PhotosByRoy.co.uk

This distinctive green plumage belongs to the male European Green Finch (Carduelis chloris), seen at the feeding station at Dove Stone Reservoir in Saddleworth, Greater Manchester on an August afternoon.

I’d gone to Dove Stone Reservoir not really knowing what I’d see. Having lived in urban areas all my life and having never been a “twitcher”, I’ve seen very few birds other than magpies, pigeons, geese and ducks! But at Dove Stone, I saw a number of green finches, coal tits, blue tits and even a green woodpecker – all in the space of around thirty minutes.

The downside of Dovestone Reservoir is that there’s no hide, which means I had to remain a good distance from the feeding station. Consequently, even with my trusty 70-300mm lens at full stretch, the bird in the above shot was just a small speck in the centre of the viewfinder. Obviously the above image is just a tiny segment of the original.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II w/ Sigma 70-300mm DG OS @ 300mm;    Exposure: 1/320th sec @ f6.3;     ISO: 800