Today's Wildlife Encounter

[Derby Tup]

Chiffchaff

[IanDarkpeak]

felt like I was delt a full house today.

lapwings, a Woodcock, buzzards x2, golden plover, pereguin, curlew, grouse, some smaller birds(pipets I think) I realy need to up my game on the smaller birds there were lots about. We saw a dipper last week in the same area. 30 or so hares. and just 1 human

Nice to see the birds about again, the hills have been a bit quiet of late.

26 minutes ago · Like

[that_fjell_guy]

Bit confused wether some of the Yellow Hammers I see are Cirl Buntings or something!! Saw a fair few today, along with Fieldfares and bunch of the usual stuff...Wrens, Robins, Buzzards etc.

[that_fjell_guy]

Checked on RSPB site. Cirl Buntings are too rare and too far south, Serins are smaller and also too far south. Must all be Yellow Hammers I guess.

[Splatcher]

Bit confused wether some of the Yellow Hammers I see are Cirl Buntings or something!! Saw a fair few today, along with Fieldfares and bunch of the usual stuff...Wrens, Robins, Buzzards etc.

Where are you at the moment? If it's Carlisle I can't see it being cirl buntings. Siskins are likely though - we had one in the garden today. Yellowhammers tend to hang out in/on hedges, & are pretty local, i.e. once you find them, that's where you'll always see them. Siskins wander around.

[that_fjell_guy]

Splatcher! Cheers!

They're almost 100% all Yellow Hammers, it was the marking around the face confusing me. Also some are pure, almost lemon headed and others more streaky. Possible male / female differences? We do get Siskin around here, but mainly seen them on feeders, not so much out in the country.

[Splatcher]

Splatcher! Cheers!

They're almost 100% all Yellow Hammers, it was the marking around the face confusing me. Also some are pure, almost lemon headed and others more streaky. Possible male / female differences? We do get Siskin around here, but mainly seen them on feeders, not so much out in the country.

The yellower ones are the males, the females aren't as yellow or striped on the head, have darker backs & are more streaked underneath. Our local buntings are mostly reed buntings, but there's a load of yellowhammers in the hedges by a farm a mile or so away - one of those farms where they never clean anything up & let their cows roam free (up the roads & anywhere). My guess is that the yellowhammers are there because the way they farm encourages the weeds.

[Splatcher]

My first warbler of the year: a male blackcap on the bird table.

[Alf]

A bumbarrel in my Siver Birch tree. Never seen one in my garden before.

[Masham Man]

Saw quite a few Sandmartins on the way home from work this evening, swallows won't be to far behind.