One of 2 Crows on Millennium Fieldswith what ever it has in its beak. A beautiful black Covid with feathers so shiny in today's bright light some look dark blue.

Possibility of Aurora last night so I set up the new tripod in hope... I convinced myself that the first 75 minutes image had traces of green . I was wrong. This is 7.25 hours of trails, 1.25 and 6 hrs merged in Star Stax. The clever OM1ii does all the hard work, I set exposures (15 secs, f2, 12mm, ISO 500). The camera prepares itself for 15 secs and then tells me to push the button and proceeds to take exposures until I stop it or for 6 hrs. It then merges all the images into one.

The solitary Comma butterfly seen yesterday on walkies. An orange butterfly with dark wing areas and distinctive irregular wing edges

A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly feeding on Blackthorn (I think) BRown body and head, orange wings with dark and light patterns and a pretty blue pattern to the wing edges.

21/220326 OM1ii Birds butterflies and star trails, walkies and my garden @bcyorkshire.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @sjbastro.bsky.social @davidbflower.bsky.social @astroroyalscot.bsky.social #yorkbirding #birds #entomology #uknaturalists #OMSystem #York

A very grey morning at Wheldrake Ings, made photography difficult, but I was pleased with this long-distance shot taken right across the floodplain.
#WheldrakeIngs #YorkBirding
@ldvnnr.bsky.social @yorkbirding.bsky.social

A beautiful, glossy black crow just a few feet away from me foraging for food. Viewed from the side, closer than I've ever been and able to see that the black is not uniform, there are shades of dark grey on chest and back.

Giving me the side eye in disgust for watching. In reality, the nictitating membrane which protects the eye. Bird is crouching close to a plastic shield protecting a young sapling, sadly one of many dead because they were planted in a hot dry spring.

Corvids are known to be clever birds and here it is opening the plastic to get to the shoots inside.

Here it has pulled out the shoot which is still attached to the "trunk" of the sapling. It wasn't able to pull that one free but had detached some shorter ones.

010326 OM1ii Millennium Field #York #yorkbirding #ukbirds #northyorkshirebirds #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #OMSystem It's taken 80 yrs to appreciate the beauty of the Crow, better late than never, eh! This one, very busy, was only a few feet away, so I stood, watched, point, click, hope.

Comma butterfly, out of hibernation basking in the very warm sun in Fulford Cross Allotments. Orange with dark spots and a distinctive irregular wing edge.

4 7 Spot native Ladybirds in the garden today and this one posed beautifully for its full face portrait. I was able to sit which meant I could use the 90mm macro lens with the x2 extender.

Millennium Fields, 2 Redpoll briefly seen in the little copse. Small brown bird with dark and light chest and a red patch on the forehead.

First Wasp of the year seen with the Comma butterfly. Distant but as ever, happy to see them emerging.

250226 OM1ii #York #Yorkbirding @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bcyorkshire.bsky.social #entomology #wildlifephotography #bugsky #uknaturalists #OMSystem #UKBirds #UKwildlife #inverts Wonderful walkies and thanks to Tildi's choice of direction, saw my first butterfly & wasp of the year.

Lovely female Siskin, much less flamboyant than the bright male. Her chest is lightly striped. Pink beak. She's fluffed up because it's a bit cold. Many birds feeding on the Alder seeds. No Redpoll seen on several visits, maybe they've moved on as more Siskin seem to have arrived

He's yelling "Look at me." Yellow head with a dark forehead, striped light and dark wings

His dark forehead patch clearly visible in this shot.

Yellow chest the dark under chin patch ruffled as he's puffed up against the cold

170226 OM1ii Millennium Fields #York #Yorkbirding #northyorkshirebirds #ukbirds No idea how many Siskin in the little wood, sounded like a welcome invasion force. Managed to get fairly close too.

16/170226 Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #northyorkshirebirds 2 Thrushes ?song on Monday and a surprisingly kind Treecreeper today. Couldn't get really close but delighted to see them.

