no food, and wasn't inclined to linger. But a few minutes later, a couple of hundred metres away, I saw one, high up on a tree. I had just enough time to swap from my macro lens to the telephoto, and get half a dozen shots, before misbehaving dogs came along and disturbed me. I will try to get better photographs at some point, but for the purposes of this project, these are good enough.