Jigsaw Puzzles

Having not done any puzzles for a while. I was keen to spend some time relaxing and keep the brain ticking over and had just chosen one that I'd done a year or two before when one of my volunteers (John) and I decided to swap puzzles. I think he's done better out of the deal as I have loads of bird puzzles (at least 3 times as many as him) but I'm not complaining. I had fun:



Above: First up was the tit family. I have ringed Great Tit, Blue Tit, Marsh Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Coal Tit and Bearded Tit but, as yet, not Willow Tit and Crested Tit.



Above: I vaguely remember going to Lindisfarne when I was a lot younger and lived a lot closer than I do now. I don't remember the details but it is a great place for wildlife. I don't see many round puzzles, so why is it so many of the bird/wildlife ones lend themselves to being round? Interesting question but I don't have an answer...



Above: RSPB Sparrows. The most difficult of the 3 puzzles as the detail of the picture makes the pieces much harder to place. House Sparrows are in serious decline. One of the reasons for this decline is increased bio-security around farms making scenes like the one in this puzzle rare.

Gloucester Goshawk

At a secret location in Gloucestershire ...



Above: A goshawk nest near the top of the tree



Above: Jurjen climbs the tree

Above: All 3 Goshawk chicks in the nest were male. While Jurjen says that a nest full of males happens in Holland, Rob (the local ringer who found the nests) says that this is the first time he had seen this phenomenon.

Above: Females are bigger than males therefore the leg on the left is female, the one on the right, male.

Above: Those eyes are capable of seeing much more detail at distance than you or I ever could!

Menorca Birds 1

There are just some species that you feel like you MUST see to make it all worthwhile ...



Above: A Thekla Lark.



Above: A pair of black-winged stilts

Above: With winds in the right direction and rain in the air, in dropped these bee eaters!

Above: Is this a Lesser Kestrel?

Above: A Turtle Dove. A pair were usually found (purring or not) within 100 yards of our appartment.

Menorca birds 2

More birds from Menorca.

Above: Greenshank

Above: A stunning bird & unmistakable silhouette - Bee Eater.

Above & Below: My dad got really taken with these birds - he found the first two we saw. Blue Rock Thrush (male).

Below: A chaffinch.

Menorca birds 3

Some of the photographs I took of birds in Menorca.



Above: This female House Sparrow was scouring the local cafe for food, straying close enough to me for this photo.



Above: At the northern end of the Algendar Gorge 7 (including the four in the photograph) Egyptian vultures were visible.



Above: This greedy male House Sparrow is begging for food (obviously has been fed before & is used to approaching suckers like me ..... I fed it ... after I took the photo!



Above: On review of this photograph, I was surprised to learn this was of maura race (siberian) stonechat (note the deep white half collar & white upper tail coverts).



Above: This yellow legged gull came for its lunch, but went away with an empty belly (I guess it could see there was no food in the bowl ... sorry, I mean bin.

Audouin's Gull (Menorca)

Here are various photographs (in sequence) of an Audouin's Gull on the beach at Son Bou.