Newton-St-Loe Birding: Goldfinch

Showing posts with label Goldfinch. Show all posts

1 March 2018

Bath on Red Alert, Beast from the East Hits..

Date: 1st March 2018

Location: Home Feeders

Weather: Heavy Snow, Windy and Very Cold

Species Highlights: A huge 22 species counted from our Garden feeders. Goldcrest, Blackcap and Lapwing the highlights.

10+ Blue Tit, 5+ Great Tit, 40+ Goldfinch, 1 Coal Tit, 4 Long-Tailed Tit, 2 Bullfinch, 10+ Chaffinch, 1 Wren, 1 Dunnock, 3 Robin, 3 Blackbird, 5 Wood Pigeon, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Magpie, 2 Crow, 1 Jay, 1 Goldcrest, 5+ Lesser Black-Backed Gull, 15+ Black-Headed Gull, 1 Redwing, 2 Blackcap, 1 Lapwing - 22 Species Total with 100+ total birds visiting today!

Observation: After being sent home from work, due to the Snow, I decided to do a Window count. We put huge amounts of seed in top the Van, across the car park and filled every feeder. We also put out some fresh water (which froze within the hour)

Goldfinch

Robin

Bullfinch (M)

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Pied Wagtail

Chaffinch (F)

Goldfinch Flock

Redwing

Goldcrest

Lapwing!!

Blackcap (M)

Blackbird (F)

Current Snow Depths

We are going to re-fill and put out fresh seed and water tomorrow morning, and try and visit the Patch to put down seed also, so another blog may be posted tomorrow!

Thanks For Looking!

Thanks For All Your Support!

If you enjoy our blog's, why not follow us on our social media:

Twitter

Facebook

6 August 2017

Patch walk with company

Date: 06/08/2017

Location: Newton St Loe (Patch)

Weather: Warmish, Grey and Blue.

Species Highlights:
Spotted Flycatcher,Buzzard, Kestrel,Whitethroat, Yellowhammer, Nuthatch, Goldfinch.
Spreadsheet

Observation:
Lauren did a window watch, very busy on feeders of late with Bullfinch a group of 8 birds last week. 6 today 4 juveniles and 2 adult birds with many Goldfinch fledglings also Blue & Great tits filling the feeders.

Juvenile female Bullfinch being told off by our resident Coal Tit.

One of the Male Bullfinch.

Coal tit very busy collecting nuts and flying off to cache.

Lots of Goldfinch with young constantly squabbling, adult feeding here.

Apart from Wood Pigeons on feeders also getting a pair of Feral Pigeons and at times up to 4 Collared Dove.

Such a great looking birds.

I worked last night so got up

late morning, just. Then headed off around patch on my own living lauren keeping a eye on feeders, where to 2 Greenfinch visited briefly.
On entering Bath Mill noticed a familiar car, Robert & Anne so Phoned them, they were at Seven Acre so walked on through to catch them up, not much going on along brook or up on to dog track or even fields leading to Pennyquick all very quiet.
Only Spots were 4 Buzzard over far fields, 1 Kestrel, a single Whitethroat and Yellowhammer who didn't seem to want their photographs taken, so here's a Blue tit who did.

Caught up with Robert and Anne at village, House Martins and Barn Swallows were swarming overhead some still feeding youngsters most sat on wire resting number still into 45's Barn Swallow and 30+ House Martins on entire walk with 4 Swift also seen.

A quiet walk towards church with a Kestrel heard calling but couldn't locate.

Send a Cow woodland getting very overgrown difficult to see anything but heard a few Chiffchaff calling their warning call.

On to lakes Billy the "no mates" Mute still bottom lake with 4 Mallard, but nothing else except a few fishermen who caught a 18llb Common carp a great looking fish.

Onto Top lake Goldcrest and Normal stuff with the swan family all still present.

Plenty of stretching going on from the cygnets,

this shot taken today, notice wing feathers.

This shot taken a week before, wing feather much shorter in this one.

On looking at our records last year cygnets driven off by mum & Dad around first week in September.

Carried on to top part of lake to check on Spotted Flycatchers, could hear them but flying around so much couldn't get any decent shots but a Greater Spotted Woodpecker kept us company, giving good views for some :)

Not rubbing it in Anne but There!
On watching also saw a Nuthatch and Treecreeper plus Goldcrest in Yew Tree and eventually....

A dodgy picture of the Flycatchers saw at least three birds but as i said buzzing between Oak and Lime trees difficult to pin down.

With more House Martins and Barn Swallow plus lots of noisy Jackdaws overhead a single Pied Wagtail was also seen in the College grounds.

In fields opposite 2 Buzzard calling and chasing each other the pale buzzard which we've seen as far back as 2012 was doing the chasing.

Walking back along back drive a group of at least 40+ Goldfinch kept flying up and landing in nearby trees a great spectacle. 2 more Kestrel seen towards village and another Greater Spotted Woodpecker heard calling. On getting home one of the Jays was perched up on van looking for a few peanuts. Overall a great walk with pleasant company species count ended on 42, not to bad.

