The Treecreeper

 I've been housebound by a combination of both terrible weather and a terrible back spasm. Really not happy about my exercise level lately and diet too; feel rather chubby with my trip to Berlin upcoming. 

On a day when I was able to get out I was however fortunate enough to have a rare good view of a treecreeper in the Old Oak Wood by the River Devon. They are incredibly hard birds to see against a tree trunk, only the flash of white belly giving the bird's appearance away usually.

As ever, it was spiralling up the tree trunk with it's almost claw like tail acting as a third leg. 

Not rare birds, but a rare sighting!

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 01.04.23

The Treecreeper in the Cemetery

I've had a busy day today, with a 7km walk this morning, and a slowish 13km run in the afternoon. But there wasn't a lot to see, apart from a number of raptors around the owl land, two of which may have been the short eared owls of legend, and another might have been a marsh harrier as it flew low and straight and not like a buzzard.

"Might", but probably weren't. I don't really see exotic stuff.

More ordinary birds are interesting enough, however, like the treecreeper I observed in the cemetery yesterday, making its way up the trunk of a tall tree. Unusually, it was ascending the tree in a rather direct fashion, rather than spiralling clockwise up the trunk, going up one side before fluttering round to the other.

I'm reasonably pleased with these shots; I think you can see the birds long thin curved bill, perfect for foraging in crevices in the bark, and also the birds long toes, and stiff tail that aids its ascent of trees.

They are hard to spot, but worth watching if you do.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 22.03.16