Coal Tit

As planned yesterday, I'm just back from photographing some coal tits at their nest in this tree stump. Had a great time, though got a wierd look from a man walking his dog past me as I crouched behind a headstone with my lens, and dead legs. They tended to announce their arrival by calling for a minute in the tree above - with their mouths full of beasties - then sit on the headstone in front, or in a wee bare twiggy tree. It was almost like they were telling me to be ready....

Sadly, I'm very very disappointed with the results. Got better pictures yesterday, but the light was all wrong. Camera was struggling to focus on them, due to the fact they're tiny (they make blue tits look big) and so fast, and this tiny sapling was bang in front of their nest. So thought I'd be clever and try it on manual focus. Idiot - obviously need me eyes tested, as today I have some good shots but slightly out of focus. This particular one was taken on the 'sports' setting and the white balance is all wrong - this is why I don't use the auto settings, so goodness knows why I tried. But it's the best of a very disappointing and frustrating collection. Silly, I know, but I'm really not happy with it all!

In other news, yesterday the man who cuts the grass in our communal garden also cut down the bush the sparrows liked to sit in. The man who owns the flat downstairs tends to organise the gardener. I have no idea why he cut it down, though it would obscure one of their windows a wee bit, and I wish he hadn't.

EDIT - just uploaded a slightly less rubbish edit of the old shot