An Exciting Tick

We've had a couple of hot sunny days this week, it's meant i've been able to sit out in the garden after work and watch the birds, bees and butterflies. 

Sat on the bench yesterday evening I noticed a bird  flying over and almost dismissed it as a possible juvenile gull (which i'd never be able to identify!) but luckily I grabbed my camera and took a few distant shots and had a closer look. Then got a little bit excited but posted a few of the photos to twitter for confirmation first as I pretty much talked myself out of what I thought it would be - an Osprey!! What a patch tick and what a 'garden' tick too, a first for the patch and only my second sighting of one ever...........and from my garden bench.

Ok the photos aren't the best and are heavily cropped but who cares, it's an Osprey!!

So I have to say I am very happy this week!

There's also been Chiffchaffs in the garden too, the odd Butterfly when it was warm, gutter Starling is trying hard still to attract a mate, the Sparrows are gathering nest materials, i've been down to the woods a couple of times and it's just been a lovely week all round really.

Chiffchaff

Peacock Butterfly

Gutter Starling!

The other Starlings are busy splashing the water out of the bird bath as soon as I fill it.

A pair of Greenfinch briefly visited the feeders

We get Collared Doves, Feral Pigeons and Woodpigeons on a regular basis, one day maybe we'll get a Stock Dove

In the woods we've heard Chiffchaff and saw three Great Spotted Woodpeckers chasing each other around. After thinking that the Jays had disappeared from the woods someone posted a picture of one a few weeks back and another couple found a Meadow Pipit on the Pit Hills, birds to look out for! 

The temperature has dropped down again now, the two days of sun were brief, we're looking a minus 1 and possible snow over Easter weekend. Not ideal for sitting in the garden on Osprey watch........

A Very Local Update

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

Song Thrush

House Sparrows flocking to the bird bath after I defrosted it for the third time that day!

Starlings

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

Female

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

Bullfinch

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

Collared Dove

Woodpigeons & Feral Pigeons

Starling catching the early morning sun

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!