Friday Morning 30.01.2015 10.00am - 11.00am ( Can't do any work with all this snow on the ground so a bit more spare time, plenty of birds to watch and a very enjoyable hour. In addition to the birds listed there were numerous gulls 'Black Headed' overhead a small skein of Pink feet and a grey heron, Sparrowhawk soaring high and Kestrel hovering in adjacent field. Plenty of red berries on local bushes where Waxwings fed last year, just hoping.)
The last of the snow has just about cleared in the garden, amazing how the robins not now so desperate for a feed have become quite aggressive and territorial, still here in large numbers sometimes into double figures. A single brambling and a male bullfinch have been regular visitors along with all the usual suspects. Redwings have visited the adjacent field sometimes as many as thirty but just two fieldfares. The badgers haven't ventured far in the snow but plenty of evidence of some activity around the sett openings up to four grey squirrels making a regular appearance. Great and blue tits exploring the nest boxes and a female blackbird seen to carry nesting material into the conifer hedge. Thrushes and tits have been in abundance but finches seem to be on a serious decline. Wood and feral pigeons in abundance along with, collared doves, dunnocks, wrens, magpies and jackdaws, just a couple of jays and one rook, carrion crows regular in the field but don't venture into the garden. Kestrel and sparrowhawk seen almost daily, one buzzard and a peregrine since Christmas, tawnies regularly heard but only seen at dusk flying across The Glen. Looking forward to the Spring and what that brings, Cheers Tony.
Still a lot of robins and blackbirds, blue, great, coal and long tailed tit this morning, goldfinch on niger seed. Feral and wood pigeons, collared dove, numerous jackdaws and magpies, two carrion crow, one jay, several dunnock. Male and female tawny owl heard last night, two grey squirrels and lawn almost rotovated by badgers overnight. Tits quite active around nest boxes but not sure if any residents as yet.
First Robins fledged this morning from a nest in the conifer hedge, mother frantically feeding at least four all around the garden, bits of fat from balls and feeders appears favourite.
Interesting hour this morning the overnight rain has brought all manner of livestock up onto the lawn, Blackbirds, song and mistle thrushes, robins and dunnocks having a veritable smorgasbord of a breakfast. One newly fledged Robin having a ten minute tussle with a six inch juicy Earthworm.
