Little Owl makes an apperance !

Date: 17/09/2015
Location: Patch - Newton St Loe / Home
Weather: Calm Some Blue Skies, Some Cloud
Other Species: Little Owl, Buzzard, Whitethroat, Kingfisher, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Coal Tit, Greenfinch, Nuthatch, Marsh Tit.

Observation: 

Started Patch walk with sunny skies out through Bath Mill Goldcrest and Long Tailed Tits in Alders along Brook, a few Butterflies Small Whites, Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, not much along byway although House Martins and Barn Swallows feeding over field around 10 of each. 2 Buzzards.Village quiet, Goldcrest and Long Tails in church at Lakes. Little Owl back!! Not seen them since 16th April 2015 ! So was getting worried.

 Seemed to be a bit dusty in storage !

Quite happy in the sunshine,

Watched him or her for 15 mins before leaving it in peace !

 Not really taking his eyes of me, and quite right !

Good selection of Birds around are feeders today - Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Coal Tits, Long Tailed, Great/Blue Tits, Chaffinch, Jay, Magpie, Buzzards overhead !

 Glad to see are resident Nuthatch still visiting tree

Sunflower seem to be a favourite for her, 

Looking at shot from the other day the one on right I think male ,found dead .:(

Any thoughts ??

Thanks For Looking !

Ham Wall & Shapwick On the Levels

Date:15/09/2015

Location: 
Ham Wall-Shapwick On the Levels

Weather: Grey cloud rained for 1hr 

Other Species: 
Black Tailed Godwits,Peregrine,Hobby,Buzzard,Marsh Harrier,Kestrel,Great White Egret,Little Egret,Bittern,Lapwing + many more

Observation:

First news of the Nuthatch which was on are tree and feeders for 2 days ,looking at photos of him not in best condition.This morning found dead :( no obvious wounds ?

Today only chance of a bit of birding in the dry so headed to the Somerset levels and first Shapwick, on meare scrape it was all going off !

With this being the reason why,

 a peregrine falcon swooped in to take lapwing !

 very distant but great to watch. The Peregrine then shared the meal with a Crow, Not !

On Noah's counted 4 Black Tern at great distance,Great White Egrets and Marsh harrier

also this chap in the drizzle.

A Great White flypast from the hide.

On to Ham Wall now,Purple Heron and Glossy Ibis about but spotted this Roe Deer ,First one i've seen here.

Then A Bittern bit of a white sky but always nice to see one !

On VP2 (Viewpoint 2) Saw Marsh Harrier hunting made several passes ,not flushing any Glossy's or Purple Herons :(

Flies along then suddenly stops to check it out .

Great tail feathers.

To End a Ruddy Darter a great if slightly damp day .

Thanks for looking

Nuthatch @ Home

Date: 13/09/2015

Location: Newton St Loe & Home feeders 

Weather: Grey cloudy

Other Species: Goldcrest, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Crow, Magpie, Buzzard, Chaffinch.

Observation: 

Took a wander to lanes short patch Walk, Thursday not much although 5 Goldcrest 

and 2 Coal Tits in Churchyard, Goldcrest's look like juveniles 

Shame it always dark in Churchyard, lots of Yew Trees. Coal Tit just hanging around !

Then today while eating my poached egg, 

looked out window and spotted a Nuthatch on tree !

He came back all afternoon landing right next to other birds,

Thought they were aggressive ?

Few Blue Tits they all seem to like fat balls !

 We live in a busy close in Bath, UK. With people, cats, Cars coming and going all day long so a Nuthatch a real treat !

 It now takes are feeder tree to 35 highlights include Tawny Owl & Willow Warbler !

 Cheers For Now :)

Birding From the Window

Date: 28/07/2015

Location: Feeders - Home

Weather: Overcast 

Observation:

Not done a feeder post from home for ages so here's what we had 30 mins Monday 2.30pm

First off as always Goldfinch usually 5/6 on tree, at moment few fledglings too.

Dodging the cats Magpie

Then A Great looking Bullfinch, he always lands first then his lady pops on !

See ! We've also had 2 juveniles with them in the last couple of weeks 

Not had many Blue Tits recently but today queuing up !

Coal Tit still about pops in gets a seed on off again .

Always a Collared Dove about sometimes a pair,

one eye open for Sparrowhawk !

Thanks For Reading !

Garden feeders - Slow Motion

Date: 11/12/2014

Location: My Garden feeders 

Observation: Arriving home at dinner time counted at least 50 birds on or leaving tree as I approached ! 

So in, kettle on.. then sat in front window. Camera on tripod as Tuesday dislocated 2 fingers, so at moment hard to hold camera !

