Caught on camera!

A few visitors to my garden that were caught on camera!

This cheeky mouse was helping itself to a tube feeder full of birdseed. I thought the feeder had suddenly started to empty rapidly!
The images were taken in January and similar antics took place in February!

 

 My 'camera Trap' caught a few visitors last Sunday evening and into early Monday morning.

 

In order of appearance!

 

 

The 3 Carrion Crows are daily visitors along with the Woodpigeons that are building in numbers this last month! It is not unusual to count 14 + some days!

 

Roll on Springtime!

 

 

 

 

 

Mallards, Geese and signs of new growth!

30/01/2020

A walk today around Bodenham Arboretum was as always a pleasant and leisurely walk. Birds were at a premium today with just Blackbird, Robin, Dunnock and Corvids seen on the walk and a Nuthatch heard only. Mallards were in and around the big pool along with a couple of Canada Geese.

With the deciduous trees having lost their leaves the winter evergreens provide a welcome touch of colour in mid-winter.
Snowdrops and wild cyclamen were a welcome sight to see and are a reminder that spring is around the corner after the long winter months.

This  Viburnum Farreri is showing signs of life with green foliage sprouting! Not long to wait now to see and smell it's fragrant flowers.

                             The stems of Dogwood brighten a dull winter's day.

The Tree in the Wood

 

There was a tree grew in the wood

The finest tree that ever was seen

The tree grew in the wood

The limb grew on the tree

A branch grew on the limb

A nest was on the branch

An egg was in the nest

A yolk was in the egg

A bird was in the yolk

A wing was on the bird

A feather was on the wing

And the green leaves grew  all around around around

And the green leaves grew all around.

 

Anonymous.

 

 

                                     

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01/02/2020
Stourbridge Canal.

 

 

 

 

A pleasant walk with Redwings seen in good numbers but unfortunately the Ring-necked Parakeets which are in this area were not seen or heard......maybe on another day!

Watch this space......well blog!

 

                                                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caunsall Canal. 25/01/20

Today was to be the best weather day of the weekend, though another  'grey' day it was still pleasant to be out and about in the fresh air!
Caunsall Canal was the choice today and fortunately it was not muddy along the canal path. The highlight were the flock of 60+ Pied Wagtails that were in a field with grazing cows, it was good to see such a quantity. They were at times flying from the fields to the nearby sewage treatment works, unusually there was no sign of a Grey Wagtail in this area.
Species seen today were: Blue, Great and Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Blackbird, Goldcrest, Redwing, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Mallard, Wren, Woodpigeon, Siskin and Song Thrush. A Common Buzzard was heard only.

Goosanders on the River Stour, this stretch of the river is adjacent to Caunsall Canal.

 

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Big Garden Birdwatch 2020.

 

26/01/2020 

Time: 09.30 - 10.30am

2 Blackbird
1 Coal Tit
14 Woodpigeon
1 Robin
2 Blue Tit
2 Jackdaw
1 Magpie
1 Herring Gull
1 Dunnock
2 Long-tailed Tit.

 

The 3 Carrion Crows that visit daily deserted me during the count...and the Wren! ;-)

 

WWT Upton Warren N R.19/01/2020

Barn Owls were the stars today during our visit to Upton Warren Nature Reserve. The sun was shining low in the sky as a Barn Owl appeared over the flashes and began quartering the reed beds, it was soon joined by a second Barn Owl! Great views were enjoyed of both Owls, they maybe a pair as they did not seem to be bothered by each other's presence. After a while one of the Owls departed whilst the other Owl continued quartering the reeds! It had been a 'magical' 30+ minutes!

 

Bird species seen in no particular order at the Flashes and Sailing Pool were: Black-headed Gull, Curlew, Common Snipe, Common Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, Pied Wagtail, Lapwing, Teal, Coot, Moorhen, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Canada Geese, Great Crested Grebe, Tufted Duck, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Magpie and Jackdaw.

 

Spot the Common Snipe!

 

The weather later in the afternoon was a mixture of sunshine, mist and fog.

The sailing pool looked splendid in the fading light, so atmospheric!

 

 

 

BTO- Garden Birdwatch 2020.

Today (5th January) marks the start of the weekly Garden Birdwatch for 2020 and marks the start of my 17th year of participating in this project.

The years have passed by quickly. I have at times thought of giving up doing the weekly counts of the garden birds and other wildlife that is present as it is quite repetitive, then a bird I have not seen in my garden for a while pays a visit and it then ignites my interest to carry on!

Today for example a male Blackcap put in a short appearance in one of the apple trees, a bird that has not been a regular visitor since winter 2015. Apples spiked on the trees were regularly enjoyed by normally a single male Blackcap. They were a delight to watch!

Having records dating back to 2003 is useful in that I can check the reporting rate, dates and numbers of species I have recorded, sadly some species have seen a remarkable decline in just my garden! House Sparrows and Starlings are two species that I now rarely see in my garden.

Starlings are at times seen to fly over my garden in small numbers though at one time the feeders in my garden where a thriving stopover with birds counted in good numbers! Not anymore sadly. On checking my records the decline is noticeable from Autumn 2011, few have been recorded since.

House Sparrows are more of a rarity in my garden though they are seen to be thriving in small flocks locally to me, thankfully! My records show a startling decline from summer 2007.

Today I have recorded in my garden in order of appearance: Blackbird x2, Carrion Crow x2, Magpie x2, Blue Tit x1, Woodpigeon x6, Coal Tit x1, Great Tit x2, Blackcap (m) x1, Wren x 1, Robin x1, Jackdaw x2,  Redwing x1.
As the week progresses I will add any new species and also increase the count of a species already recorded if a few more arrive. I am hoping that a few of the small flock of Redwings that are sighted frequently these last few days atop of a neighbours tall tree will spot the spiked apples and visit!

A photo attached of the Redwing in my garden taken through a window, not a clear image but that does not matter as the sighting of the Redwing was more important and enjoyable than a good photo!

Happy New Year to one and all.

My first post of 2020!

First 3 birds seen in my garden this morning.
1. Blackbird
2. Carrion Crow
3. Jackdaw

First bird 'heard' only was .....a Robin, surprise surprise!! I did see him/her later in the garden.

A welcome visitor to my garden!

A welcome surprise greeted me when I checked the images on my Camera Trap!

Foxes are the normal visitors captured on the camera throughout the night and the occasional Hedgehog and Cat!

I did not expect to see a Tawny Owl! I have added images taken over two nights. The food is what is put out for the foxes, normally put out every other night or less frequent so they do not rely too much on the food. The Owl actually took a slug from the dish!

 

A few images taken over the 2 evenings.

 

 

 

 

There were 2 Owls that visited....whoopee!!!

A blurred image but clearly 2 Owls in the image.

 

 

 

 

 

Tu-whit tu-whoo.