A timely decision!

It had been a timely decision to sit for an hour and watch my garden yesterday morning to count the bird species in my garden! Yes, the Big Garden Birdwatch weekend has arrived, 29th- 31st January! The weather forecast did not sound favourable for the weekend but today (Friday) it was looking good with sunny spells and more importantly dry! Today (Saturday) it is wet with rain, sleet and snow! What a difference a day makes! There is a song there somewhere.;-) I have submitted my bird counts and I have to say I think they are the best counts for a few years. ...................................................................................................................................... 9.45am-10.45am. 29/01/2021 My counts in order of appearance: Robin 2, Dunnock 3, Jackdaw 3, Blackbird 3, Carrion Crow 3, Blue Tit 2, Coal Tit 1, Magpie 2, Great Tit 2, Greenfinch 2, Blackcap (f) 1, Wren 1, Woodpigeon 2, Long-tailed Tit 3. A good excuse to sit for an hour and watch the garden. I shall look forward now to the results when the RSPB publish them.

Late to the party!

I had hoped to post a post before today, surprising how busy at times one can get even in a lockdown! My garden has been quite busy of late due to the weather and of course it being winter! My first 3 birds sightings of 2021 were in order of appearance Blackbird, Woodpigeon and a Blue Tit! Since the first 3 sightings I had I have added a few of what I call goodies, though all birds are goodies to me! The snow we had and which lay for a few days brought the birds in to my garden, not in big numbers (bar the Woodpigeons, 11 visited one day) but a nice variety. My list: Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Blackcap (M & F ), Herring Gull (not a regular visitor), Carrion Crow, Wren, Jackdaw, Black-headed Gull, Dunnock, Robin, Starling, Redwing, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Magpie, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Chaffinch and a Goldfinch! That is my garden list up until the 17th January 2021. I am pleased with the sightings, I know that I probably would not have seen this many species on a local walk, a walk much further from home would have been needed and more than one journey at that! I am missing the Bullfinches that have the past few years made use of the feeders in my garden, maybe they will appear now I have mentioned them. I have recently read that Spring 2020 was one of the warmest on records, not good news for our bird species. Dunnocks, Bullfinches and Blue Tits in particular had a poor breeding season, maybe this is the reason for their abscence.

Blackcaps were a delight to see. A female was the first on the scene followed by a male, then a couple of days later I had the pleasure of seeing 2 males and 2 females in the garden much tom the annoyance of ob=ne of the males who promptly saw off the new arrivals. A male and female have taken it almost in turn to feast on the apples of which I have now tied with green garden wire (plastic coated) and tied them to the branches of the apple tree. This has for the most part saved the apples for the birds and flummoxed the squirrels!!

A Nuthatch was a surprise sighting in one of the apple trees. A Robin did not take kindly to it's presence but the Nuthatch did manage to reach the feeders in safety! Robin's are so territorial! I was pleased with the photo of the NUthatch and Greenfinch on the feeder, not often I get to see the 2 species together! The Nuthatch returned the next day but so far has not been seen since.

As I have mentioned the Robin trying to chasing off the Nuthatch this seems a good time to add a photo of the feisty bird!!

A Wren (or maybe 2 Wrens possibly) have been regularly seen swiftly flying through the garden! Speedy birds for their size! I have had more sightings of this species during the last few weeks than I have had at anytime I reckon!

Blackbirds have been regular visitors with their numbers increasing as the days went by, 8 being the highest number to date.

I quite like the image of the Carrion Crow and Woodpigeon, usually the Woodpigeons take flight when the Crows arrive to perch on the trees!

Jackdaws are noisy but welcome in my garden. I have on average 3-5 birds almost daily when the ground food goes out on to the lawn! The Crows are not friendly towards them, likewise with the Magpies! The bird on the right has Leucism and is quite a striking bird in flight! It is my favourite Jackdaw!

I was really pleased when 4 Starlings dropped in for what seemed like seconds while one remained for a little longer to have it's photo taken! They have appeared on a hop and a catch these last 2-3 months. A few years ago I would have counted at least 20+ during cold spells!

Great, Blue and Coal Tits are seen daily and Long-tailed Tits occasionally.

