April 2010 - News from the Garden!

Friday 16th: While Melanie was in the garden this afternoon, this young female Blackbird decided to do a spot of sunbathing. We think that this female is one of the offspring that were reared in the garden last year. To spend time sunbathing, we believe that it hasn't got a mate and so has no nest or chicks to consume her time, hence she can chill-out. Mel reports that she spent a good amount of time just fluffed-up enjoying the warmth of the Sun. This female is one of three that are regulars in our garden that enjoy coming to the back door to get some mealworms. The House Sparrows have also returned to the back door, forming a noisy que and often nip in before the inexperienced Blackbird and grab the mealworms!

Thursday 15th: This young Blackbird has been spending most of her time in our garden. During the harsh Winter, we had up to 4 males and 5 females in the garden, all in competition for food. Since the beginning of Spring this has dropped to three females and two males. Both 'Nice-Misses', (as we call her) a female Blackbird and her mate from last year. Though he had a mishap back in September and we think was attacked by a cat, he has grown back his flight feathers but as his wing was broken, can no-longer fly. He has done well to survive the Winter. He is of course more wary of everything maybe due to his vulnerability. There is another male who was his rival last year that has laid claim to the garden and also an older female.

The Dunnock sings most days and is always around. It's remarkable how trusting the bird has become, for it does not seem at all concerned with Mel and I if we are in the garden at the same time. It just keeps on pecking at the ground and sometimes gets quite close. We have not seen the Wren since the middle of March. This tiny bird with a big call has moved-on, we think to get a mate. We are hoping that he returns with his mate and any offspring, but in reality this is unlikely.

Since the Winter, we have had an influx of Feral Pigeons. Now we don't know where they come from but it's always the same 6 that return each day to our bird table. One particular pair always arrive at the same time late in the afternoon together. The Wood Pigeons seem to dislike sharing the seed on the bird table with the Feral Pigeons and there's always some 'puffing-out' of chests and 'shoving' by the Woodies but the Ferals, they won't be intimidated and give as good as they get!!! No Robins about but occasional one may make a surprise appearance.

Talking of surprise appearances....a Goldfinch and Chaffinch dropped in recently...probably blown of course as they are usually as rare as hen's teeth, in our garden!!

April 2010 - Potteric Carr YWT

Saturday 10th: What a gorgeous sunny and warm day! Sandra, joined me for an afternoon of roaming our local Patch. And what should we encounter just five minutes after walking through the reception area....KINGFISHERS! Two to be exact. We were crossing the little footbridge over the stream (Mother Drain) that bisects the Reserve in half and I noticed a shimmering blue streak fly low level down the length of the stream and under the footbridge! Well, immediately we stopped and stood on the bridge for the next hour enjoying the views of one Kingfisher flying up and down the stream just inches from the surface, while presumably the other stayed with the nest. I set up the scope on the tripod and obtained some stunning views of both birds. It appeared that the male was catching fish and on one occasion as witnessed through the scope by Sandra, feeding the female. Well Sandra was delighted at this sight as she was saying beforehand that it would make the day if she saw a kingfisher. Well here's two! As we had the scope set up, we attracted a small gathering as people would stop and join us in watching these brilliant birds. One or two even had a look through the scope at the Kingfisher pair! Unfortunately I didn't get any decent images of this event other than the silhouette of a Kingfisher (below), as watching was a joy in itself! As Sandra said afterwards, "this was well worth the visit alone!"

Well, we proceeded with the walk around the Reserve for the next five hours! After the Kingfisher pair, there was nothing that could top that! We encountered a variety of Warblers on our amble, mostly spotted by Sandra! A Chiffchaff, Blackcap (though I can't remember whether it was male or female), a stunning view of a Wood Warbler and at least two Willow Warblers! Robins and Wrens were singing constantly along with the occasional Dunnock. Sandra had a running test of wits with two or three Peacock Butterflies, as she tried to photograph them! A fine view of a Grey Heron (top), at Loversall Hide with Teal, Gadwall and Mallards. At Willow Pool Hide we encountered some Chaffinches and Reed Buntings. A Grey Squirrel climbed one of the bird tables as shown below and proceeded to eat the Sunflower seed.

