jall25 Posted April 1, 2023 Report Share Posted April 1, 2023 5 hours ago, Walker570 said: I think I have solved the niger seed problem. Cut the base of a plastic drum and made a bracket for it, then hung the two feeders just over the tray. Yes they still chuck the seed out but we have also seen them feeding in the tray. Have up to six at a time coming every morning and afternoon. Bullfinch cock and hen, chaffinch cock and hen, greenfinch hen, and all the other usuals. Real pleased we have at least one pair of bullfinches in the village. Good on you Walker ! On 29/03/2023 at 11:58, twenty said: Osprey recorded from Hampshire To Northumberland ( 4/5 County Sightings ), on their return to breeding sites, over the last few days. Osprey was over Derbyshire Thursday and Friday too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
London Best Posted April 2, 2023 Report Share Posted April 2, 2023 10 hours ago, jall25 said: Osprey was over Derbyshire Thursday and Friday too We saw Osprey here over S. Derbyshire last week too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted April 10, 2023 Report Share Posted April 10, 2023 A Cuckoo, and two Pied Flycatchers reported in the Forest of Dean yesterday (9/4/23). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted April 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2023 Curious times afoot in the heron world. Two pairs of Black-Crowned Night Herons have turned up, one pair on the Stour in Dorset, the other near Ossett, Yorkshire. Males and females are alike, so we can't tell if they're actually breeding pairs, but you never know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted April 10, 2023 Report Share Posted April 10, 2023 More egrets enjoying the pools of water and wet ground alongside the river here. Becoming quite common sightings now. First blackbirds egg shell from a hatch found yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jall25 Posted April 10, 2023 Report Share Posted April 10, 2023 9 minutes ago, Walker570 said: More egrets enjoying the pools of water and wet ground alongside the river here. Becoming quite common sightings now. First blackbirds egg shell from a hatch found yesterday. Just starting to see the odd egret up here Getting a few parakeets about and hundreds and hundreds of stock doves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted April 15, 2023 Report Share Posted April 15, 2023 None of those green rats yet but do have a pair of stock doves visiting to feed on the maize silage. Goldfinches eating us out of house and home and the hen greenfinch came back yesterday, hope to see some youngsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jall25 Posted April 15, 2023 Report Share Posted April 15, 2023 I love the Goldies and the green finch Got a few pairs of bullies that have set up definite nesting areas Cant beat the song birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted April 17, 2023 Report Share Posted April 17, 2023 (edited) A singing Nightingale in Highnam Woods, Nr Gloucester yesterday (16/4/23). Three Ring Ouzel on Cleeve hill, one Ring Ouzel on Stinchcombe golf course (16/4/23). A Grasshopper Warbler in Frampton reed beds (16/4/23). Edited April 17, 2023 by twenty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jall25 Posted April 17, 2023 Report Share Posted April 17, 2023 4 minutes ago, twenty said: A singing Nightingale in Highnam Woods, Nr Gloucester yesterday (16/4/23). 🤩 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted April 22, 2023 Report Share Posted April 22, 2023 A Hawfinch in a garden in Nailsworth (Nr Stroud), yesterday. 21/4/23, A Swift and five yellow wagtail at Frampton as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted April 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2023 Dorset is continuing to deliver some special birds. We have a pair of Black Winged Stilts at Lodmoor right now and are going through protracted courting/mating behaviour. They might actually breed here this time. We've got Forster's Tern still hanging around Wareham/Poole Harbour and we had a very brief visitation from an Elegant Tern too. Warblers are coming through too. Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat are back. Always nice to see and hear them. Not many ouzels though, which is unusual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted April 28, 2023 Report Share Posted April 28, 2023 Fussy these birds aren't they! I ran out of sunflower hearts the other week so put out some black sunflower seeds, and they've hardly been touched really. Greenfinch on them today, other wee birds flitting in and out but nothing like I normally get. The bird bath has been popular today, and I'm happy to say the Thrushes are still in and out the garden, the problem is so are 5 or 6 cats 😡 I'm also seeing a lot more thrushes in the woods I shoot either smashed snails everywhere as well as more Willow tits in the new wood 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jall25 Posted April 28, 2023 Report Share Posted April 28, 2023 Birds up here go mad for the sunflowers Was out foxing the other night and great to see a couple of pairs of Curlew displaying What a sound ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted May 7, 2023 Report Share Posted May 7, 2023 I have noticed that my bird feeders aren't being hit as hard, just a few mad flurries , but the Gold and Green finches are still coming, messy eaters! I also noticed driving into work this morning a lot of bugs on my windscreen, which has to be good for the birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted May 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 7, 2023 1 hour ago, Mice! said: I have noticed that my bird feeders aren't being hit as hard, just a few mad flurries , but the Gold and Green finches are still coming, messy eaters! I also noticed driving into work this morning a lot of bugs on my windscreen, which has to be good for the birds. A lot of species that are generalists - tits, robins and the like - and are already feeding chicks will be looking for protein-rich insect larvae to feed their young, so they will be avoiding the fat-rich seeds that are in most garden feeding stations. once the chicks are fledged and then independent, numbers around the feeders will pick up again - assuming there are no second broods! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted May 7, 2023 Report Share Posted May 7, 2023 Yes Chris I'm taking it as a good sign that there's plenty of natural feed around for the birds, I just need to keep the cats and magpies out of my garden now for when the first chicks pop up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shufti Posted May 7, 2023 Report Share Posted May 7, 2023 Heard my first positively identified Nightingale singing tonight. He was a way off , but heard from approx 9 pm until I left the field at 11pm. Gorgeous! One happy bunny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jall25 Posted May 8, 2023 Report Share Posted May 8, 2023 5 hours ago, Shufti said: Heard my first positively identified Nightingale singing tonight. He was a way off , but heard from approx 9 pm until I left the field at 11pm. Gorgeous! One happy bunny! Great ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted May 8, 2023 Report Share Posted May 8, 2023 6 hours ago, Shufti said: Heard my first positively identified Nightingale singing tonight. He was a way off , but heard from approx 9 pm until I left the field at 11pm. Gorgeous! One happy bunny! Its a lovely song isn't it, Highnam woods just west of Gloucester has breeding Nightingales, Three singing Nightingales were reported there yesterday (7/5/23). White stork reported over WWT Slimbridge yesterday (7/5/23), and later over Frampton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted May 15, 2023 Report Share Posted May 15, 2023 Male White- Spotted Bluethroat back at WWT Slimbridge for the third year. (14/5/23). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrpip Posted May 17, 2023 Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 Pair of swifts, South of Doncaster, numbers have been low for the last few years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinj Posted May 17, 2023 Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 I had a holiday on the isle of Harris/Lewis, returned on 5th May. I was hoping to spot an eagle or two but, despite visiting some hotspots they eluded us, however, while sightseeing with the family I did spot a Stonechat sitting on a fence 6 feet away, Rafts of Scoters, Eider duck and Merganser off shore and . . . Great Northern Divers swimming 40 metres off the beach. Oh! and Puffins seen from the ferry. All firsts for me except the Stonechat, I was well pleased with the Great Northern Divers, I was hoping to spot divers of any variety. Even more pleased that they were in identifiable plumage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted May 19, 2023 Report Share Posted May 19, 2023 Yesterday I saw a bird flying near my house which I couldn't identify. If was the size of a crow, had a longish tail and was grey in colour. The closest bird to it would be a male Hen Harrier but it wasn't one of those. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jall25 Posted May 19, 2023 Report Share Posted May 19, 2023 6 hours ago, JDog said: Yesterday I saw a bird flying near my house which I couldn't identify. If was the size of a crow, had a longish tail and was grey in colour. The closest bird to it would be a male Hen Harrier but it wasn't one of those. Any suggestions? Goshawk ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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