Stef heard a chiffchaff this morning. I *think* I heard a fragment of a chiff...chiff this evening
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Stef heard a chiffchaff this morning. I *think* I heard a fragment of a chiff...chiff this evening
There was one last week by the Trent & Mersey Canal near us. It sounded a bit lonely!Quote:
Originally Posted by Derby Tup
new house, new garden.....new bird sighting. we have a greater spotted woodpecker living very close by, seen regularly daily
Took a day off work today and decided to have a stroll around the local nature reserve.
I think I should get there more often, especially as it's barely a 10min walk from home.
Along with the usual suspects there were dozens of Chiffchaffs, a Treecreeper, Goosander, Grey Wagtail, pair of Goldcrests and a Warbler that I think might have been a Wood Warbler (I've listened to all the songs on the RSPB website and that's the closest).
Early for a wood warbler Geoff. We get them in the Strid Woods at Bolton Abbey. They love mature (oak) woodland. The spinning coin call is amazing. A big favorite of mine. A birder said to me few years ago "they're not just another small brown bird"
Yes, I thought it was early, not sure what else it might have been. Of course I didn't see it - only heard it.
Two green woodpackers on Saturday, as I was out running from my in-laws' house at Milton Keynes. First I've seen for 3 or 4 years. We've got them around here, but they're a bit elusive. Great to see some again. I'm off out with the dog after I've finished this brew, so I'll see what's around on the Weaver today.
Kind fisher, Black swan...yes really.. Grebes. tufty ducks....
I did cheat a bit at Rodley nature reserve..
Lapwings near to bridestones last week.
Dan
A fine male Ring Ouzel singing its head off high on the slopes of Pen-y-ghent today.
Wheatears back on the fell too.
A nesting short-eared owl on Saturday in the Dales. 3 white eggs so far, on the ground between bits of heather. The bird flew up in front of us, but I couldn't work out what it was until I got home & did some research.
Nice one!Quote:
Originally Posted by Splatcher
The usual suspects on our crossing of the Sound of Barra today - razorbill, guillemot, eider, gannet, shag and a couple of great northern divers - plus the added bonus of a cracking view of a white-tailed eagle. Magnificent!
Short Eared Owl hunting at the top of Blakeley Clough this morning. bull Finches, Chiff-Chaff, Curlews and voles. No Cuckoos heard yet.
We've been down in Devon for Easter and managed an eight wader weekend: curlew, lapwing, oystercatcher, blackwit, ruff, redshank, turnstone and ringed plover. Lovely close-up view of singing chiffchaff too last night
swallow x 1, sand martin x 4, mipit, oyk, curlew, dipper, goosander, grey and pied wag, mandarin (pair), what I think was a redshank plus shellduck (pair). The shellduck bred last summer and appear to be back on the same farmland dew pond again. Oh, and billions of lambs and 2 bats
swallow x 1, sand martin x 4, mipit, oyk, curlew, dipper, goosander, grey and pied...
As I slowly drove up Grove Road this morning in downtown Ilkley a drake and maybe 20 chicks waddled/scurried across the road in front towards the stream that follows the road side. I stopped with a smile on my face and joy in my heart and held up the traffic.
So you see, DT, it's not only rock 'n' roll that does it for me!
A drake? Where was the mother duck?Quote:
Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
A drake? Where was the mother duck?
Talking to us car drivers of course as in the male looks after the children and the female chats away.
a duck and 11 ducklings on this mornings easy dawn patrol run.
saw a dipper yesterday, and a buzzard like bird that wasn't a buzzard. (must brush up on birds of prey)
Just returned from Northumberland and the Farne Islands.
Red Squirrel, deer (not sure what type), comma butterfly, porpoises.
And on the boat trip: gannets, turnstones, shags, cormorants, PUFFINS, razorbills, guillemots, and lots of seals.
My first swallows & house martins of the year yesterday along the Weaver. And a wheatear passing through the other day too, on its way to moorland somewhere no doubt.
loads of tree creepers this year in the local woods
just had 2 goldfinch in the garden, beautiful birds.
The sandpipers are back on the Ribble today :) There are also two pairs of dippers and a couple of pairs of grey wagtails. I still haven't seen swallow though.
First swallows have arrived in New Mills - they appeared to be recceing the Cracken Edge race route yesterday evening.
Yes Hes, Common Sandpiper on the Ribble at Halton West last evening.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hes
You're too far North for Swallows yet ;).
Deer in Langsett woods...only the second time I've ever seen them there.
the hills are alive with plover, curlews, lapwings...
Seen swallow around the village the last two or three evenings. Not seen common sand yet
Saw a swallow on South Uist last Friday, so they should be around just about everywhere, albeit in small numbers still.Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfeego
I forgot to add, we saw one swallow last week on the Northumberland coast near Craster. It must have been a forward scout.Quote:
Originally Posted by wharfeego
Wheatear at Herod Farm last night. Plus the usual Curlew, Skylark & Lapwing. ...and a beautiful sunset.
ring ouzels have been spotted in the peak, not seen one yet but heard one at Burbage last week
Just back from 3 nights' camping on the Welsh coast just north of Tywyn (& running in the Ras y Moelwyn fell race). Our campsite was on the coast, & I did most of my birdwatching from my sleeping bag. It was sunny, but there was a biting wind. Diving gannets & sandwich terns (I think: at a distance, but the beaks looked black), stonechats all over the place, a kite overhead, & mergansers having it off on the water. Brilliant.
First reed warblers on the Weaver & the Trent & Mersey yesterday. And another wheatear passing through, & a common sandpiper too.
Toad tadpoles are hatched in the works pond now. I know they're toads because of the single long chains of spawn that spawned them (sorry).
Also a lizard was spotted on Chicken Run last Saturday (though not by me unfortunately).
First ducklings on the Weaver, & my first orange-tip butterfly of the year too. And lapwings, another wheatear, a peregrine. I love walking the dog at this time of year!
Proper chuffed this evening. Saw my second ever cuckoo. I ran round the Famous Grouse route and saw it in the wood near Phoside farm at the bottom of the last climb.
We've now got swifts, swallows, house and sand martins in Horton-in-Ribblesdale :)
I gave my sister and brother-in-law a Tawny Owl box a couple of years ago. A young, fluffy thing popped its head out of the box for the first time yesterday. Needless to say, they're quite excited!