Wednesday 29 April 2015

Regulars & visitors!

All the local birds are well underway with nesting & pairing, & plenty of visitors are doing the same.
Dippers are noticeable by not many sightings - probably due to Mrs on eggs & Mr not needing to be so busy yet! but he's still around if you look carefully. Kingfishers are doing the same thing & very quiet. Warblers - well they seem to be everywhere, Blackcap sightings & territories galore, Willow Warblers & Chiffchaff's are similar. A Garden Warbler, maybe setting up a territory too, hope he finds a lady friend, I heard a couple of Whitethroats, but alas, not seen much of them yet, but others have. G.S. Woodpeckers are busy too with a couple of nest sites seemingly underway, & a couple of Common Sandpiper were hanging around the riverbank recently.
At the feeders - well the birds are still coming, probably getting some fast food to keep their energy up with all the hard work they will be doing. Bullfinches galore still, possibly the last week or so now & they will disappear to go nest as the bramble & leaf growth is about to explode, just how they like it.
Myself & Allan were trying hard to capture the Garden warbler on Sat, & failed miserably but this Kestrel performed nicely to cheer us up.



Later a second one joined it & they wandered off, so locally this looks good for a possible pair.
 
 Chaffinches grabbing some fast food! males are looking "well smart" now.
 
Jays are surprisingly still begging for some nuts! This is the look I get if I don't fill their stump fast enough!
Searching for some!
"Please sir can I have some more",I'm getting informed the holes empty!
 
What's wrong with THIS picture?
& just for comparison -
 Somebody has had a pretty close shave, maybe with a Sparrow hawk!
Bullfinch male,Look at his colours stand out in the sun!
 
A couple of Reed Buntings are Clearly Lady free & still around.
 Posing!
Weeeeeeeeee!
 
Not forgetting the "Bread & butter" species:
 Coal Tit
 Blue Tit
Great Tit
 
Just for fun! Here's a "Willow-Chiff" as I was taught as a young Lad.
This one should be a Chiffchaff! as we had it belting one out just a few feet away previous to the snap!  Three other witnesses to back me up too. lol.
 
Keep your eyes peeled & your ears open - It's building up nicely.