Quite a reasonable afternoon weather-wise, not as sunny or warm as yesterday, but still a better than average March day. Unfortunately, it wasn't better than average for the birding aspect, a trip to the lakes via the Small Holding and Wet Woods only produced the regulars, GREEN WOODPECKERS, GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKERS, CHAFFINCH, GREENFINCH, GOLDFINCH and a lone REDWING were about it for the Small Holding, with the Wet Woods coming up with more Great Spotted Woodpeckers, calling GREAT and BLUE TITS, and a briefly seen TREECREEPER.
Over on the lakes five CANADA GEESE were seen, and a CORMORANT was fishing, another was circling overhead but didn't come down, as I watched it, the BARNACLE GOOSE with its Canada Goose mate dropped in to join the other geese. Only four MALLARDS were present, all drakes, two MOORHENS and the pair of COOTS, which by now probably have a nest somewhere :-) I listened for a while around the Scrubby Woods, hoping to hear the song of my first migrant Blackcap of the year, but it wasn't heard, although I did hear BULLFINCH, GOLDCREST, COAL TIT and NUTHATCH, as well as more ''yaffling'' Green Woodpeckers!
A look around the Tree Nursery was not really worth the effort today, just more Green Woodpeckers, and a couple of MAGPIES were seen, and over at Migrant Alley I searched the fencelines and paddocks again, but my first Wheatear has yet to arrive, that might be some while yet, as my first spring Wheatear can be as late as May! :-)
A bit of a sky-watch was had for an hour, this produced a MEADOW PIPIT going N, a GREY HERON and a BUZZARD, which was checked several times ;-) Nothing else out of the ordinary was seen though, on a rather quite afternoons patch visit.
 |
| Feral Barnacle Goose |
 |
| WREN in the Greenhouse Grounds |
 |
| Same Wren | | |
|
|
 |
| COLLARED DOVE from at my garden |
 |
| Blue Tit from my garden |
 |
| Blue Tit |
 |
| Blue Tit, as you can see I get lots of Blue Tits at the feeders ! :-) |
8 comments:
The Barnacle looks very smart and I love the Wren, I keep just missing them as they scuttle off into the undergrowth!
That looks like a young Collared Dove to me?
Lovely photos throughout, Warrren.
That Wren took me ages to photograph Songbird, I sat and waited for it to come out of the undergrowth to sing :-)
Collared Dove was an adult, its black collar can just be seen :-)
Lovely wren and blue tit pics Warren, L
Warren.
Nice photo's of the Wren. I laso have one regularly visiting the garden but I have yet to get a decent shot of it.
Good luck with finding the nesting Coots.
Looking forward to seeing your migrant shots quite soon.
Warren....An excellent image of the largely neglected - by most birders other than the likes of yourself - Collared Dove.
Feral or not I always tend to think of Barnacle Geese as welcome patch visitors
It`s so frustrating to know that there are Spring migrants close by to our respective patch`s, Warren.
It`s definitely a waiting game.
Nice shot of the Barnacle Goose. And of course, the Tit family is always a joy to see in pictures:)
Post a Comment