A start to 2021

-

On New Years day I have often spent the day out with  my sister at a nature reserve to build a good total of birds to start the years list but not being possible this year, I had to make do with our garden and the farm at Bluntisham. However I did manage to see a respectable 17  species despite the damp dreary weather.

Having recently put up a bird feeding station at the farm I was pleased to see it in use by bluetits, great tits, long tailed tits and a robin.  A walk round the orchards provided lots of fieldfares and redwings, starlings, blackbirds, wood pigeons, wren and dunnock.   I also added to my list later, mallards and moorhens, a buzzard and chaffinch and just before it got dark at home I heard the unmistakable noise of a pheasant and not being visible from the house I went outside and spotted it on the neighbours garage roof! 

I am hoping we may get a bit of sunshine in the next few days to enable some decent photos! 








 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Swallowtail at Strumpshaw

-
Image
 As soon as I heard my  husband had a work appointment at Bungay I checked  my diary was free then commissioned a lift  with him as Strumpshaw Fen was only 20 miles away and there were swallowtails flying at the moment. The weather looked a little doubtful with a cool breeze and quite a bit of cloud forecast interspersed with a few sunny spells but I hoped for the best. After the survey appointment followed by refreshments in a nearby garden centre we parked up and I crossed over the railway line to the entrance of the reserve.  Immediately I saw several people with cameras lined up pointing at the small flower bed just in front of the reception area...  a swallowtail  butterfly on the flowers!  However just as I was getting my camera out, it flew off, did a few circles in the air before perching high up on a cherry tree where it decided to remain for the time being,  At that time it was cloudy so I went over to the reception to say that I wa...
Read more

Garden Birdwatch 2018

-
The morning dawned rather dull and cloudy with light rain forecast so I decided to keep an eye out over an hour in the morning  whilst carrying on with household chores.   I filled up  my feeders yesterday in the hope that might entice a few more species. First to arrive were a group of three long tailed tits which have started to visit the garden regularly.  Then a robin, bluetit and dunnock followed shortly after.   I noted three wood pigeons sitting up in the trees, with one venturing down to the  feeders later. Not much else  around for the rest of the hour except for a jackdaw that rather likes the  fat balls.  So a bit disappointing but  the dreary weather probably didn't help much. Anyway a  few species to enter on the birdwatch form so worth doing.
Read more

Siskins and nest cams

-
Image
I happened to look out of my window this morning and spotted some birds on the feeders which I didn't immediately recognise.  Similar size to the goldfinch but colouring resembling a greenfinch but with black head,  I soon identified them as a pair of siskins - another tick for  my list!  Photos taken through window, hence not that clear.  Male siskin Female siskin   Also today I noticed a bluetit around the bird box to the front and then saw it pop in with a beakful of moss.  I quickly set up the camera monitor and saw there was already a layer covering the bottom of the box. Two weeks later than last year so hopefully may be more successful!    I also checked the  camera  in  the nest box on the garage and to my surprise noticed a couple of pieces of nesting  material on the floor of that so maybe we will have two nestcams to watch although I am not yet sure what bird is nesting in the garage...
Read more