A pair of Canada Geese, one of which was ringed as can be seen by the photo, gave a show of grooming themselves at Willow Pool. Unfortunately the detail on the ring can't be seen which is a shame as it would be interesting to know where it was ringed. We continued the walk around to Huxter Well and Piper Marsh where we encountered quite a few Sand Martins - not House Martins as I originally said.

And finally as we were on the way out, at Old Eaa Marsh amongst all the BHG's was a lone Canada Goose sitting on a mountain of a nest as can be seen below! It was rapidly getting to Sunset and the mosquitoes were beginning to dine on us, time to leave.

April 2010 - Blacktoft Sands RSPB

Friday 2nd: Another day, another field trip to view birds. This time I'm at Blacktoft Sands RSPB, a small Reserve situated at the convergence of two rivers; the Ouse and the Trent at the mouth of the Humber. This site provides a necessary stopping-off point for a variety of waders to feed and nest. I was hoping to see some Avocets and maybe a Bearded Tit or two. Alas...none were forthcoming. But I was in for a day of remarkable displays by the Reserve's current influx of Marsh Harriers. For I had arrived at just the right time as the males vie for the breeding rights to the sitting females in the reeds.

Now I've only ever seen one Marsh Harrier before and that was a good few years ago! Here today, I would be witness to five individuals in the sky at the same time! And remarkably, no sooner had one descended into the reeds, another would take it's place in the air. In fact I must've spent 70% of my time there, just watching and videoing the Marsh Harriers. I lost count of the number of individual Harriers but I believe that there were easily in excess of 12! These raptors would slowly cruise the sky with lethargic wing-beats and glide into steep turns and swoops towards the reed-tops. The individual colours and markings could readily be seen with the unaided-eye and through binoculars or my scope, were truly amazing! The video below shows one such display by a lone male.

Other birds of note were a Kestrel, hunting on the edge of a field, 40-odd Black-tailed Godwits on an island resting amidst all the cacophony from the Black-headed Gulls and mild indifference from a pair of Oystercatchers and 3 Wigeon. A large group of Shelducks and Shovelers shared the pool seen from Ousefleet hide along with a pair of smartly-looking Pintails. Various passerines such as Willow Warbler, Chaffinches, Reed Buntings, Tree Sparrows and Pied Wagtails to name but a few.

March 2010 - Old Moor RSPB

Wednesday 31st: Wow, it was perishing cold! In mid-afternoon the wind got up and made it even colder, thankfully I had taken the precaution of wearing layers of clothing and remembered my gloves! After 2 days of rain, I decided to chance the weather and get out amongst the wildlife.

Not many people at Old Moor as you would expect on a cold and blustery day. Above, you can see a photo of a Dunnock that I took at the Tree Sparrow farm. As you can see it has a ring on it's left leg. Although not unusual to see a common bird ringed, I wonder where it was captured and ringed, was it here at Old Moor or somewhere else? I think I'll have to make enquires. The highlight of the visit was the sighting of a male Yellowhammer and three Linnets at the Tree Sparrow farm. On the wader scrape the 4 Goosanders (1 male and 3 females) there gave a good showing and I was surprised that they were still in residence.

Although it was cold and not at all Spring-like, thirty to forty Sand Martins and a few Swallows were zig-zagging in the air and skimming the waters' surface. Back at the reception hide, amongst the Greenfinches and Chaffinches was a pair of Bullfinches and a male Greater Spotted Woodpecker. So apart from the wind and the cold...a fairly satisfying day out!

March 2010 - Lakeside

Tuesday 30th : It's been a lousy week so far, cold and rain....so much for Spring! So on the way to our local Supermarket, I made detour over to the lake to check on the wild life. I had heard that a Mediterranean Gull had been seen a few days earlier. Maybe a faint hope that it is still in residence amongst any Black-headed Gulls there. Well I didn't find it but I did come across 4 Meadow Pipits that were most obliging. They were perched in saplings on the edge of the lake and let me get a few images but then I pushed my luck too far and tried to get closer. Off they went! but a very good showing using bins!


