Wednesday 12 December 2007

It was all quiet across the sheep pasture and paddocks at migrant alley early this pm, so I decided to do a garden bird watch, as I have neglected the BTO garden birdwatch a bit this week. Plenty of BLUE and GREAT TITS dashed about, grabbing sunflower hearts, GOLD, GREEN and CHAFFINCH fed at the feeders with the odd HOUSE SPARROW, whilst half a dozen COLLARED DOVES picked up the spillings, with a DUNNOCK and two ROBINS. The fat blocks were dominated by the STARLINGS, but a COAL TIT did get a piece of the action. Apples spiked on the elder tree attracted a couple of BLACKBIRDS, but no other of the thrush kind. Later in the afternoon a NUTHATCH came to the sunflower hearts and a GS WOODPECKER had a go at the fat. I also spotted a WREN, the first in the garden this month (22nd species) it was carrying a large, bright green caterpiller half as big as itself! A single JACKDAW came in as dusk fell, picking at the dropped fat pieces. The only SPARROWHAWK attack was a failure, at around 3 o'clock. 17 species made use of the garden in the 2hours, and 11 further species flew over or were in the vacinity, the best being a lone CORMORANT, coming from the lake area.

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