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Birding Year List


chrisjpainter
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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 by Walker570
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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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 by twenty
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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.  

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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