Mice! Posted April 28, 2021 Report Share Posted April 28, 2021 Few pairs of Chaffinches up in the big wood today at a squirrel feeder which were nice to see, along with some Goldfinch's on the woods edge. Plus the roe were roaring and barking which sounded rather spooky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted April 29, 2021 Report Share Posted April 29, 2021 (edited) Pair of goldfinch in our orchard this afternoon and my local farmer says he has a pair of Red Kites nesting in one of his woods. Seen them about, nice to have them nesting locally. Most of the small birds keeping their heads down in this very cold wet spell. Edited April 29, 2021 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted May 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2021 I missed my first really big bird of the year today. A pair of black winged stilts spent yesterday 15 minutes away from my house, but I only caught up with birdy news in the evening. I was on the reedbeds at 6am, but alas, they appear to have flown. But if you're anywhere between here and Seart Marshes in North Somerset, then keep your eyes and ears open. I'm wondering whether this pair is the one that bred on Steart last year and they stopped off at Lodmoor for a bite to eat before heading up north. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTaylor91 Posted May 2, 2021 Report Share Posted May 2, 2021 I’m not a bird enthusiast but noticed a bird on the telephone line that looked like a skinny sparrow with a red head. A bit of a google tells me it could of been a redpoll, looks exactly the same as what I saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted May 2, 2021 Report Share Posted May 2, 2021 19 minutes ago, JTaylor91 said: I’m not a bird enthusiast but noticed a bird on the telephone line that looked like a skinny sparrow with a red head. A bit of a google tells me it could of been a redpoll, looks exactly the same as what I saw. There have been huge flocks of 200 to 300 Lesser Redpoll here all winter. They are just breaking up now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted May 2, 2021 Report Share Posted May 2, 2021 Hello, with all these sightings and still not heard the cuckoo, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTaylor91 Posted May 2, 2021 Report Share Posted May 2, 2021 1 hour ago, JDog said: There have been huge flocks of 200 to 300 Lesser Redpoll here all winter. They are just breaking up now. Interesting, never seen one before but I haven’t always paid too much attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmm243 Posted May 5, 2021 Report Share Posted May 5, 2021 I heard a Cuckoo on 21st April this year,slap bang on time to when I usually hear them.Did not see it though. Saw a pair of gold finches at my parents house on Sat past which delighted them as they had been absent all winter but sadly I had a grey wagtail fly into my kitchen window and kill itself,they are a very pretty bird when observed up close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted May 5, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2021 13 hours ago, gmm243 said: I heard a Cuckoo on 21st April this year,slap bang on time to when I usually hear them.Did not see it though. Saw a pair of gold finches at my parents house on Sat past which delighted them as they had been absent all winter but sadly I had a grey wagtail fly into my kitchen window and kill itself,they are a very pretty bird when observed up close. I love a grey wagtail, they're so smart. Bright yellow and grey feels like a weird combination, but they pull it off so well. In other news, I saw my first ever Whiskered Tern today. There's a very obliging bird down at Abbotsbury Swannery right now. If you haven't seen one, forget any excitement you may have over the name (I see no whiskers) and concentrate on a very elegant, dainty bird skimming low over marshes suddenly swooping down onto invertebrates on the floor, plucking them up with their bills and moving on without landing. A charming if badly named bird. Four species in one day today: Whiskered, Common, Little and Sandwich. I'll take that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted May 6, 2021 Report Share Posted May 6, 2021 (edited) A Spoonbill and a Cattle egret at WWT Slimbridge yesterday. A Little Tern at Cotswold water park as well, for anyone in the vicinity. 4 Common Scoters on the River Severn incoming tide, at Purton (Slimbridge) Yesterday. Edited May 6, 2021 by twenty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkin Posted May 6, 2021 Report Share Posted May 6, 2021 We had a pair of greenfinches today that was nice to see in the garden but we used to get loads of them . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted May 7, 2021 Report Share Posted May 7, 2021 Pair of Little Grebes (Dabchicks) nest building locally yesterday.✔️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted May 7, 2021 Report Share Posted May 7, 2021 Golden Oriole at Spurn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureBoy Posted May 7, 2021 Report Share Posted May 7, 2021 15 hours ago, twenty said: Pair of Little Grebes (Dabchicks) nest building locally yesterday.✔️ Got a pair nesting on a pool on one of the farms for second year running. Have learnt to nest in flooded ditch running in to it to avoid preds people and dogs. Single male turtle dove came to feed in my garden last two days. Purring nearby tonight. 