The air seemed filled with some kind of small flying insects. The rain had stopped and the familiar buzz of those Summer visitors, House Martins, was everywhere in the sky. There must've been circa 50-60 House Martins all over the sky! I took a load of photos, but trying to capture these fast flying, quick turning and diving ariel acrobats was frustrating! The above image is the only one worthwhile showing!.


A couple of Pied Wagtail were close and seemed to be a pair as they always flew in tandem. No pics unfortunately. Some Mute Swans, Tufted Ducks, Mallards, Canada Geese, Coots and a lone Greylag Goose but unusually not too many waterfowl about...very quiet just like our garden at the moment.

March - Kirkmoor Plantation Wood

Saturday 27th: A lunchtime walk around my local wood and after an unusually long Winter, Spring is slowly starting to breakout. The buds on the trees are still wrapped tightly but given a few more days and some warm weather, they will flourish. It's been a while since I've been birding in this wood and though small and dilapidated in some parts, it supports a wide variety of wildlife. A couple of Chiffchaffs, presumably, recently arrived from their 3,500 mile flight from West Africa have already taken up residence, one at either end of the wood, their familiar calls ringing out in response to the other. It's incredible that those Chiffchaffs that migrate, (some tend to stay), make this journey across the Sahara, mountains and seas to get here. The two images here are of the same bird as it was very obliging for me. Below is a short movie with sound of the Chiffchaffs song.

Long-tailed Tits are in abundance. I've noticed that there seems to be one flock that works its way up and down the wood, moving from tree to tree.

No Bluebells yet, still too early but there are sporadic island of Daffodils that have bloomed. Blue Tits, Great Tits, Wood Pigeons Goldfinches, Wrens and Robins were seen around the wood. As I write this today (Sunday 28th), I can report that I also saw a Treecreeper, female Chaffinch and astoundingly two male Goldcrests resplendent with their red display skull caps quarreling with each other in an attempt to entice the attention of a female Goldcrest a short distance away. Unfortunately I could get a photo of these two birds. I must admit that I have never ever seen male Goldcrests with red display plumage.

Friday 26th: The female Blackbird that we have called "Nice Misses" has laid two eggs in the same nest she used to rear her 3rd brood last year. This is amongst the pyhracantha attached to the wall of the House. She still comes into the kitchen on a regular basis to feed on mealworms. There is another Blackbird pairing nesting in the conifers at the bottom of the garden. During the Winter, there were at least seven Blackbirds in the garden but the others have now dispersed to find their own territories.

Thursday 25th: The majority of Frogs that return each year to our pond, have now left after spawning, leaving only about half a dozen resident Frogs. Both male and female Frogs came back to the pond on or about the 20th, paired up and spawned before disappearing to wherever they stay for the remainder of the year. This year due to the harsh Winter they returned late, usually its been late February or early March. During the time they were here, Mel counted 100+ and the females have deposited approximately 50+ clumps of spawn. Now the majority of this spawn will not survive as the Goldfish are partial to it as are Blackbirds and maybe small pond beasties and some will just not mature to tadpoles. Some that do mature to tadpoles and froglets will succumb to any resident much larger frogs. Unfortunately the mature females that come back do not always survive the mating process as they get either drowned or suffocated by the competing males. This year we have found 4 dead females.

March 2010 - Fairburn Ings RSPB

Sunday 21st: It's been 10 years since I last visited Fairburn Ings. Yes it was 2000. I and Neil (now in Dawlish) went up there. Well Neil, today I traced the exact same route we took around the lake as we did 10 years ago. Unfortunately no Sand Martins or Swallows, too early in the season but I expect to get another visit or two in this year. The layout of the Reserve is basically the same but with modernised facilities, such as the car park! Late March and just seen my first Daffodils of the year anywhere, so I had to photograph them for posterity!

The highlight for me was seeing a male Goldeneye accompanied by two female Goldeneyes. He looks resplendent in all white with black highlights. This photo doesn't do him justice, it is a severely cropped long-range image. In my scope the detail was just fantastic and so elegant to see.

