Cjasar's photostream  

Maximum temperature was below zero during the last days. It's the time of the year when tits enjoy sunflower seeds and water supplies.

The low quality of the picture is due to the use of the old 300 f/4 with x2 add-on adapted to the Nikon camera, shooting through the window glass hit by sunlight. I can't imagine anything worst.

Grado beach, frozen seawater is not so common here on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, even if this is the northernmost part of it.
The shot was taken last sunday at sunset from Grado Pineta beach during low tide. Hand held camera and -3.6°C (25.2 °F).

Out of my parents living room window, testing the old 300 f/4 for OM mounted on the macro adapter for Kion. I cannot focus further than 15m far, but for closeups it is not bad. Unfortunately you loose auto exp and autofocus, dropping back to my photographic youth, when I used my father's OM1 or my own OM2 (yes, I was a lucky boy!!). The OM2 had an auto exp with f/ priority, but focus was completely by hand. It was a good training. Today I am really lazy in that sense and having not the auto mode was somehow a sort of challenge.

The last were probably the most cold days of the year, so I decided to pay a visit to the Isola della Cona and take a look at the frozen wetland.
This is the Quarantia channel, which is at present a litthe stretch of sea with a lower salinity than open Adriatic. Water is shallow so it is easier to find it frozen. Anyway, it's my first time.
Ok, this is the northernmost part of the Mediterranean, but today looked not so mediterranean at all.

Today my "private patch" (it is not local, it is MY OWN PATCH) was crowded. This nice Starling was dwelling on the kiwifruit plant out of my office window. I granted them a large flowerpot holder full of water (the most precious thing for birds during this long and cold drought and some food. The species that payed a visit are:

Sturnus vulgaris - Sturnel/Storno/Starling: x2
Turdus merula - Miarli/Blackbird/Merlo: x7
Parus major: Parussule/Great Tit/Cinciallegra: x11
Cynistes caeruleus - Parussulin/Blue Tit/Cinciarella: x5
Parus montanus - Parussulin di Mont/Willow Tit/Cincia Bigia Alpestre: x2
Troglodytes troglodytes - Scris/Wren/Scricciolo: x2
Erithacus rubecula - Petros/Robin/Pettirosso: x1
Fringilla coelebs - Franzel/Chaffinch/Fringuello: x2
Passer domesticus - Pasar/Sparrow/Passero: x6

Most amazing of all, the Tits, some Sparrows and a female Blackbird had their bath into the little pool, despite the very low temperature. I had to refill with water the holder two times because it was frozen. Then, after drinking and bathing, they had some cacke, bisquits and sunflower seeds. I am trying to offer them some tea (with milk of course) but they don't seem to appreciate it.