140226 OM1ii Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #ukbirds #birds #northyorkshirebirds #naturelovers Sky was a funny colour, called BLUE, I think, & there was a yellow thing shining brightly. Off we went in search of Siskin, heard lots, no idea how many, as usual high & distant, sore neck & shoulder

A lucky shot, 2 Siskin, one has just taken off and the wings are partially open, the other clinging to the seed heads

Female, less brightly coloured than the flashy male, no distinctive dark forehead and with a lightly striped chest

Male, scratching. Back towards the camera, left wing down showing the bright yellow body. Wings are black and yellow. Left leg near the head

Male Siskin, black forehead, yellow wings closed across the body

010226 OMSystem Millennium Fields #york #yorkbirding #northyorkshirebirds #wildlifephotography Hadn't seen Siskin in my last 4 visits to MF & wondered if they had moved on. Definitely NOT. No idea how many other than many scattered around the area.

4 Redpoll hiding and not showing their faces, obviously feeling a bit shy, the only shot I managed yesterday.

Tiny brown bird, pale chest and the red forehead patch from which it gets its name, just visible. Didn't see many today, only 3, but always a joy to se them.

A much better view of the puffed up pale striped chest and red forehead

Seen mostly from the back, paler head, brown wings

010226 OM1ii Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #ukbirds #northyorkshirebirds #redpoll #siskin #OMSystem #naturelovers #wildlifephotography My last, and only, photo of January and 3 of a lot! today, Feb 1st

Polaris conveniently lives right above my chimney so I always know where to find him - clever moi! This is one hour of trails, f2 ISO 500 15 second exposures cleverly blended together by OM1ii. I don't think I will add this odd image to my potentially year long project. Don't know what was happening, I thought I heard fireworks when I went out at 7 to check the progress. I've been told that helicopters and small planes were circling overhead. Don't know the reason and no way to find out unless a York person knows and will tell me/us.

50%, 12 hours of unedited trails. 1440x2 15 second images. I may or not use this or the 2 6 hour images merged here by StarStax. There's a long way and time to go to get the other 50%

After a night of not enough sleep, 1am is far too late for me to head to bed, a bright, sunny if frosty day, perfect for a trip to Millennium Fields in search of Siskin. A Fairly large flock saw me before I saw them but 5 teased, giving me long enough for imperfect shots. Then 2 settled. This is the beautiful delicately coloured female. Light feathers and with pale stripes on the chest.

Mr Siskin much flashier, yellow green wings, yellow head with a black patch on top.

140126 OM1ii @sjbastro.bsky.social @salopchris.bsky.social @davidbflower.bsky.social @astroroyalscot.bsky.social #yorkbirding #York #northyorksbirding #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #OMSystem #24hourstartrails Nut, The Sky Goddess & Luna Moon were kind last night so my 24 hr project began.

120126 No camera of course but a sight seeing visitor from somewhere, maybe Harewood House, soaring high above me on Broadway at 12.30. Gorgeous Red Kite. #York #yorkbirding #northyorksbirds #ukbirding #birds

A skein of Geese heading towards Uni East Campus to spend the night by the lakes. Clear blue sky, Geese going right, a plane above them heading left and trees below.

Hopeless, very high shot of my first Greenfinch for several years.

UNexpected shot, there were 2 Redwings togther and one took flight showing the red underwing. Poor shot but at least it shows the red!

AS high as they could be, a Redwing facing left right at the top of the bush and below, to the right a tiny Blue Tit. It was about to jump up to the twing above it and the tail feathers are extended, yellow chest clearly visible.

100126 OM1ii An unsuccessful search for Siskin this morning but lots of Goldfinch and various Tits at Millennium Fields. No chance of photos, all too active, so a trip to Walmgate Stray in the afternoon #York #yorkbirding #northyorksbirding #naturelovers #wildlifephotography

The local Pied Wagtail is back after a 2 year absence. It patrols several streets, this shot is from across the road, so quite distant.

Robin back on the Stray, this time sitting beside the ditch, again very fluffed up against the cold.

Quite a few Redwings again today and this one, high at the top of the bush has a berry in its beak. The pale eyebrow and the red under the wing are clearly visible.

This bird was a bit closer and just sat staring into space. I'm not certain if it IS a Redwing, the eyebrow doesn't seem light enough and I can see no trace of red.

080126 OM1ii Walmgate Stray #York #yorkbirding #ukbirding #ukwildlife #northyorksbirds #wildlifephotography #uknaturalists #birds I asked the Tiny Terrier Tyrant which way she wanted to go walkies so back to look for Redwings and not Siskin. Not sure about bird 4.

