birdman
Sunday 8th June 2003, 16:53
Time for another trip around the grounds.
A look at the weather forecast yesterday wasn’t particularly promising, and the National and Local forecasts contradicted each other.
Anyway, at 6am it was chucking it down… so back to sleep.
Up at 10, and it looked like it had been fine for a while, and after taking ages to come round, me and partnyorsha finally decided to risk it at about 11.30.
It was cloudy and breezy, but still pleasant enough for shirts sleeves.
The walk was a very slight variation on the usual clockwise theme – and as this was the latest in a number or such walks recently, we are starting to become familiar with the favourite locations of the birds.
As always, the Skylarks were present, and the House Martins and Swifts were feeding on the insects in the air.
A Carrion Crow flew past, and a Starling was sitting on a nearby rooftop, with a couple of Blackbirds heading that way. Shortly after, the first of many Magpies perched on a fence-post.
The Kestrel was hovering over its usual field, and the pond presented us with Moorhen and Mallard. Quite a few families are now present on the pond.
We are getting more familiar also with the birdsong, and we heard our first Whitethroat of the day, and saw him singing from the top of a shrub less than 20 feet away.
We continued to the far end of the walk, and saw a Lapwing heading towards the fields where I think at least one pair is nesting, and a Mistle Thrush, with beak full of something nutritious, no doubt!
We also had a brief view of a male Blackcap – all too brief, but later we were treated to better views of another – and may have also seen a female, also with a mouthful, but we never quite managed to get a decent view between us.
Looking over some trees, in the distance, we saw what may have been a Buzzard (quite possible in the area) but the distance was just too great for us to make any reasonable id. However, much closer at hand we saw a Long-tailed Tit.
As we entered a wooded area we became aware of plenty of birdsong, and spent a pleasant 20 minutes or trying to track down the singers. We did get the excellent views of the aforementioned second Blackcap, and after much difficulty, a good sighting of a very cross Wren! We also avoided the first shower of rain.
We walked further on, and stopped to look down the driveway to a private garden, where we have previously seen Pied Wagtails and Tits. No such luck today, but we did get a wonderful singing performance from a Goldcrest. We had suspected they were here, but had never managed to track one down before.
Then came the second, heavier shower. We sheltered for 15 minutes under a tree, but had the Goldcrest as company in the next tree. We also caught the briefest, but unmistakable glimpse of a Treecreeper (assuming, of course, that it wasn’t Short-toed!!!)
This second shower ended, and we emerged from the trees onto a different day. Blue Sky and Sun Blazing, Butterflies and Bees everywhere, and proceeded to make our way home. There was now even more singing, and for the first time today, surprisingly, we heard the first of the Chiffchaffs.
As we passed the other end of the pond, there were more families, including Coot.
Since reading another thread, I have decided to set myself a target (realistic?) of 100 birds on/from my patch for 2003, and therefore I am very pleased to be able to add 5 to that list from today.
Including birds that have only been heard, the total is now 43 positive ids + plus 2 unided birds (one goose and one non-black-headed gull) that I hope I can put right by the end of the year! In a later report I will submit a text file for anyone who wants to take a closer perusal.
It is now siling it down like stair-rods, with thunder crashing and lightning flashing – and for the record, as I typed this sentence the first time, and almighty flash of lightning occurred, sufficient to turn off my PC! (Fortunately, only about a paragraph and a half lost!)
I think we timed it about right!
Birdlist follows (* = heard only)
Blackbird
Blackcap
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff *
Coot
Feral Pigeon
Goldcrest
Great Tit
House Martin
Kestrel
Lapwing
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Mistle Thrush
Moorhen
Pheasant *
Robin
Skylark
Starling
Swift
Treecreeper
Whitethroat
Woodpigeon
Wren
Yellowhammer *
A look at the weather forecast yesterday wasn’t particularly promising, and the National and Local forecasts contradicted each other.
Anyway, at 6am it was chucking it down… so back to sleep.
Up at 10, and it looked like it had been fine for a while, and after taking ages to come round, me and partnyorsha finally decided to risk it at about 11.30.
It was cloudy and breezy, but still pleasant enough for shirts sleeves.
The walk was a very slight variation on the usual clockwise theme – and as this was the latest in a number or such walks recently, we are starting to become familiar with the favourite locations of the birds.
As always, the Skylarks were present, and the House Martins and Swifts were feeding on the insects in the air.
A Carrion Crow flew past, and a Starling was sitting on a nearby rooftop, with a couple of Blackbirds heading that way. Shortly after, the first of many Magpies perched on a fence-post.
The Kestrel was hovering over its usual field, and the pond presented us with Moorhen and Mallard. Quite a few families are now present on the pond.
We are getting more familiar also with the birdsong, and we heard our first Whitethroat of the day, and saw him singing from the top of a shrub less than 20 feet away.
We continued to the far end of the walk, and saw a Lapwing heading towards the fields where I think at least one pair is nesting, and a Mistle Thrush, with beak full of something nutritious, no doubt!
We also had a brief view of a male Blackcap – all too brief, but later we were treated to better views of another – and may have also seen a female, also with a mouthful, but we never quite managed to get a decent view between us.
Looking over some trees, in the distance, we saw what may have been a Buzzard (quite possible in the area) but the distance was just too great for us to make any reasonable id. However, much closer at hand we saw a Long-tailed Tit.
As we entered a wooded area we became aware of plenty of birdsong, and spent a pleasant 20 minutes or trying to track down the singers. We did get the excellent views of the aforementioned second Blackcap, and after much difficulty, a good sighting of a very cross Wren! We also avoided the first shower of rain.
We walked further on, and stopped to look down the driveway to a private garden, where we have previously seen Pied Wagtails and Tits. No such luck today, but we did get a wonderful singing performance from a Goldcrest. We had suspected they were here, but had never managed to track one down before.
Then came the second, heavier shower. We sheltered for 15 minutes under a tree, but had the Goldcrest as company in the next tree. We also caught the briefest, but unmistakable glimpse of a Treecreeper (assuming, of course, that it wasn’t Short-toed!!!)
This second shower ended, and we emerged from the trees onto a different day. Blue Sky and Sun Blazing, Butterflies and Bees everywhere, and proceeded to make our way home. There was now even more singing, and for the first time today, surprisingly, we heard the first of the Chiffchaffs.
As we passed the other end of the pond, there were more families, including Coot.
Since reading another thread, I have decided to set myself a target (realistic?) of 100 birds on/from my patch for 2003, and therefore I am very pleased to be able to add 5 to that list from today.
Including birds that have only been heard, the total is now 43 positive ids + plus 2 unided birds (one goose and one non-black-headed gull) that I hope I can put right by the end of the year! In a later report I will submit a text file for anyone who wants to take a closer perusal.
It is now siling it down like stair-rods, with thunder crashing and lightning flashing – and for the record, as I typed this sentence the first time, and almighty flash of lightning occurred, sufficient to turn off my PC! (Fortunately, only about a paragraph and a half lost!)
I think we timed it about right!
Birdlist follows (* = heard only)
Blackbird
Blackcap
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff *
Coot
Feral Pigeon
Goldcrest
Great Tit
House Martin
Kestrel
Lapwing
Long-tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Mistle Thrush
Moorhen
Pheasant *
Robin
Skylark
Starling
Swift
Treecreeper
Whitethroat
Woodpigeon
Wren
Yellowhammer *