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Goldcrest - britains smallest bird at Hanningfield

Friday, 6. November 2009, 20:25:04

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On Monday I ended up at Hanningfield Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserve, where thanks to the dry weatehr we have had this year here in Essex, the reservoir is very low (just above 50% capicity I'm told) so the birds hides were to far from the water for any photography. But just as I was about to give hope of getting anything I noticed a little bird feeding in the hedgerowA goldcrest :smile:

Ive only seen them 3 times before (two of which I've posted about here and here) but this was my best encounter yet. They are described as often watched at almost arm's length and not so much tame as ignorant to humans (Hume, 2002), which is exactly how this one behaved, ignoring me less than 3m away, carrying on even when I was joined by two others.

Goldcrests (Regulus regulus) are Europes smallest bird, weighing in at 5-7g and 8.5-9cm long when fully grown. This is matched only by the firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus) within Europe which is also 5-7g when adult but 9cm long (Hume, 2002).

The goldcrest flys around bushes, hedges and trees feeding on invertebrates like spiders and insects and observed this one performing the recorded hovering while searching the undergrowth for food.


Reference

Rob Hume, 2002, RSPB: Complete Birds of Britain and Europe, Doring Kindersley

Tame squirrels and macro funShaggy Ink Caps and a lazy squirrel

Comments

L2D2 6. November 2009, 20:34

They can hover like a Hummingbird? Very pretty little bird. I'm crazy about our hummingbirds. Have one that has visited my Turk's Cap plant now for two years in a row. Even with all the cats around.

RobinL 7. November 2009, 00:25

Very pretty little bird. Good capture!
Looks closer to our GoldFinch than your Goldfinch does!

cakkleberrylane 7. November 2009, 11:28

Very swett little bird. So interesting that it is not frightened by people.

Wulpen 7. November 2009, 12:53

Great shots

Words 8. November 2009, 00:05

A very nice encounter. I've only seen one of these once (in the garden of all places). Absolutely tiny little things.

SittingFox 8. November 2009, 09:01

Cute little birds. We have both goldcrests and the occasional wandering firecrest here, but they're painfully expert at hiding behind conifer twigs and needles, and I hardly ever photograph them.

Ukwildlife 8. November 2009, 15:13

@L2D2 - they hover briefly (a few seconds at most), nowhere near as well as hummingbirds. As for having hummingbirds in the garden, talk about making me jealous!

Ukwildlife 8. November 2009, 15:15

@Robin - Thanks, and I can see your point! we seem to us the term gold for any bird with the tiniest bit of gold!

Ukwildlife 8. November 2009, 15:16

Cakkleberry - it is a rather cute little thing.

Ukwildlife 8. November 2009, 15:17

@wulpen - thanks

Ukwildlife 8. November 2009, 15:19

Words - it was a nice surprise and yes they are very small!

Ukwildlife 8. November 2009, 15:19

Adele - they are hard to grab photos of. All my other encounters have involved waiting for them to emerge from behind twigs/leaves!

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