|
Post by aeshna5 on Jun 29, 2018 3:52:04 GMT
For the bird it's martin + for the mammal it's marten.
|
|
|
Post by ianr on Jul 1, 2018 11:14:34 GMT
Earlyish trip out this morning but the woodland was a bit of a mozzie fest so cut it short, although lots of young sounding nuthatch about. However only a 2 mile detour takes us past one of my favourite ice cream parlours and it would be rude not to call in as we arrived about 9-45am there was a barn owl hunting over the meadow next to the carpark nice surprise ian
|
|
|
Post by aeshna5 on Jul 1, 2018 14:04:11 GMT
Yesterday watching the 6 pairs of Common Terns on a raft with several young at Ruislip Lido. One adult was trying to swallow a fish while on the water's edge with great difficulty. In recent years many tern rafts around London have now been taken over by breeding Black-headed Gulls which never used to breed here. Though there were a few around yesterday no breeding attempt here this year, though one pair did breed last year.
Red Kite + Hobby also nice to see here.
|
|
|
Post by rowanberry on Jul 1, 2018 21:01:56 GMT
About lunchtime I heard a high-pitched distress call, and it took me a few minutes to find the cause of it... first sparrowhawk to land in the garden in ages.
It had a successful strike- I don't know what it had caught, but by the time I got the camera focused I just had time to take this one poor shot of it... then it flew off with its meal.
|
|
|
Post by aeshna5 on Jul 4, 2018 17:02:45 GMT
All day today I've been watching two newly fledged Grey Wagtails sitting outside a clinic near Battersea Power Station; only moving as a parent comes in with some insects. Fortunately I've never seen a cat here or Fox by day. Certainly at their most vulnerable at the moment. Hopefully by staying still they won't attract the attention of a Crow.
|
|
|
Post by Tringa on Jul 5, 2018 7:33:24 GMT
I've only seen one of these once before and that was at some distance. However, about 6:15 this morning while out with the dog I was lucky to get a good view of and be within about 15 feet of a little owl.
Dave
|
|
|
Post by ianr on Jul 5, 2018 8:30:32 GMT
Follow on from a post I put in 3 weeks ago about a clutch of Mallard ducklings on the lake here, well I've not seen them since but the mother could have easily have walked them over the rail lines to the bigger pit. She could easily pass under or through the fencing. This morning another brood on the lake I don't see these as the same ones they just look too small to be 3 weeks old. As for the Red Headed Pochard pair the male looks thoroughly sorry for himself halfway through his moult ian by ian robinson, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by accipiter on Jul 7, 2018 15:34:02 GMT
Being at home for the weekend I thought about taking a stroll over yonder early this morning before it became too hot just to see if the stonechats were still there, more importantly if there were any juveniles showing. Besides my little owls are ok here at home showing seven juveniles the progeny of two sets of parents, so, making myself comfortable on the high bank overlooking the valley (a small dip) I sit down and waited. I much prefer to do my bird watching this way during the breeding season. One, it saves walking around in circles and two; it does not disturb any nesting birds. This particular area has always been very good for all sorts of birds turning up from ring ouzel in the winter time to whitethroat in the summer. Whitethroat being a bit of a favourite of mine always breeding here year after year. Has luck would have it I did not have very long to wait as a couple of juvenile stonechats were seen along with an adult whitethroat busily flying into a small bush presumably feeding chicks.
Meanwhile a buzzard was circling overhead while a kestrel had set up home in the old rookery quite a rare sight in this part of the world now, the kestrel that is and not nesting in the rookery has I have seen this happen before.
Nevertheless I was only too pleased to see the whitethroats still coming to nest here has they invoked memories of my childhood, still I think the kestrel just has to be my bird of the day a rare sight locally now unfortunately.
Incidentally here I am in the middle of nowhere and a brand new Tesco trolley lays here, the mind boggles dear reader.
Ps
Returning home and at this moment in time I can hear at least four juvenile Sparrowhawks screaming for food, plus my wife tells me our buzzards have been seen taking grey squirrels to their nest down in buzzard wood.
Alan
|
|
|
Post by aeshna5 on Jul 7, 2018 15:43:50 GMT
My first Marsh Tit of the year. It was feeding fairly low down by a woodland path at Bookham feeding on some insects on Honeysuckle.
|
|
|
Post by rowanberry on Jul 11, 2018 18:48:02 GMT
This thrush, seen on the ground in our local park.
|
|
|
Post by aeshna5 on Jul 14, 2018 16:14:55 GMT
A male Yellowhammer singing on top of some scrub in the North Downs today.
|
|
|
Post by NellyDee on Jul 16, 2018 9:49:09 GMT
I obviously have the wrong idea about Greenfinchs, I thought they were seed eaters maybe caterpillars woodland. So on the shores of Loch La Losgairn Mhor (Near Kilmelford) pebble rocky beach line, was a Greenfinch dashing about catching small sand flies and other beach insects. Also surprised when walking up path to Glassary cup and rings that all the up way was littered with small snail shells, basically round every small rock. The only birds in sight were masses of sparrows - did not think sparrows bashed snails on rocks (there were no Thrushes to be seen). small snail shells by Helen Skelton, on Flickr Sparrows dust bath by Helen Skelton, on Flickr Greenfinch July 2018 by Helen Skelton, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by aeshna5 on Jul 16, 2018 16:53:51 GMT
Greenfinches are mainly seed eaters, but like many such birds they will supplement their diet with invertebrates- especially to feed young as this prey is rich in protein. I think Linnet + Twite are the only 2 finches that feed their young on an exclusively seed diet.
|
|
|
Post by rowanberry on Jul 17, 2018 8:52:07 GMT
This young jay, on a very warm day- the two of them spent a lot of time going to and fro between the birdtable and the birdbath.
|
|
|
Post by John on Jul 17, 2018 10:02:48 GMT
Pectoral Sandpiper at Brandon Marsh, near Coventry. A rare bird for Warwickshire.
|
|