Teide

Mt Teide 12198 ft volcano on Tenerife, Canary Islands

La Gomera

200m from the summit (you need a special permit to get to the top)

Sulphur

Sulphur (taken by Emma)

The locals

It's always the hens

Well my new opaline turk hen didn't last long.  She died about a month after getting her. I think it was some sort of stomach problem as there was whole seed in the droppings. It's always the hens and always the ones you pay that bit extra for!!!
I've decided no more new birds now, at least till spring when I'll try and swap one of my spare cocks for a hen!

Old Man of Coniston

The Old Man of Coniston is a 2,634 foot high fell overlooking Coniston village and Coniston water.

Near the summit

Trig point at summit looking towards Sca fell

Sca fell

Sca fell and Sca fell pike (the highest point in England)

Summit looking towards Coniston

Summit looking towards Coniston

Low water

Woodpecker nearly gets eaten

Another picture of the woodpecker and bullfinch...

Another woodpecker appeared and a fight started.  A few seconds into the fight there was a sudden flash of wings and feathers and this chap appeared....

A sparrowhawk. He just missed out on a meal!

Buster on the beach

Not had many pictures of Buster this year....well here he is

Taken at Sandscale Haws looking towards Black Combe...

Bonfire night

Woodpecker

Great spotted woodpecker. A female I think.

Still can't get a good photo of the male bullfinch

Sexing the yellow opaline turquoisine -beak colour

I've got a new yellow opaline turk hen (2010). She's very similar to my other yellow opaline turk that I got a month or so back, apart from she has a much lighter beak. This lead me to believe that the darker beak bird may be a cock.  This seamed to fit as pictures generally show yellow opaline cocks with darker beaks than hens. Also the hen I lost this year had a lighter beak than the cock.

Latest new hen (light beak)

Previous new hen. Is this a cock? (dark beak, some red on head and darker blue)

My opaline yellow cock (dark beak) and opaline yellow hen that died this year (light beak)

I thought I was on to something with the beak colour, however I've just got the DNA results for the new dark coloured beak bird and it is a hen.  I suppose its beak is not as dark as those of the known yellow and yellow opaline cocks, so there may still be something in it.

One thing is for sure the yellow 'hen' I also got this year is definitely a cock (also dark beak)....

And the cinnamon that I bred this year is a cock (dark beak)....

So I'm going into the winter with 4 cocks and 3 hens. I had intended to have more hens than cocks.  The other cock, is my reliable red fronted normal (dark beak)....

and my cinnamon yellow hen (oh, it also has a darkish beak)...

Opaline yellow cock and young cinnamon cock (dad and mum above)



Coming-out

I've done the same as last year; sold my young only to find out that the birds I've bought for next year are the wrong sex.  Looks like the new hens are moulting out to be cocks.

The yellow 'hen', now showing red feathers on shoulders and increase blue on face. Definite cock. I was convinced it was hen!

The opaline 'hen' was always a gamble. However looking more a male...still not sure! Hope its a hen.

My own bred cinnamon. He had red on his wings from the start, guaranteed male.  Now very scruffy and getting lots of red on chest.