2021 - Another year (hoping for better than last year)

23rd January - We enter 2021 in another lockdown, so only allowed locally for exercise and little opportunity to photograph much. The weather at the start of the year has not been good and work incredibly busy, sapping energy and motivation to get my camera out. I was hoping for some snow or hard frost to photograph the birds in the garden, but none so far. Below are a couple of photos of a robin in the garden. Now hoping for relaxation of rules (not likely in the near future) and some nice weather

23rd February 2021 - Still not been out with my camera. However, whilst gardening this afternoon, a couple of red kites were flying low over our house & garden. I dashed upstairs to get my camera (thankfully just enough battery life in it) and managed to grab a photo.

7th March 2021 - still in lockdown so time spent in the garden when able. This little wren has got very tame of the last few months and comes up to me for food. He is adorable and so tiny

26th March - The fox family still come to our garden daily, the male fox, vixen and last years youngster, a vixen. The other cub, a male has now gone to find his own patch. The vixen has disappeared for several days and suspect she is or has given birth to her cubs as she was clearly pregnant when I last saw her. This is the male fox.

30th March - my first trip out in months after some relaxation in the rules from the 29th. I decided to go to Bushy Park and the weather was sunny and warm. I went to see the swans, but unfortunately there was not a lot of activity whilst I was there, but the light was lovely at sunrise with some mist.

The deer were in the woods so wandered over there and managed a couple of shots, but it is difficult to get anything decent with all the tree guards in the way.

Next I went to find the kestrels. They were in the tree when I got there but, apart from a couple of tussles with the crows, not a lot of action here either. However, I will look forward to following the results of this!

I then wandered around the park and found this lovely vixen who is obviously very tame and coming up close to me. I fed her some bird food and peanuts, which I know they like as the foxes in my garden have often taken them from the bird feeders. She did enjoy them and I am hoping to go back to see her, and maybe some cubs too? I found out later that she had broken her jaw at some point which is why she has a slightly deformed mouth.

16th April

Another trip to Bushy Park and it was a beautiful sunrise.

Grey Heron

17th April

A last minute decision to go out this morning and was really pleased to stumble upon 4 gorgeous fox cubs playing with their mum. I kept my distance and watched them. These photos were taken with a telescopic lens and cropped.

1st May

I was sitting reading in our summerhouse when this robin landed on my foot (taken with my iPhone)

7th May

Fox chilling in the bluebells in our neighbour's garden

9th May

Spent a few hours in the garden photographing the birds.

Blue tit on my new cherry tree

Robin

And finally a sparrow on the cherry tree

13th May

Spent a short while in the garden watching the birds and the blue tits in particular where following me around. I decided to try and photograph them in the beautiful Paul's Scarlet, but they were so incredibly fast, it was near impossible. This is the best of them.

6th June 2021

Not been anywhere with my camera to take any photos. Whilst sitting in the summerhouse doing my family tree, this little fellow arrived. Taken with my iPhone.

21st September 2021

Not been anywhere to take photos or even taken my camera out of the bag. Today decided to try some bees that are constantly buzzing on the rudbeckias.

22nd September 2021

Finally decided to take a trip to Richmond Park. The rut has started with some bellowing first thing but then it all went quiet. This stag was quite vocal

Monday 11th October

I've not managed to get out much for various reasons, but did go to Bushy Park today in the hope that there would be a decent sunrise so that I could try out my new wide angle lens. It wasn't an amazing sunrise and the beautiful colours didn't last long, but did manage this photo after waiting for one of the swans to swim into the scene.

15th December

Not been able to get out due to various problems in the house, e.g. electrical faults, water leaks etc....... So decided to have a play and get into the festive spirit