April 2011 - Easter Waxwings!

Saturday 23rd: After the success of seeing the Waxwings yesterday, I had arranged to re-visit Sandra's garden and this time take my scope and video camera. So at 7:15am, I drove the 300 yards to Sandra's house with a plethora of equipment. "Why drive?" I hear you say. Well, my back has been plaguing me these past few months and lugging all this equipment 300 yards would just aggravate it more! Having set up the scope and video camera on tripods...pikelets were kindly served by Sandra...that's crumpets to you and me! Indeed, as the minutes passed and an hour with no sign of them...Waxwings, that is, we were beginning to feel that they had finally departed back to their native country!





We sat in the garden and were soon rewarded with the local bird life. Amazingly, a Nuthatch visited the sunflower-heart feeder just 5 feet away! I couldn't move to get my camera but Sandra quietly snapped a photo. A pair of Great Tits kept visiting the nest box, two Goldfinches drank water on this warm morning, the odd Collard Dove and Wood Pigeon pecked at the ground and a pair of Robins were constantly around our feet. Yes, both Robins were very trusting and one even perched on one of my tripods not two feet away! But it got better...one of the Robins landed on my knee as I sat in the sun-chair! Sandra grabbed a photo and I hope to show it here soon! With time, I suspect that Sandra would be able to get at least one of the pair to eat from her hand, but it would require enormous patience. A Sparrowhawk slowly circled overhead against the blue sky and headed towards my garden.

Finally at 9:30am the Waxwings flew over and moments later came back and alighted in the same sycamore tree as yesterday. Now we would get much more detailed views and wow, what a view! Looking through the scope showed the pinkish colouring and yellow flashes of the birds' markings. I counted thirteen individuals, Sandra, fifteen. These must've been the same individuals as yesterday. The Waxwings stayed for around 20 minutes and then at some unknown signal they took to the air and away. Well that was well worth the time spent waiting.

What a great time to spend an Easter weekend, in the Sun watching the birds!

Postscript: That morning was the last that the Waxwings were seen in that sycamore or anywhere else around here. It is now about the time of the season that they should return to Scandinavia, maybe these have. But there are still plenty being seen around the country.

Friday 22nd: For the past few days, Sandra had noticed that Waxwings were flocking to a distant sycamore tree. Using binoculars from her kitchen/back garden, she can see these birds amongst the blossoming and unfolding leaves. So this morning at 8:30am, I joined her in the Waxwing-watch and I wasn't disappointed! For twenty minutes we watched as the birds, 15 of them ate the buds. Amazing, but I should've fetched my scope! After the show we walked over to Sandra's local patch; Church Wood Plantation. Quite a few Wrens were about calling, Robins and Blue/Great Tits. The Bluebells were also out and look like they had been for the past few days.

We wandered back down the road towards my local patch; Kirk Moor Plantation Wood. Here we saw my first Black Cap of the year - a male. A pair of mating Wrens were active with, I presume the male holding a small white ball of fluff or wool in it's beak. An unidentified warbler was flying around and harassing the Wrens. It kept flying to the undergrowth were we believe it had or was making a nest. Chiffchaffs were abundant, at least four and we even managed to see one after some astute tracking by Sandra! Like Church Wood, the Bluebells were out in here too but not as many as in previous years. I also managed to glimpse a couple of Jays amongst the blossoming leaves! That was a first in this wood for a few years for me!

Monday 11th: The two Blackbird chicks that hatched a few days ago, appear to be doing well thanks to the constant feeding by both the male and female adult Blackbirds. Unfortunately the third egg has failed to hatch. We left it in the nest for a few days to make sure it was an unfertilised egg and then removed it.

April 2011 - Farewell Grumpy, Pinky & Little Lad!

Saturday 16th: Well they've finally been released...out into the big wide world. The 3 Hedgehogs that we affectionately named; Grumpy, Pinky and Little-Lad were transported to a garden in Tickhill, the home of Elaine and Paul. Sandra also kindly helped with the relocation as it was a major operation moving 3 Hedgehogs, boxes and sundry items to this new area.

As dusk fell, Grumpy was the first out and investigating her new surroundings. Eventually she made her way out of the garden and onto the field where myself and Mel followed her as she moved down the edge of the field bordering the gardens. Soon she became a faint shape as the light faded. She seemed to be enjoying herself as she was tasting the new odours and anointing herself. Farewell Grumpy, we wish you success!

