We are of course still in lockdown here, local exercise only, which means i'm yet to spot a Mallard or a Coot this year, both of which would be early list birds and common as muck on my normal travels! At the end of the month rules will relax a little so we should be able to travel places......but of course so will everyone else!
In the meantime the garden has been filled with activity as has my walk to work. We've had a week of snow and ice back in February, which was great for bringing Redwings to the garden and even a couple of Song Thrush - rare visitors.
Redwing
A Blackcap pair have been around the gardens for the past three or four weeks, mostly the male with the odd appearance from a female. This happened around the same time last year too. The male has devoured the berries on the honeysuckle and they have both gone through a lot cotoneaster berries. The male has even treated us to his song a few times.
Male
This past week a pair of Bullfinch have been at the feeders, more rare garden visitors, beautiful ones too! We've had the odd Chaffinch and Greenfinch, both also infrequent visitors.
Chaffinch
I spotted Hedgehog poop in the garden at the end of February and a few days later spotted the actual Hedgehog itself drinking from the water dish we have in the garden, i've seen it regularly since, followed recently by a second. Here's hoping they do as well as last year.
The gutter Starling has been singing from it's gutter perch and has been clearing it's spot out, i'm assuming it's the same one again? A large conifer at the end of our house row has been chopped down in recent weeks, lots of Starlings and Sparrows roosted and nested in there, I wonder if it will have any effect on their numbers over the coming months as both did very well with lots of young last year. Woodpigeons have been carrying nest materials into the same tree as previous years, nothing much seems to come of it though.
Long-tailed Tits
Elsewhere around town several pairs of Magpies are nest building, one pair in the supermarket car park right above a busy spot! As of last week a few Redwings are still around in the park, I think the lastest i've seen them there is early April. I heard my first Skylark near work recently too, despite the increase in traffic!
I'll leave you with our inquisitive Squirrel!
WOW, what a wonderful report of your yard and the surrounding area. You are very alert to the natural world around you and that's such a wonderful ability to have. Like you I am watching the pairing up and the early nest searching spots. I hope the birds can figure out how to make it without the large conifer. Maybe the lock down will lift again soon. TC
ReplyDeleteThanks Sondra. So far the birds are as numerous as ever so we'll see what happens!
DeleteLots of activity in this post, Pam. Well done. You make the point that when naturalists are allowed to travel, then everyone else will be similarly venturing out too. I think it is time for a special period for birders and nature lovers in general, say from daybreak to 10:00 am each day, when the general rabble, and especially those who toss litter, are confined to home, while we get out and listen to bird song and admire spring blooms! I expect you to work on getting this organized very soon!
ReplyDeleteI much prefer to get up and out early doors so that would definitely work for me!
DeleteLove the squirrel photos :) You may be stuck local but you are certainly seeing plenty of wildlife. The bullfinches and blackcaps are great birds to have in the garden. We have a blackbird building a nest here and the pigeons and doves seem to be cooing up to each other! No sign yet of frogs moving in the pond. It will be good when we can travel a bit further but as you say the one big disadvantage is that so can everyone else. With pubs and shops still shut I suspect countryside round here will be heaving :(
ReplyDeleteThanks :) I feel quite lucky that I am able to see so much out of the windows! We are determined to build a bigger pond this year, our little one is not attracting the frogs at all! I think the past couple of hot days gave a good idea of what places will be like!
DeleteLots of lovely birds and wildlife locally. Great to see the bullfinches and blackcaps in your garden. The pigeons around here are very vocal at the moment and squirrels and collard doves are about again. We thought we had had redwings visit the garden the last couple of mornings, I've enlarge your photos and they do seem similar. Yes, even if we can go out and about again we will probably wait until much later in the year as I'm sure the places we want to visit will be full of people:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Rosie, how lovely to spot the Redwings, they don't linger long do they!
DeleteIts been a few years since I had a redwing in the garden, always a nice tick. Good news now you are aloud to travel to go a walk. Great that the hedgehogs are back, none here so far. Noticed to day all the birds seem to be gathering nesting material, a blackbird has stiped one of my grasses for nesting, sadly none nesting in the garden so far. Bulfinch and Blackcap both nice to have in your garden. Just love the photos of the squirrel.
ReplyDeleteAmanda xx
Thanks Amanda :) The Redwings never stay long if they do land in the trees, they're quite flighty! x
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