🙂 Fresh back i think by it's behaviour and way it's feeding. Pair of blackcap mouching about this week in garden to. Robins and one lot blackbirds on second nesting attempt after predation. Both feeding young. Only dunnocks have managed to get a brood off this year so far. Got a tawny owl visiting garden at dusk/night. . . A strange Spring. Can't remember seeing rooks/branchers out of nest (last Tuesday} before leaves on trees before. Looked really exposed. Were still redwings and fieldfares about last Thursday. Rain has helped but i think a lot of birds are struggling.. Lot of early nest attempts failing. Especially blue and great tits. Seen several grass snakes and slow worms about. Nightingale back in usual spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted May 8, 2021 Report Share Posted May 8, 2021 11 hours ago, NatureBoy said: Got a pair nesting on a pool on one of the farms for second year running. Have learnt to nest in flooded ditch running in to it to avoid preds people and dogs. Single male turtle dove came to feed in my garden last two days. Purring nearby tonight. 🙂 Fresh back i think by it's behaviour and way it's feeding. Pair of blackcap mouching about this week in garden to. Robins and one lot blackbirds on second nesting attempt after predation. Both feeding young. Only dunnocks have managed to get a brood off this year so far. Got a tawny owl visiting garden at dusk/night. . . A strange Spring. Can't remember seeing rooks/branchers out of nest (last Tuesday} before leaves on trees before. Looked really exposed. Were still redwings and fieldfares about last Thursday. Rain has helped but i think a lot of birds are struggling.. Lot of early nest attempts failing. Especially blue and great tits. Seen several grass snakes and slow worms about. Nightingale back in usual spot. Spotted a very early brood of Goldfinch youngsters being fed by both adults yesterday, they were obviously a very early clutch, as they were in the back garden, after presumably fledging in the last few days. This would have made the incubation in Late Mar, early Apr, which is early........they were quite happily being fed sunflower seed from both parents..........plenty of House sparrows feeding young at the moment, some fledged, some still nest bound........Jackdaws locally seem to have had a good year, can have up to 10 at a time in the garden when i have provided scraps for the smaller passerines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Fantastic show of yellowhammers yesterday in that pouring rain. They where feeding on a pheasant feeder and coming in eight or ten at a time. The cock birds glowing as if lit by LED. I have not seen so many since I was a kid 70yrs ago. This was just north of Stamford, Lincs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 Pallid Harrier in Lincs yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted May 9, 2021 Report Share Posted May 9, 2021 6 hours ago, JDog said: Pallid Harrier in Lincs yesterday. Nice one, bred in France for the first time ever last year, hopefully see more of them in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted May 10, 2021 Report Share Posted May 10, 2021 Curlew Sandpiper at WWT Slimbridge yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokersmith Posted May 10, 2021 Report Share Posted May 10, 2021 Managed to see 2 cuckoos this evening ... first me caught the corner of my eye and I saw it’s sleek form disappear into the wood behind me. The second was around 15 minutes later .. flew straight over my head calling as it went!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted May 12, 2021 Report Share Posted May 12, 2021 Glossy Ibis at Cotswold water park yesterday, Honey Buzzard and Nightjar in the Forest of Dean,( belated news from last weekend), and Pied Flycatchers have returned to their nesting sites, also in FOD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted May 12, 2021 Report Share Posted May 12, 2021 Glossy Ibis locally for the past two days. It would be good if they nested. There has been a huge migration through recently including Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, a great Grey Shrike and lots of Wheatears, mostly females. The Swifts have returned to this village in good numbers. Houses with pantile roofs provide ideal nesting opportunities. Out early this morning I saw lots of Linnets, Yellowhammers and heard Whitethroats along every hedge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twenty Posted May 12, 2021 Report Share Posted May 12, 2021 5 minutes ago, JDog said: Glossy Ibis locally for the past two days. It would be good if they nested. There has been a huge migration through recently including Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, a great Grey Shrike and lots of Wheatears, mostly females. The Swifts have returned to this village in good numbers. Houses with pantile roofs provide ideal nesting opportunities. Out early this morning I saw lots of Linnets, Yellowhammers and heard Whitethroats along every hedge. Do you get Hawfinch in your area, around the FOD they are basically resident, reports come in daily of their sightings,(2 more yesterday),and also a Firecrest.........locally a Blackcap was giving a fine dawn chorus this morning as I walked the dog.( a Parson Russell FYI) All the best.......keep em peeled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted May 12, 2021 Report Share Posted May 12, 2021 5 minutes ago, twenty said: Do you get Hawfinch in your area, around the FOD they are basically resident, reports come in daily of their sightings,(2 more yesterday),and also a Firecrest.........locally a Blackcap was giving a fine dawn chorus this morning as I walked the dog.( a Parson Russell FYI) All the best.......keep em peeled. Why did you have to spoil my day by mentioning Hawfinch? It is top of my list of birds to see and I fear I may never see one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted May 12, 2021 Report Share Posted May 12, 2021 havnt seen my firecrests this year year....i know they are here as they perch and poo on my landing window ledge... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.