Lapwings

We went for a drive out today and I had a bit of a dilemma! We spotted a Lapwing flying over the road and pulled up to watch. As we pulled up we could hear another calling quite noisily. It was in the field to the side of us.

I spotted on the grass verge right by the road a small chick, which kept trying to run into the grass but couldn't seem to get through. We watched a while and it didn't seem to be making any progress, the adult was still in the field just over the hedge. I was in two minds what to do, the chick was so close to the road, if it ran the wrong way... I know it's best not to interfere. In the end though I couldn't just drive off.

It crouched in the hiding position as I got close but I scooped it up quickly and let it run off my hand into the open entrance to the field where the adult was. It immediately got close as I left them to it. I felt much happier having done this and think it really would have struggled to get around that hedge.

Blue Tits

We finally had Blue Tit fledglings in the garden last Saturday morning and every day since. There is a group of four with an adult. They are fantastic to watch - almost like an aerial display team, swooping in from all sides and hanging from anything they can - usually upside down.

Rodley Nature Reserve

We visited for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon. It was pretty quiet for birds and people but we had a good walk around explored the meadow walk which we hadn't done before.

The usual birds were on the water - Coots, Mallards and Moorhens, the latter two with young and the former still nesting. Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans, a family of Canada Geese and a brief glimpse of a Little Grebe before it ducked under the water and disappeared amongst the reeds

There were plenty of Jackdaws, Swifts and Sand Martins over the water too and a Heron flew overhead. We spent a while in one of the hides watching a Lapwing at one side and Reed Buntings (living up to their names and hanging on the reeds!) and Cormorants at the other. We did see quite a few lbjs that we just couldn't id.

At the ponds there were quite a few tadpoles but no sign of any dragon/damsel flies or for that matter any butterflies today. We did surprise a Toad under one of the special lift up areas they have dotted about.

We finished off at the managers garden, which at first was empty bar a Great Tit and Dunnock. Then a beautiful Jay flew in and spent quite some time on the various feeders - it's our best view ever of this bird. It was still there when we left.

It's always a great visit here, we always spend a good couple of hours exploring and could have stayed longer but we were pushed for time. I love that it's quite hidden away behind the houses and i'd highly recommend a visit.

Wren

I had my first ever young Wren in the garden last weekend. It was making an awful lot of noise and a young Dunnock seemed very curious about it! It hung around about twenty minutes and i've not seen it again since unfortunately.

It almost looks like that it has something missing at the back!

Wordless Wednesday

RSPB Make your nature count

I did my nature count last Thursday whilst my little one was at school. It was great just to sit and watch the garden without having to get up and do something else! I had some decent results.

2 Dunnocks

1 Robin

1 Blue Tit

5 Starlings

8 House Sparrows

5 Goldfinch

2 Blackbird

1 Magpie

1 Collared Dove

1 Woodpigeon

Unfortunately I couldn't see any Swifts - well not until my hour was up of course! It also provided my first sighting this year of two juvenile Goldfinch which flew in briefly and returned with a third later in the afternoon.

Great Tit v House Sparrow

I've been trying out the burst function on the camera a fair bit recently, not always with good results. I did catch the Great Tit having a bit of a go at a Sparrow recently. Not all the shots are clear but it shows a great interaction between them (maybe not so great for the Sparrow!).

I love this shot.

The Winner

New Life

Over the past couple of weeks we have had quite a few young birds in the garden mostly House Sparrows at first. Followed by Greenfinch and then finally on Friday our first Starlings. Since then the juvenile Starlings have been taking over the garden, eating everything we put out in pretty quick time (most of the photos have been taken through the window).

This Sparrow had just managed very nicely to catch a fly - you can just see the wings outside it's beak - but then sat quite a while with it hanging like that as if not quite sure what to do with it.

First sighting of the Starlings before they descended into the garden.

Greenfinch young, Dad was sat on the sunflower seed feeder above dropping seeds onto the floor.
Some of the other visitors to the garden.

Peekaboo