Fieldfares return down the Lane

Posted on 18th November 2017 by Richard

It’s always good indication that winter is upon us when the Fieldfares along with their pals the Redwings return, always about the same time, 10th – 15th. November.
This year is no exception, it started with a trickle around the 8th and has now built up to more than 200 who jump from tree to tree along the edge of the field here.
If you have a Camera, you can put a bet on them always being two trees ahead of you though, they’re pretty well camouflaged against the branches and remaining few leaves, the first sign you get of them is when they all take flight leaving you to curse that you should have looked sooner!

Thus far Winter has been good in the Garden; a huge and pleasing amount of House Sparrows, Dunnocks, Robins, a few Goldfinches, Blackbirds, Long Tailed, Coal, Blue and Great Tits.
Plus the occasional Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting and Yellowhammer, it’s looking good.
Overhead, four Buzzards and the Sparrowhawk are frequently seen.

Quick trip to Dungeness

I only had a couple of hours to spare so popped down to the Old Lighthouse, the 4 closest Hides in the Reserve and Scotney Farm where I hoped to get another glimpse of the Little Owl. Needless to say the latter obviously heard I was coming and wasn’t there.

Although a really pleasant day with no wind, not much about.
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Sometimes it pays to stay at home and bird watch

Posted on 14th November 2016 by Richard

Yesterday I went for ‘the long walk’ around my patch, down the Lane, over the fields to the River and back. Besides the Fieldfares there was very little about either with Birds or other wildlife.

I got home and thought I’d wrap up, pull out my Garden Chair and see what comes along – it was quite delightful.

Observation of the back garden bird feeder seems the Tits have a kind of rota system; the Great Tits, Blue Tits and Coal Tits all seem to come at different times right after each other.
All of them mix well with the resident House Sparrows and Dunnocks and take little notice of the invading Starlings and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Also visiting were a Green Woodpecker, Grey Wagtails and a Jay, all of which were camera shy and seemed to avoid the lens at all costs.
However, a Yellowhammer did sit on the Clothes Line for just enough time for me to get a shot.

Pride of place though was a Male Common Buzzard perching on the Electricity Cables above the back hedge. I was especially pleased with this as it’s usually only the female which I see gliding about.

Some Lapwings on the wasteland, overall upwards of 200

Everyday it seems will spring up at least one surprise, but even if it doesn’t it’s a joy and a great learning curve to just sit and observe who’s where and what’s what.

Juvenile Garden Birds on a sunny Summers day

Posted on 6th August 2016 by Richard

With the temperature at over 25 degrees this morning I thought it good to get Camera, sit in the shade and watch the juvenile Garden Birds at work, rest and play.
At present Blackbirds seem to be the main event, all day long they’re either noisily scurrying through the dead leaves under the Laurel Tree and occasionally taking a stroll across the Lawn in search of Worms. I have to say they’re pretty good at it!

Highlight was probably the Wren who seemed to not notice my slight movements and came to within 6 feet away from me. Having only my telescopic lens on, I had to wait for quite a few minutes before it was at a good enough distance to focus.

Blackbird – Dunnock – Great Tit

The seed on the Bird Table wasn’t attracting much, which I thought to be good, they were all searching through Grass or fluttering around in the overgrown Bramble and Rose Bushes.
Certainly the baby Chaffinches were, never stood still for more than a few seconds!

Male Chaffinch – Coal Tit – Lapwings

The Robin pictured seemed to either be airing himself or had slipped through the Bench Seat Slats! Whatever, he remained quite still for a good two minutes.
It’s the first year we seem to have Coal Tits in the Garden so it’s a pleasure to see a number of young ones about.
The Dunnocks however are always here in numbers. Their behaviour reminds me of keeping ex-Battery Hens, they’re full of cred and on the look out for the first piece of food that becomes available.

All in all a great two hours just spent observing and learning. The only overhead birds I saw were about 20 Lapwings doing a fairly low fly pass. Last Winter they spent their time on the field just below my house. Maybe it’s a sign of the forthcoming end to Summer and they’re seeking lower land or possibly, as a few day, migrating south.

Young Birds from the Window

Posted on 17th June 2016 by Richard

With the weather the way it is I decided not to venture out today but instead, just watch all the juvenile birds there are in the Garden at present.
It seems the breeding around here is going well!

Busy is an understatement, regardless of the rain they were back and forth, some with their Mother’s who succumbed to their want of being fed. “This can’t go on forever” seemed the expression on some parents faces!
What’s most noticeable is how they all mix. At one stage I had five different types of bird on the table at once!

Robin – Juvenile Coal Tit

House Sparrows – Dunnocks

There are some who say you shouldn’t feed Birds at all through Summer but I go by the way of trying to give them a good start, too many have been taken from the Nests by Predators, so the survivors can be fed up to build up strength (and speed!!).
I just give them fatballs and some summer seed, they say that Peanuts can be swallowed in too larger lumped and choke the birds. I usually start feeding them Peanuts around late September.

The main thing is to ‘treat’ them for want of a better word, even after they’ve been at the bird seed and fatballs I see them flying off into the hedgerows and gathering food there.

Young Female Greater Spotted Woodpecker

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Tag Archives: dunnocks

Fieldfares return down the Lane

Quick trip to Dungeness

Sometimes it pays to stay at home and bird watch

Juvenile Garden Birds on a sunny Summers day

Young Birds from the Window