THE past few weeks were incredibly busy for me, as I had to juggle my full-time job and studying.
You may remember from my previous articles that in order to pursue my love for wildlife, I decided to do a Master’s degree in Wildlife, Biology and Conservation. This is my final year and I have been undergoing a great number of exams, as well as starting my project research and fieldwork. Although I have been extremely exhausted, I could not resist the delightful weather which we have been having recently, so I decided to take a few days off work to spend some time with my camera.
I started my holiday with a lovely walk along the Esk, where I had a brief encounter with the resident kingfisher. I then moved to Inveresk for a catch-up with the brown hares and headed to Aberlady, where I photographed even more hares!
My last free day I decided to spend with Chris, so we packed a lunch and headed to East Linton. I cannot remember the last time we had such a warm day! It felt good to able to take off the winter jacket.
We started our walk at Linn Rocks, from where we moved upriver. I have heard of a shy otter appearing on the River Tyne, so I kept my eyes peeled on the water. Unfortunately, we did not see any otters; however, we were pleased to spot a couple of kingfishers chasing one another!
On the return journey, a tiny, flitting, feathery-something on the tree got my attention. I picked up my camera, but the bird was moving fast and was so small that I could not see its plumage. Suddenly, a fiery yellow crest appeared in my camera and I realised I was dealing with a goldcrest – Europe’s smallest bird (sharing its place with the similar firecrest)! I have been waiting for so long to capture this bird and finally I succeeded!
I need to admit that this bird species has so far been the most difficult to photograph since I started my photography journey! What makes it so difficult is its size, as these tiny birds measure 9cm in length and weigh approximately 6.5 grams.
This may not seem like much and they may appear to you as no great candidate for long-distance flight; however, they do wander great distances. Thanks to bird ringing and data control, some regular movements between Scandinavia and Britain have been observed. Some individuals have even reached us from Russia!
The goldcrest’s plumage is rather dull, with an olive-green back and pale white underparts. This bird is easily recognisable by its orange or yellow crown stripe, flanked by a black edge. The adult male has a bright orange crown, whilst the female’s is yellow.
Their distinctive, sweet-sounding song is high pitched and usually ends in a twirling flourish which can often be the only indication of the goldcrest’s presence. Once you have learned their songs, you will not mistake them for any other songbird!
Goldcrests are exceptionally hard-working during their breeding season: the female starts laying the second clutch before the first brood of nestlings have fledged, whilst the male does the feeding. This tremendous breeding effort can produce up to 20 chicks a year!
Although goldcrests are widely distributed across different habitats in the UK, your best chance of spotting them is as they meander among pine forests.
If you have a favourite animal you would like me to feature next month, contact me through my website or social media channels.
Speak to you next month!
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