alfsboy Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 (edited) Signing in from Norfolk .Usual garden birds plus a Sparrowhawk. Our resident Thrush is singing for a mate .My wife Jean saw two hares at the Fairhaven Trust where we walk the dogs but I missed them .They were gone in flash .I was surprised this winter that we didnt see any Buntings and Fieldfares this year in our garden .Usually snow and cold bring them in to our large Hawthorn bush .Seen the first butterflies .My wife knows all the names. I just look and admire .nature is wonderful Edited April 13, 2013 by alfsboy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poggy1165 Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 I'm tempted to say that we seem to be short of Magpies this year, but that instead there are an unusually high number of crows for a relatively urban location. However, a neighbour reported seeing no less than 16 magpies lined up on one of the opposite roofs, so perhaps they're just holding a parliament. A recent scattering of pigeon feathers plus the odd wing beneath the pergola suggests that our local bird of prey is still at work. Not sure whether it's a kestrel or a sparrowhawk - as it tends not to hang about to be studied - but occasionally one of our feral pigeons or one of the growing colony of collared doves 'fails to return.' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted April 14, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 14, 2013 36E Swifts 2 Newhaven Neil Swifts 1 Loads of Chiff Chaffs at our local NR but so windy most stuff was grounded! As for the garden, only a female Reed warbler (ringed) has turned up a couple of times in the last two weeks to make some variety. I've also noticed a huge increase in the Crow and Jackdaw numbers this last year. P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted April 15, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 15, 2013 Another bonus of the sudden increase in temperature is lots of bees, which we hadn't seen any signs of since February but no butterflies around yet, since a small number seen in February. Keith Saw a flutterby in Cheltenham today. I was sat in a traffic jam and it was on a bed of nearby pansies. Not close enough to be sure but from its behaviour - continual local aerial sorties with a fast flight - I suspect it was a Comma; they are very territorial. Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 Evenin' all, First bumble for this year almost flew into me as I cycled down to Tittesworth this morning. First brimstone also seen today. Cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 Actually saw a chiffchaff hopping about on the driveway this morning (after checking book to see what warbler it was). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted April 15, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 15, 2013 (edited) Evenin' all, First bumble for this year almost flew into me as I cycled down to Tittesworth this morning. First brimstone also seen today. Cheers Dave Here in Worcestershire first small bumblies were a week or more back, first big bumblies this weekend. Keith Edited April 15, 2013 by melmerby Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 (edited) Hi Keith, ...with Spring coming later to the high Moorlands we usually have the first coach outing each year to a more Southerly or Easterly destination e.g. the Fens. The journey usually starts with bare countryside/remnants of Winter snow near home but progresses through daffodils and into blossoms, flowers etc as we travel. A couple of weeks later our own flora gets to the same stage and with it come the birds and the insects etc. This mornings cycle ride was still between patches of snow in places. Cheers Dave Edited April 16, 2013 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lurker Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Yes, in SE London, the bumble bees are coming in to the house through the open windows and the parakeets are pecking the blossom off the ornamental cherry tree, the foxes have found an alternative to last year's den under our decking and the magpies have a nest in the conifers at the end of the garden! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted April 16, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 16, 2013 Chiffchaff singing in the back garden here too in South Devon this morning. Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted April 16, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 16, 2013 Single Housemartin over back garden - few days earlier than usual and around 10 days earlier than last year. P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted April 16, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 16, 2013 Hi Keith, remnants of Winter snow near home Cheers Dave Last of the snow went from the lanes near here during last week. Worcestershire didn't get much mention on the news during the snow-fest but some of the local country roads were blocked by deep snow, a week ago one local road was still partly blocked but is now totally clear. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted April 16, 2013 Author Share Posted April 16, 2013 Well done for identifying Chiffchaff. One of the more difficult birds to pin down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debs. Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Saw and heard a flock of Skylark on our walkies this lovely morning...........an absolute joy! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Well done for identifying Chiffchaff. One of the more difficult birds to pin down. So now you got me worried! Assuming the alternative is a willow warbler, this was definitely more greeny-grey than greyey-green and the pale stripe above the eye was distinctly yellowish rather than creamy-grey (ref RSPB/DK Birds of Britain & Europe) - but not bright enough to be a wood warbler. Usually you just hear them, which is a doddle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted April 16, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 16, 2013 (edited) Willow warbler vs Chiffchaff - song easy, but don't they have different colour legs? Edit : Collins field guide Chiffchaff dark brown/black legs, willow pinkish. Neil Edited April 16, 2013 by Downendian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted April 16, 2013 Author Share Posted April 16, 2013 Yes, quite right. Unfortunately, unless you nail them to a fence they tend to hop about and it's difficult to be sure in adverse light conditions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 My book says yellowish-brown legs for the willow warbler. As DDolfelin says it's not easy to tell when it's hopping about, especially on tarmac. I'll try and look at its legs if I see it again. At least I've now memorised what page of the book the little bu$$ers are on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted April 16, 2013 Author Share Posted April 16, 2013 A solitary redpoll today - see them about once a year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted April 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2013 Heard my first woodpecker at work this evening. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted April 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2013 Re WW v CC - don't bother identifying, just wait & listen to the songs! Quack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted April 17, 2013 Author Share Posted April 17, 2013 Siskins back this morning. One of my favourites. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted April 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2013 Peacock Flutterby just seen in garden. I wonder what it will be feeding on just now? Maybe the nettles? nothing else suitable in flower. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Happy Hippo Posted April 17, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2013 According to a sticker in the back of a car I saw this morning, the decline in songbird (and racing pigeons) is down solely to birds of prey. I appreciate that Peregrine Falcons take racing pigeons, but I doubt if they are causing massive losses on the scale of the USAAF v Luftwaffe air battles of WWII. Likewise, a poorly situated bird table is the Sparrowhawk equivalent of a MacDonalds drive-thru. I'd suggest the answer is probably closer to home and your friendly domestic cat, the grey squirrel who is not adverse to eating either eggs or fledglings as is the Magpie. Regards Richard 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted April 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 17, 2013 According to a sticker in the back of a car I saw this morning, the decline in songbird (and racing pigeons) is down solely to birds of prey. I appreciate that Peregrine Falcons take racing pigeons, but I doubt if they are causing massive losses on the scale of the USAAF v Luftwaffe air battles of WWII. Likewise, a poorly situated bird table is the Sparrowhawk equivalent of a MacDonalds drive-thru. I'd suggest the answer is probably closer to home and your friendly domestic cat, the grey squirrel who is not adverse to eating either eggs or fledglings as is the Magpie. Regards Richard I thought research had laid the blame squarely at the foot paw of the domestic moggie as the largest destroyer of garden birds. Keith 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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