Goldfinches making a right racket ! With 10 on tree at once, as soon as a car or person walks by goldies all disappear only to reappear 3 to 5 mins later ! While watching a Greater Spotted Woodpecker landed on Peanuts all but a brave Blue Tit stayed on feeders only to be pecked off by the Greater Spotted Woodpecker ! 

16 species in around 30 mins not bad did short video of the event !
Love the sound on slow motion bits sounds like monkeys !

Around 10 Redwing buzzing overhead too !

Buzzard flew straight over feeder tree looking down, all birds scattered !

Weather: Windy, Showers, Light rain

Other Species: Redwing, Goldfinch, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Pied Wagtail, Wood Pigeon, Feral Pigeon, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard, LBGull, Crow, Magpie,Blackbird, Robin - Of Note

Thanks For Reading !

Window Bird Count!

Date: 26th March - 1PM

Location:  From The Window - Quick Count

Observation:  Decided to do a quick count from the window whilst the sun was out! Highlights were Goldfinch, Greenfinch, a high-level Buzzard and nice to see the Chaffinch's back!

Weather:  Overcast With Some Sun

Other Species: 2 Coal Tit, 6 Goldfinch, 3 Greenfinch, 1 Buzzard, 2 Collared Dove (pair)

Usual Suspects!

Date spotted: 7th March - 1PM

Location: A quick bird count from the window.

Observation: A quick bird count from the window, just the normal suspects really, but nice to see the Chaffinch's back! Also 3 Buzzards flying on the thermals.

Weather: Blue Sky, Sunny, Warm

Other Species: 4 Wood Pigeon, 4 Great Tit, 2 Lesser Black-Backed Gull, 3 Crow, 4 Magpie, 4 Blue Tit, 1 Long-Tailed Tit, 2 Chaffinch, 3 Buzzard (one low flying), 2 Goldfinch + 3 Coal Tit

 

Redwing - Turdus Iliacus

Date spotted: 5th Jan 2014 - 3PM

Location: Birding From The Window

Observation: A small group of 4 Redwing collecting the last of the berries from our tree before the predicted storm!

Weather: Cloudy, Light Rain, Some Wind, Cold

Other Species: Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Redwing, Magpie, Crow, Wood Pigeon, Robin

 

The Long-Tailed Tit's Are Back !!

Date spotted: 11th Dec - 1.30PM

Location: Birding From The Window

Observation: A quick scan on the feeders outside the window, produced a feeding frenzy! 

Weather: Cloudy, Cold, No Wind

Other Species: 4 Blue Tit, 6 Great Tit, 2 Goldfinch, 2 Greenfinch, 3 Coal Tit, 14 Long-Tailed Tit, 1 Dunnock, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Dunnock, 1 Wood Pigeon, 2 Magpie

Quick Window Check

Date spotted: 25th Nov - 3PM

Location: Birding From The Window!

Observation: A quick look out the window this was on our tree all at the SAME time!

Weather: Cloudy, Cold!

Other Species: 11 Goldfinch, 8 Lesser Black-Backed Gull, 4 Blue Tit, 2 Great Tit, 2 Greenfinch, 1 Coal Tit + 1 Wood Pigeon

 

13 Goldfinch Flock!!

Date spotted: 13th November - 11.30-1pm

Location: From the window

Observation: Just the normal birds on our tree but we had a large flock of Goldfinch's at one point, totalled 13! The most we've ever had 9 so getting bigger flocks, some were this years chicks, ever expanding family! No space on feeders for other birds so wanted in the queue!! Also possible Redwing flyover's with a total of 9 (too quick for me to grab binoculars!)

Weather: Blue Sky, Clear skies no wind!

Other Species: 6 Blue Tit, 4 Great Tit, 13 Goldfinch, 3 Wood Pigeon, 2 Magpie, 3 Greenfinch, 2 Coal Tit, 9 Possible Redwing, 1 Crow

 

Coal Tit - Periparus Ater

Date spotted: 6th June 2012 - 2.30pm

Location: - From the Window - Zone 5

Observation: All these birds were spotted feeding in just 30 minutes! All the Great Tits and Blue Tits visiting had no fur on the faces maybe due to breeding or diseases? There were 50+ Swifts catching flies above the feeders just after it started raining aswell!

Weather: Raining, Cloudy, Windy

Other Species: Great Tit, Swift, Lesser Black-Backed Gull, Blackbird, Crow, Jay, Green Woodpecker, Magpie, Blue Tit, Wood Pigeon, Chaffinch, Coal Tit