Thanks For Looking!

Thanks For All Your Support!

If you enjoy our blog's, why not follow us on our social media:

Twitter

Facebook

18 February 2017

Home Feeders In Spring Sunshine!

Date: 18th February 2017

Location: Home Feeders

Weather: Blue Sky, Sunny + Warm (13.5 Degrees)

Other Species: 3 Bullfinch, 10 Goldfinch, Chaffinch, 2 Coal Tit, 5 Great Tit, 6 Blue Tit, 6 Long-Tailed Tit, 2 Wood Pigeon, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Pied Wagtail, 1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Blackbird, 2 Magpie

Observation: With sunshine and a recent delivery of seed, tree's were full of birds, so the first Birding from The Window of 2017 was in order.

First up were our Bullfinches which visit daily today we had both Male and Female posing for some images. We had 3 in total today.

Just the single Female Bullfinch today.

Even the common garden birds gave some great shots!

Close-up of this scruffy Long-Tailed Tit.

A total of 10 Goldfinch in the sunshine today!

Always scrapping and fighting over the best spot on the feeders!

Even a flight shot... Almost!

One of the two Coal Tit's today.

Thanks For Looking!

Thanks For All Your Support!

If you enjoy our blog's, why not follow us on our social media:

Twitter

Facebook

3 December 2016

Full Feeders !

Date: 03/12/2016

Location: Weston Lock, My Feeders

Weather: Mostly Grey

Other Species:
Weston lock first: Kingfisher, Goldcrest, Long Tailed Tits, Mute Swan, Moorhen.
Home Feeders:
1 Grey Wagtail, 2 Pied Wagtail,1 Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Coal Tit, 5+ Great Tit, 5+Blue Tit, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Wood Pigeon, 1 Magpie,
10+ Goldfinch, 2 Bullfinch, 3 Chaffinch, 5 Long Tailed Tits.

Observation:
Had reports of Yellow Browed Warbler at Weston Lock which about 1/2 mile from me as the crow flies as it were, so decided to have a look it seems to be a bird I keep missing. I missed it again no sign, looked for about hour an half for it but did see a rather smart Kingfisher.

It made a couple of attempts at fishing which I missed!

After watching it for a while noticed it kept coming back to same perch back it didn't help me to improve shots, 5.6 aperture, 400 shutter 4000 iso it was a bit grey at that point. Its not a setting i would normally use!

So with no sign of YBW I went home and as they when I went out my feeders in front my house where full of birds!

2 Pied Wagtails on floor with a visit from a Grey Wagtail.

Goldfinch seem to be biggest numbers with at least 10 on tree at any one time.

As you can see from these terrible shots been trying to get a wing flap shot for some time, about 4 years! With no luck!

A better day with more light and a faster shutter speed me thinks.

Plus Coal Tits x2, had the Greater Spotted Woodpecker on opening the curtains this morning. Long Tailed and lots of Blue and Great Tits.

Also get visits from Collared Doves, Wood Pigeons, Magpies, Crow, Lesser Black Backed Gulls and Herring Gulls!

It also nice to see the Bullfinch and Chaffinch Families returning after a spell away, 3 Chaffinches plus this smart Female Bullfinch.

There are only 3 trees in the close where I live but the other side of car park there are a few more. The birds seem to wait in those tree's and bushes then when clear of people and the cars which constantly come and go fly across to my tree!

To end Mr Bullfinch with a beak full, The seed costs a fortune but worth it I think!

Thanks For Looking !

If you enjoy our blog's, why not follow us on our social media:

Twitter

Facebook

28 November 2016

Brean Down - Black Redstarts

Date: 28th November 2016

Location: Brean Down → Chew Valley Lake

Weather: Blue Sky, Sunny with Cold Wind

Other Species: 6+ Stonechat, 2 Black Redstart, 1 Kittiwake, 1 Peregrine Falcon, 1 Kestrel, 5+ Goldfinch, 10+ House Sparrow, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Common Gull, Tufted Duck, 500+ Dunlin -
Of Note

Observation: A sunny day forecast so we headed down to try and photograph the Black Redstart at Brean Down. We had a quick look in the Cove, but with no sign apart from Stonechat, Dunnock, Wren and Robin's. We walked up the many steps to the Fort.

At the Fort, there was a bitter cold wind, but there weren't alot of birds there. Until a huge flock of 500+ Dunlin flew past shortly followed by a Peregrine Falcon. After a further 10 minutes of searching for the Black Redstart, there were no signs so we returned via the lower path. As we returned to the steps this Raven flew along the hill top giving us some lovely views.

Near the bottom of the steps, 1 of 3 Meadow Pipit were present scurrying around.

We tried our luck at looking back in the Cove for the Black Redstart, as we turned to return to the Van, we spotted a distant Black Redstart! Within minutes the second Female was spotted. Fairly jumpy to start with but after around 20 minutes, the Black Redstart started coming close to us in perfect light!