Twittering.....

Not the social media kind though, oh not (although I do have an account, with 4 followers.. haha; Go me 😆😆) but the feathered bird kind. 

Back in 2017 I was still friends with a guy I knew and we took a little trip to Wales together (sadly, that trip reaffirmed my belief he really wasn't a friend and what we once had we no longer have - much to my relief) and whilst there one morning he told me to train my camera on the bird feeders in the garden, and try taking some shots of the birds as they flew to (and from) the feeder. I was new to photography at that point, didn't have a clue what I was doing (still don't!) so took his advice on settings, sat myself down, pointed the camera at the feeders, kept the remote in my hand and snapped away. At that point, in my mind, birds were sweet enough in their own right, but noisy things that woke me early on summer mornings. My Mum has always loved birds and has many different books about them. After that day though, my opinions changed completely and I find myself grabbing those books for reference when I see a bird I've not seen before.

Whilst the photos I took weren't great (I was using a Canon 100d with a 75/300 lens; settings were at 1/2000 F5.4, ISO Auto - I don't remember much in life, but I do remember that) I disovered that I really enjoyed sitting there, watching them. We were seeing mainly Siskins (a bird I had never seen before) and a few blue tits (a bird we used to get at home a lot when I was growing up). I found myself fascinated in their behaviour, how their little legs don't snap when they land with the force some of them were, how they can cling on so well yet be off in a split second if threatened. I wanted to get closer to see their colours, wing patterns, how crisp the lines between each colour can be. The excitement I felt when a bull finch joined in the mix and later a Jackdaw appeared, really did take me by surprise. The photo below was one of my first attempts on that cold, April morning.

Since that day I have set up feeders in our suburban garden, planted trees that I know birds like, put up birdhouses for many different varieties. That has also lead to me planting shrubs and flowers for bees and butterflies too, along with adding places for bugs. I've always loved the outdoors, always enjoyed woodland surroundings (I've always had a thing about trees) yet that one morning my whole outlook on all of it changed. I am now a fully-paid member of the RSPB and Butterfly Conservation and the Wildlife Trust for my area - I can't afford to give much (can't really afford to give anything) but we really do need to be doing all we can to save the little creatures and critters we share this planet with.

For years we'd seen no birds in our garden, other than the odd pigeon. Now I'm getting a great variety. Yesterday, in a 20 minute time frame, I had 2 robins (they're meant to be territorial but these 2 go everywhere with each other; Rocky (the bigger of the 2) is ringed and will sit on a table less than 2 feet from me (he gets a bit skittish if I move too quick) 2 blackbirds (again, meant to be extremely territorial, yet there they were, sharing a branch), 2 gold finches, numerous pigeons and seagulls, a couple of coal tits, 1 great tit, 3 blue tits, 3 magpies, 1 pied wagtail and more starlings than I could count. In 20 minutes! (You wait though when I got out next weekend to take part in the RSPB Bird Watch there won't be a single one around). I've also had 3 sparrows in-and-out quite regularly, however, my neighbour has removed his bird box and I've not seen any of them since (one of the males was more-than-happy for me to potter about around him). I've even had a dunnock visit (although not this year, yet). I'd never even heard of a dunnock before before this one appeared.

My ultimate challenge is to take a photo of each variety we get in that I can be proud of. I upgraded my camera to a Canon 700d (I'd love something better but just don't have the funds) and invested in a 100/400 lens (although for the most part that is useless in my garden because they are too close). I dream of being able to buy a house with some land and no immediate neighbours, and a better set-up (camera wise - I'd love a Canon 5DSR but there is no way on this earth I could afford one without a lotto win) so I can snap away and get the shot I am looking for. A guy I know locally takes the most amazing bird photos, and while he has exactly the same lens as I do, he has a better camera body. If I could get one half-as-good as his I'd be a happy hormonal woman (I guess I can add my Red Kite to the list of "Happy with" shots).

Yesterday, I thought was going to be "the day" I got some good shots. For 5 hours I sat out there is sub zero temperatures. I had every type of food available for them all and they showed up, in their droves, however, every time I went to snap off a shot, one of my neighbours decided to fling open a door, slam a door, send their kids out screaming and stamping their feet about; one couple decided to bring a argument from indoors to outside. With each stamp, scream, slam and yell, so the birds took off elsewhere. 

5 hours and all I ended up getting was this.... 

I really do need those lottery numbers to come up so I can move on to a quieter, more appealing place for our little feathered friends to come and visit. Of course there is always a positive to take from every negative. I may have sat in freezing temps for 5 hours, but those 5 hours were ones where I did just sit and be at one with nature and the wildlife surrounding me. I took time out from hussle and bustle of everyday life, shutting myself off from all the stresses and strains that life seems to throw at us and that can never be a bad thing. 

I may no longer be friends with the guy I went away with, but I will always be grateful to him, for that morning he changed my life, and opened me up to a whole new world.