Local Patch Swallows

25 on the wires this morning.

Local Pacth Swallows

15 today perched on the phone wires by the barn today... I'll try and get a nice photo at some point soon.

Local Patch Swallows

Just seen 15 Swallows flying around the barn. This is by far the most I've seen all summer (usually only one or 2)... so they could soon be off for the winter... already!

It will be interesting to see what happens when they return as that lovely barn they call home is about to converted... an eviction notice has been served :(

Crows in the Garden

A new garden tick... Carrion Crow... 2 to be precise perched on top of our tallest tree. This tree seems to be a crafty of way of getting a good garden tick as it's more of less the highest point around and indeed worked to get me the Waxwing tick last winter. So not the most unusual bird in the world but a new tick is a new tick.

TWO Great Spots!!

Just when we thought our new garden visitor couldn't be surpassed... there were two today, one on each peanut feeder!!!! The first one was a youngster (red crown), the second an adult male (black crown, red nape).

Pond Update

Well the pond is doing ever so well... we've popped a couple of snails in to try and keep the algae down a bit as it is getting a bit wild and the plants have certainly taken over... it's hard to believe it looks so established so quickly.

After our froglettes migrated we did feel the pond was a little empty but look! There are at least 3 around, one looks bigger than the others so I suspect an adult and 2 youngsters.

Bird Quiz

Did you know there's a great online bird quiz... it's not only good fun but I think a great way to expand your knowledge while you're sat at the PC (gives me something to do when I do a print run for example). There are 3 levels, and today I've been playing level 1 and got...

Result:1200 Points
Everything right! Congratulations!
Congratulation! Ranking 1 out of 1017 of the daily list

Huzzah!!!! I must be getting better at this birding lark ;)

http://www.bavarianbirds.de/what/cbirding_e.html

Great Spot

It's now official... we're getting a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the garden once or twice a day! He (and it is a he) is normally found hanging off the new peanut feeder but he's also hopped around the table and nibble of the table peanut feeder and even taken a drink from the bird bath today!!!

I've tried and tried to get good photo, this is the best yet using the dreaded digital zoom on my camera but at least it's not blurred (too much). But my "digiscoping on the cheap" skills are getting better, I've had a few encouraging attempts using the eye relief on my bins with my camera (although the bins need to be resting on something to keep them steady)... the point is hopefully I'll be adding more photos to my text heavy blog... they're not going to win awards as they will be mainly "record shots" but they'll do for me :)

Blackmoorfoot

Doh! Seems I've missed a Little Egret in late July here... hey ho... it is one of those places you rarely see much but when you do!!!!

Had a trip up today to walk Laddie and saw... Great Crested Grebe (15 or so), Canada Geese (cf 50), Mallard (cf 20), a few Black Headed Gulls flying around, Swallows (just one of two), and a lone Tufted Duck.

Longendale

A nice reservoir walk providing Oystercatcher (2 in a nearby field), Cormorants (3 on an outcrop sticking out of the pitifully low water level), Kestrel and a Grey Wagtail which we flushed from the bridge between the 2 reservoirs.

Great Spot in the Garden

Woke today to see a Great Spottted Woodpecker in the garden. This is the third garden sighting but this time he was on the peanut feeder!!! Alas it was empty and broken waiting to be replaced... doh! So replaced it has been and now we're waiting... waiting... waiting...