Redwing, one of maybe 5 today, all too high for decent shots. Didn't have the camera with me a few days ago when about 30 were feeding at different levels. The Stray is the only place I see them

Robin all fluffy against the cold. As always quite happy to sit and pose for several minutes

Is it a bird? Maybe it thinks it is, Squirrel perched high in the tree. At least I got a reasonably good picture of that!

As I said, I've walked these 63 acres for 50 years. A bird I don't expect to see is Kingfisher despite them living at the Uni and the ditch this bird was perched beside leads to another ditch which runs between Uni and Stray. In the 50 years, this is only my second sighting of this gorgeous bird, the other about 30 years ago. Very distant, would rather have a poor record shot than a closer blur.

070126 OM1ii #York #yorkbirding #ukbirding #northyorksbirding #naturelovers #wildlifephotography #uknaturalists @nybirdnews.bsky.social I have walked #Walmgatestray for 50 years, seeing many changes, not all improvements.

040126 Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #wildlifephotography #uknaturelovers #ukbirding #ukbirds #northyorksbirding #OMSystem Huge flock of Siskin today & 1st time I've seen them ground feeding here. No Redpoll but lots of Blue & Great tits, 2 flying Cormorants

Yellow male Siskin, sitting on seed heads. Pale chest & abdomen with darker streaks. The dark head patch slightly visible

A distant shot from the side, the dark and light stripes on the wings can be seen

Feeding upside down, the yellow chest of the male and the pale abdomen visible, as is the dark head patch

Upside down again, a fragment of seed dropping from the beak and some other pink fragments still around the beak. Delightful little finches, I was so very pleased to see them and the Redpoll today, a perfect way to end 2025

311225 BYe bye 2025 with a flock of about 25 Siskin and some fairly OK shots. Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #naturelovers #ukbirding #ukbirds #OMSystem #uknaturalists

Male Bulfinch with his magnificent red chest and shiny black head sat happily posing, "Look at me, see how handsome I am." Mrs Bulfinch in Danesmead wood, no phot

I think possibly 3 Redpoll, no really clear shots, but enough on this to see the red head patch and the red chest above the light abdomen.

Side view, red head patch visible, light coloured chest with darker streaks

311225 Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #ukbirds #ukbirding #uknaturalists #naturelovers #OMSystem 3 Swans flying towards the city, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wrens, something tiny, round and light coloured scuttling in low foliage, no chance of photo it was VERY fast.

The folded wings of Redpoll, something I've never seen before. Brown with lighter stipes visible as it feeds with its back to me.

The red forehead from which it derives its name visible as the head is bent towards the seeds it is eating. A second bird partially hidden to the right

3 birds, one has just left the twig, wings upright and th elight coloured underwing clearly visible. There are 2 more birds, one to each side, both busy feeding

Carduelis flammea 13-15cms finch yellow conical bill, red patch on forehead upper chest streaked brown and pale brown, abdomen pale feeds on alder 3 Birds in this shot, triangle formation, chest and abdomen visible

191225 Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #wildlifephotography #ukbirds #ukwildlife #naturelovers #OMSystem The red heads are back! About 20 Redpoll. Delighted to see them back but I really wish all these birdies would sit where I can easily photograph them!

carduelis spinus 12cms long finch male yellow and green

Male has a dark forehead

Male yellow chest, the breeding season black chest bib is absent now.

191225 Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #ukbirding #northyorkshirebirds #uknaturalists #wildlifephotography #OMSystem Only 2 Siskin today, clearly visible but as ever too high and distant for my bad shoulder and damaged neck.

161225 Millennium Fields #York #yorkbirding #northyorksbirds #ukbirds #birds #OMSystems
A large mixed flock of Goldfinch & Long Tail Tits (apologies for awful pics) and Siskin. Not sure how many. Possibly were in Danesmead wood this morning but didn't have the camera.

131225 Millennium Fields #York Beautiful birdy day and a flock of about 40 Siskin left an accessible tree and flew out of my reach. These are memory shots from 2 years ago. #yorkbirding #ukbirding #ukbirds #uknaturalists #naturelovers Maybe one day I'll get decent shots again 🤞

CARDUELIS SPINUS. 12cms long. A Finch. Male has yellow chest and a black patch on his head. Light coloured beak.

Female more subdued in colour. Her chest is very pale brown with darker streaks.

Male from the side. Yellow and black wing bars visible, a yellow streak below his black head patch.

Tiny Tree Creeper, also known as Tree Mouse. Feeds by running upwards around the tree. VERY fast moving. Brown wings, beige chest abdomen. Long, slightly down curved bill for picking tiny insects out of the tree bark.