Pinky emerged soon after but seemed content to stay in the garden. Before we broke off the "Hedgehog Watch" to have a bite to eat, prepared by our hosts Elaine and Paul, we had hoped to see Little-Lad emerge, but he stayed resolutely in his box.

After a very nice and welcome pizza and a toast with Bucks-Fizz to the Hedgehogs, we ventured back outside into the dark. Pinky was still in the garden but had moved further along the flower-bed and had been anointing herself. No sign of Little-Lad, his box was empty so he would be out-and-about somewhere but two other Hedgehogs were on the other side of the garden so that bode well. at least there is a community of Hedgehogs that these 3 may integrate into.

So farewell Grumpy, Pinky and Little-Lad, we wish you well in your new location.

April 2011 - Hedgehogs pre-release night!

Friday 1st: The time has come, the bad weather gone and spring is in the air. Tonight at 10:20pm, all three Hedgehogs - Grumpy, Little-Lad and Pinky - are back in the garden. Born last June, we found four baby hedgehogs in the planthouse. Probably two days old and cold to the touch. It appeared that they had either been abandoned or orphaned. We of course took them in and through Mel's perseverance, raised three to adulthood with the fourth unfortunately dying a few days after we took them into the house. They spent the late summer months and early autumn living outside in the garden. But in late November when the freezing weather and the snows came, we moved them back into the house to feed and gain the weight needed to become adults. So now the time is here and they are back in the garden. Here they will stay, probably for three or four weeks before we transfer them to another garden in the countryside where eventually they (we hope) disperse into the wild. The Blackbird nesting just outside the backdoor has today hatched two of the three eggs. Two tiny and helpless chicks are being fed by both male and female Blackbird.

March 2011 - Blackbird on nest

Tuesday 22nd: A female Blackbird that has moved into the nest near the back door is sitting on 3 eggs. By our calculations, the eggs may hatch next Wednesday. The nest was previously built and owned by the female Blackbird that died last December. The photo below was taken at 5:20pm today. Meanwhile another pair of Blackbirds are nesting in the conifers at the bottom of the garden. The male is a frequent visitor to the kitchen for live mealworms.

Hedgehogs to return to the garden soon. All three have gained weight over the winter months and will go back into the garden for a couple of weeks, soon. Having checked with various sources, the weather has not warmed sufficiently for pre-release. Hopefully we will then transfer them to a friends' garden where they will make the first steps into the wild.

March 2011 - A Grand Tour

Saturday 19th: Another early start to a cold but sunny morning. By 7:25pm we were at Hatfield Moor (North) at Ten Acre Lake. We were there to see the Red-necked Grebe. Well, I needed to walk back to the car to get the tripod for the scope. While I was gone a flock of Whooper Swans flew over the jetty where Sandra was viewing the lake. I heard then but unfortunately couldn't see them! Having set-up the scope, the Red-necked Grebe was soon spotted, not one but two amongst the few Tufted Ducks and couple of Gadwell! We spent a good half hour there mainly watching the Grebes through the scope and the Gadwalls. A male Reed Bunting in summer plumage was seen by us through the scope and caused some consternation as at first were weren't sure what it was! There was another bird that we still can't identify. About the size of a Starling and all grey!

Driving away, I stopped the car st the side of the road to view the hundreds of birds in the stubble fields. A massive flock of Redwings, Fieldfares, Blackbirds, Corn Buntings, a couple of Lapwings and various other birds that we failed to identify, took to the air. Very impressive! Distracted we must've spent another 30 minutes here just photographing the obliging Fieldfare and Corn Bunting there were perched close to the car.

Soon we were at North Cave Wetlands, a short trip up the motorway. Here we were treated to Tree Sparrows and House Sparrows in the hedgerows. Seven Avocets were amongst the waterfowl. But good views of a couple of Snipe, which can be seen on the photo across the water from the two Avocets. Oystercatchers, Shelduck, Greylag Geese and a plethora of Gulls, mostly Black-headed and a pair of Shovelers. A pair of Great Crested Grebes were nest building and performing a wonderful mating ritual. After a quick bite to eat, it was a short drive back down the motorway to Blacktoft Sands.