Other highlights were the male and female Bullfinches, my first of the year! The male always looks good in his red suit and black head. Unfortunately the photographer again didn't do him justice.

A fair few Tree Sparrows were about and I got some great views at the feeding station where I counted 11 but I suspect there was many more! Also there were Blue Tits, a male Great Tit along with Dunnocks and a Pheasant pair. Elsewhere there were Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Cormorants, plenty of Mallards and Mute Swans with Teal and Tufted Ducks with one lone Black Swan.

Later I wandered over to the Lin Dyke hide which was more a drive in the car about a mile up the road. Here were loads of Lapwing, Teal, Mallards, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese, Shelduck, Shoverlers and 3 Redshanks. But peering through my scope, I'm sure I saw two little Egrets. And the biggest surprise was counting fifty-odd Cormorants (or were they Crows, heck I'm not sure now) all perched in leafless trees alongside the lake!

March 2010 - Hatfield Moor

Friday 19th: The day started with bright sunshine and the early Spring warmth could be felt in the air. By lunchtime the weather had started to turn. This was readily noticeable at Hatfield Moor as the breeze off the lake became colder. Gradually the clouds started to form. But this didn't distract me too much as I hiked around a small area of the moor. Plenty of fling things such as Oystercatchers, Mallards, Canada Geese, aeroplanes and various Passerines.......oops, did I say aeroplanes? Well, yes, Finningley airport is just three short miles away to the south and the planes fly low over the moor on their approach.

As you can see in the above photo, two of the five Oystercatchers were caught in flight. These estuary birds are normally quite placid creatures but today there was a great amount of screeching and sqwarkings are the five quarrelled. This resulted in three of them flying away. During my hike around the lake I counted two pairs, both nesting, but the fifth was nowhere to be seen.

Reed Buntings and Chaffinches were seen was a hide overlooking a bird table and a couple of feeders. A Robin and Dunnock along with the proverbial Wren were noticed ti the wooded area. Adders can be found here on the moor and there are a couple of signs that warn visitors. It's too early in the season and still too cold yet to see these wonderful creatures. I have yet to see one in the wild but hope to this year.

I had to pass through a field where there was a Conservation project in progress. A field full of Sheep....more precisely...RAMS! Well they were giving me the evil-eye so I decided to walk away and closer to the lake shore. Unfortunately. I found myself on the wrong side of the fence and had to walk around by the shore back to the car.



On the way I came across a freshwater mussel shell, one of many littering the lake shore. Now this was a surprise to me as I didn't know that mussels frequented freshwater lakes. But yes they do and here in the UK, the Swan Mussel (Anodonta cygnea)is abundant. Apparently one can tell its age by counting the rings on the shell just like on tree trunks. One ring for each year of growth. Swan Mussels can live for between 10 to 40 years. Now what drags it up from the bottom of the lake, opens the hinged shell and removes/eats the mussel then deposits the empty shell on the shore is anyone's guess.

Comments please?

March 2010 - Tawny Owl in garden last night!

Sunday 7th: At 11pm last night Melanie opened the back-door only to glimpse an owl perched on a feeder bar! She saw enough of it before it silently took flight. After discussing the shape, size,colour and ID-ing the raptor from the Internet, we are 99% sure it was a Tawny Owl. I believe this is not unusual as a few years ago I too also saw an Owl perched on the feeders in the garden and that was while I was doing some astronomy and operating the telescope. I suspect that Owls pay regular visits to our garden and others during the course of the night. Unfortunately no photo was obtained of last night's apparition. But we will get one sooner or later!


The Robin pair were again sighted in the garden this morning by Mel and it looks like they are setting-up a nest near to last years' nest.






Our friendly Wren has again been around all day and never seems to go far from the back-door. Yesterday I saw him (not sure if it is a Him or Her), go into the kitchen on two separate occasions as I was working outside, to get some mealworms. Today, the Wren has paid regular visits to the kitchen and on one occasion a female Blackbird stood over the bowl of mealworms so he had to wait.

This female Blackbird is the familiar "Nice Misses" as we have called her. See earlier posts about her raising broods last year in the garden. She paid at least two visits that I saw and possibly others that I didn't see.