Black Redstart, Montbard, (Côte-d'Or (21))

A slightly blurred black redstart at Montbard, close to where Buffon is buried.

Life Goes on: a Mallard and Her Brood, Glossop, Derbyshire

It's early Saturday morning and there are very few people about in Wren's Nest Retail Park, Glossop, Derbyshire. A mallard discreetly feeds her brood of ten on the path by the car park: a wonderful sight. Sadly, few from the brood will survive: much as the mother strives to protect her young, predators such as herons are waiting for when they can swoop down and take their prey. Remember, it's better to feed birds with seed rather than bread, and mallards also go for seedless grapes and chopped lettuce.

Juvenile Pied Wagtail, Glossop, Derbyshire

I knew this was a pied wagtail, but with a yellow face? Yes, it's normal with juveniles. Confinement is a real education.

Bird Watching in the Time of Confinement

Confinement changes perception, forces people to look more closely at things within a shorter distance from them as their movements are considerably limited. So a local park – in this instance Manor Park, Glossop – takes on a different light. Not only is watching the water very soothing, but it's interesting watching the wildlife watching the water or drinking from it. Here we have a grey heron looking for fish, and a grey wagtail – often confused with the yellow wagtail – finding food in a clump of vegetation.

Grey Heron, Glossop, Derbyshire, UK

I spotted this grey heron while sitting in the car in Manor Park, Glossop, Derbyshire, today. It caught a few little fish and then just flew off. My English gets worse, as I just knew that it was an héron cendré, but wasn't too certain of the name in my native language.