Footprints in the snow!! A Heron had returned to the pond!!! The pond now has extra protection to thwart the Heron!

I have today added an extra species to my garden list! A Grey Wagtail appeared after lunch and stayed around the garden for a good 30 minutes or so! Late last year I was having visits from a Grey Wagtail, presumably the same one. I wondered what it could be eating as it pecked around on the lawns, surely not ants at this time of year. I checked out what they would normally eat, it is ants, midges and snails and tadpoles they find in shallow water. However when insects are scarce in Autumn and Winter they will come in to gardens to feed on seed and bread! An unusual but welcome bird to have feeding in the garden! ................ It will be good to eventually be able to travel further afield, though at present I am quite happy with my garden sightings.

It's here!

At last! 31/12/2020

Chestnut and Black birds!

My title refers of course to Blackcaps and very welcome they are too! A female arrived for a fleeting visit a week ago and since the snow arrived I have had the pleasure of the male and female in my garden on seperate occasions. They used to be regular Winter visitors from early December but the last few years I have hardly recorded them. So it was uplifting to see my garden still attracts these super little Warblers! The Mahonia shrubs have been favoured by the male Blackcap also a small Callicarpa plant that has metallic-purple berries! The female Blackcap up until now favours apples that I have spiked on branches. I believe i have found a way to stop the Squirrels taking the apples wholesale off the trees! More on that in another post maybe, trials are still ongoing! The images were taking from indoors so as not to startle the birds, they need to feed!

We have snow! 28/12/2020

What a lovely surprise it was to see the snow this morning! Possible snow in my area had been forecast but it had rained in the night so I did not hold out hope for snow! I was delighted to see it had fallen and was still falling early this morning. I feel the snowfall is a 'belated' Christmas gift to all the children who have had such a dreadful year to cope with, in many ways, I hope they have found pleasure in it's arrival and enjoyed a few snowball fights and of course managed some sledging! A welcome distraction for us all, though take care if you are out and about.

The spiky seed heads of teasel will soon bounce back once the snow has melted!!

The Heron will not recognise the fish pond if it arrives today! A snowy disguise!

A couple of Dunnocks were the most frequent visitors to the food in the garden this morning! Other species were Jackdaws, Robin, Blue & Great Tit, 5 Black-headed Gulls hovered over the garden and a fleeting glimpse of a female Blackcap. A male Blackcap was in my garden yesterday, such lovely little birds!

A frequent visitor is a Wren who today decided to inspect the Hedgehog house, presumably for insects.

One visitor not so welcome is a squirrel (one of two that frequent the garden) though I must admit to feeling sorry for it in the snowy weather. I did not however feel sorry for it/them when one of them half inched a fat cake feeder from my garden...goodness knows where it is! You have to smile. ;-)

Take care and enjoy the wintry weather whilst it lasts!

A frosty , foggy morning! 26/11/20

26/11/20 The first proper frost and foggy morning to remind us maybe that winter lies ahead! If the mornings are as aesthetically pleasing as they were this morning then bring it on....though minus the fog! I took a few images at a local Deer park, the deer were heard but not seen unsurprisingly in the fog. However sheep in a nearby field were more obliging with their presence. As the clouds began to break allowing the sun to shine the views took on a different aspect, how quickly our weather changes at times. A visit was made to Bodenham Arboretum later in the morning, a pleasant walk especially so in the sunshine!

29/11/20 What a difference a few days make! Today it was foggy throughout the day and thicker/dense fog late afternoon in to the evening! A walk at Brake Mill would have been more enjoyable in sunshine but hey ho we have to get on with what we are given!!! Birds were not surprisingly few and far between! Gulls, Mallards and Moorhens were on the pool with not a Canada Goose to be seen unlike a week ago when they were in and around the water in good numbers! A couple of images added to the post, as the images were in silhouette due to the dull conditions I have played around with them a little. ....... A charm of Goldfinches flew in to the tree, can you spot a few?

A very distant Great Spotted Woodpecker was pleasing to see!

I am still waiting for Goosander to put in an appearance at Brake Mill, I will keep checking.;-)