Treecreepers

It has been several weeks, probably since just before the late snow we had, that I've seen a Treecreeper. I can usually see these wonderful little birds flitting from tree to tree as I walk through the wooded cloughs but they have proved to be elusive recently. Time to remedy that I thought so I set out this morning with the task of finding one in the local cloughs.

Well, it actually didn't take as long as I thought! In the second wood I walked through a Treecreeper was spotted landing on the bottom of a tree trunk and working its way up the tree. I followed it as it flew off and landed on another tree about 20 yards away and moved a little closer so I could see where it would go next. A few minutes later I found its nest and stayed well away so I didn't disturb it, but close enough to have a good view.

 Only a few more minutes went by before it was obvious that there was a pair of birds with a nest and young as they were coming and going very regularly with food and I also saw a couple of fecal sacs being taken away. Mission accomplished and at least one local pair has survived the bad weather.

both birds together

 

Removing a fecal sac (even at 1/500th sec still blurred)

Delivering another food parcel

 As I watched a Great Tit also visited the same tree crevice several times and it became clear that they are sharing the same location for nesting. The Treecreepers are in the first floor and the Great Tits are in the ground floor apartment.

Elsewhere the Ravens have successfully fledged 5 chicks, the Dippers are nesting but I haven't seen any young yet and the Little Owls have at least one chick fledged.