111225 Millennium Fields OM1ii #york #OMSystems #yorkbirding #wildlifephotography #ukbirds #northyorksbirds #naturephotography These are the closest Siskins I've seen so far this winter. Not sure how many, maybe 10. They were a bit more cooperative than the Tree Mouse!

081225 Millennium Fields. #York #Yorkbirding #ukbirding #ukbirds #naturelovers #ukwildlife #uknaturalists SISKIN, fewer seen than Saturday but a bit closer so slightly less rubbish pics. Not sure how many & again they were with Goldfinch and Blue Tits. No sign of Redpolls, hope they'll be back soon

FALCO TINNUNCULUS, Kestrel looking down on its world. Wingspan 65-80cm. I think this is male, blue grey head and dark spotted light brown chest. At least THIS shot is reasonably clear!

CARDUELIS SPINUS. Small winter visitor. Male is yellow & green with black forehead. Yellow chest visible in this very distant shot.

Apologies for a rubbish shot with wings wide spread. Black forehead visible with yellow stripes to the sides

Head down feeding and so not visible but the pale abdomen and dark & yellow side stripes above the abdomen can be seen.

061225 Millennium Fields. #York #yorkbirding #northyorkshirebirds #uknaturalists #naturelovers. Kestrel and here they are SISKIN!!!! About 40 Siskin & Goldfinch. Too high for good pics with a bad left shoulder & damaged neck but so happy they are here at last. Also 4 Cormorants crossing the Ouse

Redpoll back in the little wood on Millennium Fields. Little brown bird, looks very much like a Sparrow until you see the red markings on the head from which it gets its name. Hopefully more will soon arrive and I'll get better shots.

Male Siskin. They haven't arrived yet but hopefully soon. Yellow bird with dark stripes on the wings and tail.

We don't get Waxwings very often and these were very distant. Exquisite birds with a crest, dark throat. Wings have white, yellow and red patterns

Redwing. It's the under wing which is red. From a distance it looks quite like a Thrush, Feeds on berries.

301125 Millennium Fields. 3 Redpoll & sadly only hopeless shots. So added some memories and hopes for visitors soon🤞 #York #yorkbirding #ukbirding #ukbirds #uknaturalists #naturelovers #OMSystem #naturalists

Danesmeade Wood, Fulford, York. First photo taken for many months, an almost co-operative Blue Tit feeding on red berries. Tiny yellow bird with a blue head and a dark streak running from beak to back of head. Wings are a grey blue colour. Gregarious birds and in winter other species of Tits will join them and congregate in large flocks.

The Redpolls are here! 3 seen today on Millennium Fields. Hopeless distant shots, couldn't get very close but delighted to see them. Maybe the Siskins will arrive soon too. Small brown bird with a little red patch above the beak between the eyes. Not sure what the seeds are that they and the Siskin eat.

261125. Woke to decidely nippy conditions with ice crystals making wonderful patterns on the south facing back door. OM1 mark2 with 90mm macro lens, 9 images stacked in camera.

Every pattern is different, intricate and beautiful.

261125 OM1ii #ukbirds #ukwildlife #yorkbirding #uknaturalists #OMSystem birds and ice crystals on the window.

Male Mallard, shiny green head, dark eyes and yellow bill, mottled brown chest. He's standing on the frozen lake.

Female Mallard swimming in the small area of open water. Shes mottled brown with a dark headm yellow bill with distinctive markings and a white chest.

This bird, I think the gynandromorph, has the male's green head but the female's white chest and yellow bill with a dark pattern. The bird is standing on the ice.

This I believe is the hybrid, but I don't know if this is correct, it could just be a very dark female with the patterned yellow bill and white chest.

261125 1st visit to #RowntreePark for months in search of the gynandromorph Mallard #ukbirds #ukwildlife #uknaturalists #yorkbirding #wildlifephotography #omsystem OM1ii

2 Nov. 2.30pm, Heslington Lane, York. Clear blue sky and a gorgeous Red Kite circling above my head. Of course no camera! #yorkbirding #ukbirds #ukwildlife #birds #uknaturalists

Little Gull, Greenshank and Ruff by the Lower Wharfe, so the winds have produced something. #YorkBirding

1027 PF Geese, 8 Whoopers SE over the Lower Wharfe between Leeds and York #YorkBirding