Amazing!
These things are all relative! We have just acquired a friendly neighbourhood heron looking for frogs and toads around the pond in the ‘wildlife’ bit of our garden. Janet managed a rather poor pic on her phone, which she tells me she can’t send to my laptop. I did try with her camera, but I am hopeless. The poor heron posed for ages waiting for me, but, by the time I worked out how to turn it on, he/she got fed up, finished the frog/toad and flew off!! Janet is doing all she can with nets etc. to keep heron away from pond. We disagree somewhat. I do know there are zillions of heron-friendly feeding spots round here, but I don’t honestly think he/she will wipe all wildlife out from our pond and I like to see the heron!! One of our hoodies was back this morning eating… I think… a frog/toad!! Toffi (toy poodle pup) stood & barked. Hoodie just ate in a leisurely way!!.
I know a lot of people don’t like magpies, but I always think that the metallic blue visible on the wing there is one of nature’s most perfect colours.
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I have to take issue with you there, J.P. To me a “great photographer” is someone who brings great pleasure and great interest to a wide range of people. You are a great documenter of nature with an artistic eye. By that definition, you are very clearly a great photographer. 
I am all the more impressed that you achieve your results with a “bridge” camera. I had assumed it was a high end SLR with impressive glassware.
Dal ati a diolch yn fawr eto, ychan 
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Funnily enough we have a couple of local spots where jays are reliably seen. One is an avenue along the B road nearby where we often see one in flight (at pretty well exactly the same spot). Whether I could capture it in flight or even spot it at rest, though, is a totally different matter. I love their flash of colour and cacophonous screech.
I don’t think we get jays in Scotland. Am I right or is it just this part?
According to the RSPB, (RSPB Jay page), jays are less likely to be found in the North of Scotland. I don’t remember ever seeing one in my 20 years in Aberdeen, for instance, which is slap bang on the Northern limit of the RSPB distribution map. Now ptarmigans on the other hand
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When I was out walking in the Black Mountains, near Crickhowell the week before last it was quite foggy, we were strung out one behind the other on a narrow path when we saw something walking towards us to cross our path. At first we thought it was a large chicken or small turkey that had escaped from a farm, but about 3 metres from us it suddenly took fright and ran away then flew off. It was a male black grouse (grugiar ddu)! I thought that they were only to be found in Scotland and the North York Moors, but on checking in my book it seems they are found in Wales. I did not have a camera with me, but one of the other walkers took a photo. Not sure how good the photo would be as it was foggy.
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Thanks for so much interest, the magpie though not the most popular bird is certainly beautiful in it’s own way, a jay i see quite often but it’s always distant.
Strangely i bought this camera in mid December and have not seen a heron since then, i don’t know why they have disappeared from this area, to meet with a grouse in Wales would certainly rate as a good day.
Anyway i’m just back from a long weekend in Cornwall and did have one bird photo come out quite nice.
Gylfinir - curlew.
Cheers J.P.
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Funnily enough, we see a lot of Jays in Redditch, up close too, so maybe they like more built up areas more than open country?
Stu
This link is worth following!! My friend Janet sent it to me!
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Brilliant! Thank you for sharing😄
Reasons you should never visit Wales (could have been an Ian dury song).
All i can think of Stu is that they grew up near people so are not wary, as to my surprise may be true for these turnstones (Cwtiad y traeth) i saw on the streets of Padstow on Sunday.
Bad photo i’m afraid.
Cheers J.P.
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Maybe that explains ‘our’ heron who showed no fear at all of us!! (He/she has departed now, presumably because the frogs/toads have finished spawning). Certainly in 2013, at least 2 of ‘our’ squirrels learned that the spaniel I had then was no threat and ran at the sight of them!! from Jackie
p.s. To Ann: glad you liked the link.
Now there is interesting comments, a non to fearful heron and frogs/toads have finished spawning, i haven’t seen any frog spawn around here (it was very low in amount last year), fingers crossed i get time to look in some likely places over the next couple of weeks.
With spring approaching it is nice to see some flowers starting.
Briallu - Primrose.
And the best photo i have taken of this beautiful bird so far.
Nico - Goldfinch.
Cheers J.P.
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Sorry John, I should have said, “or all been eaten”… and the heron came back, so… We are nowhere near getting primroses (or goldfinches yet). I have to bring daffs in out of the garden to get a flower out for Gwyl Dewi!
It certainly sounds like you get more in the garden than where i live (enjoy).
Your lack of flowers reminds me that at the moment Scotland still has less daylight than down south, but of course at the equinox we will have equal daylight and from then onwards your days will lengthen quicker than here.
Now i’m not good on plants but this welsh is producing some curious names, i think this is ivy leaved toadflax.
Trwyn y llo dail eiddew - ivy leaved toadflax. (i think).
The curious to me bit is the name or first part, “Trwyn y llo” seems to translate as calf’s nose/ nose of the calf.
Apparently trwyn y llo on its own is the snapdragon in English.
The ivy leaved, seems a direct translation due to it’s shape (logical !!).
But in English (Toad flax) and Welsh (calf’s nose), i can only wonder at the history behind these names.
Cheers J.P.
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Niwl = fog
It’s not the best picture, since I took it with my phone at the bus stop, but that darkness on the horizon isn’t mountains! That’s the fog rolling into San Francisco from the Pacific!
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Great picture but sinister. Does it bring in a host of ghosts thirsting for revenge? 
Well…last night the wind was howling and something kept tap tap tapping on the wall, so…maybe? 