Unfortunately my camera had discharged its batteries and the spares were also flat! So no images of our visit to RSPB Blacktoft Sands on this occasion! But we got some good showings as we walked around the Reserve. Tree Sparrows, Chaffinches and Goldfinches greeted the visitor to the NR. A Toad was our first encounter outside the Visitors Cabin. From inside, we saw the first Sand Martin of the year for Blacktoft. From a hide further along the Reserve we spent 30 minutes or so observing the Marsh Harriers as they flew low-level over the reeds. I counted 4, Sandra 5. From the same hide good views of 17 Black-tailed Godwits at close quarters together with two Ruff in winter plumage were had and 5 Snipe in the grassy tufts. From another hide we had superb views of a Hare through the scope. We we lucky that it stayed close to us in the grassy stubble near the waters edge. To round-off the day a Song Thrush was singing its heart out from the top of a tree in the car park as the Sun began to set.

March 2011 - Donny Waxwings!

Saturday 12th: The Waxwings are still around in town and this morning I drove into town to see them. Again it was outside the Post Office in the town center. This time we left it late, 08:40am when we got parked-up. Speaking to a couple of chaps there, sightings of 70 and 100 were seen earlier in the week! Sandra came along to try and bag that elusive first sighting and she wasn't to be disappointed! At 08:55am 4 Waxings touched-down on their favourite perch, a TV ariel across the road from the PO. They showed well and were constantly calling, though they didn't make any attempt to feed on the berries across the road! Sanda was "chuffed to bits" at seeing a Waxwing for the very first time. Happy with four, though more is always a bonus we drove over to St George's Minster in the hope of seeing more Waxwings and besides I was getting "edgy" at the sudden appearance of a Traffic Warden "eyeing-up" my car!







In the churchyard, several Thrushes wandered over the lawns with Blackbirds, Wood Pigeons and a Robin, but no Waxwings! A Feral Pigeon flew backwards and forwards to an opening in the walls of the Minster and on each journey it carried one twig, presumably for a nest it was building. The photos below show the Pigeon entering and exiting the nest area. Unfortunately, the photo captures the bird in an Unfortunate position as it enters the opening!

March 2011 - Sandra's Garden

Saturday 5th: Early riser again this morning...another 6am start! I'd arranged to go into town again to view the Waxwings and take Sandra as she hasn't seen these birds yet, herself. Well we got there at 7:10am and who should be there with the same intention? Rich from Work, he's the person who passes on all the tips. He had been outside the Post Office since 6:30am but they hadn't showed yet. I was in confident mood but half-seven came and went, eight o'clock and still no sign of Waxwing! Ten minutes later and three flew over calling probably with the intention of eating the berries on the cotoneaster tree. Well, they never got the chance, a male Sparrowhawk darted out from somewhere, possibly a nearby rooftop and chased the Waxwings! They all shot off at a rate of knots never to be seen again. Disappointed Sandra and myself took a tour up to another location on the other side of town to check of a Waxwing haunt. Another no-show. House Sparrows, Blackbirds, Black-head Gulls and an interesting 1st Winter Common Gull was all that we saw. A quick drive-thru to the Post Office, just to make sure there were no Waxwings about and then home. What a let-down! I'll just have to go for it again next week as they'll be heading off back to Scandinavia soon.

At least Sandra's garden held some surprises. A pair of Great Tits were in the garden and the female was giving some serious consideration to the nest box. We reckon that she was in there a for at least 10 minutes. The photo shows her just squeezing out!

The usual suspects were there; Goldfinches, Greenfinches (no photos), a pair of Dunnocks, a Robin, some Starlings and most surprising of all, a Rook! We'd already seen three Rooks earlier on our way to town but this time the bird actually perched on a post in Sandra's garden! It didn't come down to the lawn for a meal but flew back to a nest atop a tree across the road.

What do you think this bird below is? Maybe an immature Goldfinch?

March 2011 - At last.....WAXWINGS!

Friday 4th: Finally, after months...no, years, I have seen a Waxwing! Following a tip-off from a fellow Birder, I arrived early this morning at 7:15am in town to see these fine birds. Precisely at 7:30am a flock of 33 appeared in the sky above us and descended onto a TV ariel across the road from the cotoneaster tree. But before they could eat, a kestrel made an unwelcome entrance and dispersed the flock. Thankfully this male didn't catch anything but the flock had now gone. Of the 6 of us there to witness this, only myself and another chap stayed till 8am, before deciding that we needed to get to our respective places of Work.