Friday 3 February 2012

Walking home from work today I saw that there were 6 LAPWING on the pasture at Migrant Alley,  along with 8 BLACK HEADED GULLS.

This afternoons patch visit started well enough, with a COMMON BUZZARD (44) seen being mobbed by 3 CARRION CROWS as it circled above Ashes lane, unfortunately, that was as good as the walk got! The weather had turned for the better, gone was the biting wind, and although it was still on the cool side, the sun made it feel very pleasant, thus everyone was out with their dogs! To compound that, the lakes were frozen solid so everything had left apart both the COOTS, there's a turn up for the books, nothing but Coots on the lakes  :-)  The Scrubby Woods wasn't even contemplated, as an alarm was belting out from of one of the nearby outbuildings! I made a quick exit, and headed for the Tree Nursery, here I saw 7 MEADOW PIPITS fly up from the grassy part of the field, the most since December. A visit around the Greenhouse Complex didn't produce anything much at all apart from 3 BLACKBIRDS, the months first FIELDFARE (45) flying over and a KESTREL, where have all the birds gone ? I hope they aren't all succumbing to the recent frosts!

With nothing to be gained by hanging about at the Greenhouses, I headed home for my much busier garden feeders, where I took some photo's. It was amazing standing a few feet from the feeders and being surrounded by scores of BLUE TITS, their wings whirring around, it was like watching moths around a lamp. The SPARROWHAWK made 3 failed attempts at getting a meal, he was as bold as brass, whizzing in, then racing around the garden chasing the Tits, despite my presence! A couple of GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS almost came down to the feeders, they are getting a bit bolder. Anyway here's what I Photographed  :-)
GREAT TIT
Great Tit
GOLDFINCH
Goldfinch
Blue Tit
Great Spotted Woodpecker


8 comments:

Lancashire and Lakeland Outback Adventure Wildlife Safaris said...

It'll be feeding from the hand shots next week Warren! You going to hear Martin Garner at KOS next week?

Cheers

Davo

Anonymous said...

If hadn`t been for the two additions, you sound like you`d have been happy enough in your garden.
Great stuff, Warren.

Stringer said...

Aren't goldfinches BRILLIANT !!

Warren Baker said...

Davo,
I generally go to the KOS talks, but this one is ticket only, and I didn't get one - Doh!

Dean,
I love watching my garden :-) best bit of wildlife habitat around here for miles :-)

Stringer,
Yep, I agree, cracking little finches :-)

Alan Pavey said...

Great pics again Warren, really like the first Great Tit, nice to add a couple of new birds for the month as well :-)

Rohrerbot said...

Nice views! Nice additions! Love your last woodpecker shot.

Pete Woodruff said...

Frozen lakes and dog walkers....oh dear. Great pics, the Blue Tit takes the award for me Warren.

ShySongbird said...

Lovely photos again Warren, I always think Goldfinches look too exotic for this country, I'm glad they don't think so though :-)

Those Coots are beginning to sound quite at home there ;-)