Friday 1 January 2010

Bad Weather? Good Birding!

A little surprised at the white stuff that has fallen in the last 24 hours; half a foot deep in parts!  This was probably what moved two Fieldfare, four LT Tits and a male Bullfinch through my garden this morning.  Tits on my fat balls (ooo-errr!!!), Fieldfare drinking from my pond and the Bully just ambling by.  Three garden life ticks in ten minutes.  Magic!

Horton Burn en hiver, as the French would say!



A couple of trips to the West Hartford Business Park, one with pup, one with camera.  Had 250 PF Geese over, southwards, at 1pm, and a Cormorant, north, 90 minutes later.  Had a text from Davy Tee saying he had a Woodcock whilst sledging.  I did not know he was so excited by a toboggan!!!! 




Snow and a formidable sky make the place almost scenic!  Almost!



Looking west, a few deer passing through.



The ancient earthworks - allegedly! (behind the palisade fence)



Looking west over the larger Flash.



Looking west over the smaller Flash.




The Cormorant's there somewhere!


All in all, 31 species today, in/around Crammers, three times as many as other years.

Thursday 31 December 2009

NO-L, NO-L, NO-L, NO-L L etc

The birding equivalent of this carol, as far as I was concerned yesterday was:
NO-B (Bramblings at Bolam Lake's feeders (noon-1pm)
NO-SEO (at Prestwick Carrs, 3pm)
NO-LO (at Dinnington).





Consistent if nothing else!  Bring on 2010!

Monday 28 December 2009

And Ross McWhirter?

Great day, great weather, great visibility and great result!
1/2/3 Gulls - BH/C/H - all over the place
4/5/6 Tits - B/G/LT - along Horton Burn (HB)
7/8/9/10 Finches - B/Go/C/Gr (HB)
11 Linnet c. 20 (WHIE)
12 House Sparrow (HB)
13 Song Thrush (HB) - nice to see
14 Kestrel (WHIE) - mobbing two Common Buzzards
15 Mistle Thrush (HB) - again, nice to see
16 Buzzard (WHIE) - two
17 Mipit (WHIE) - three
18 Wood Pigeon - all over and in their hundreds!!
19 Collared Dove (HB)
20 Magpie (HB)
21 Crow (HB)
22 Fieldfare (HB)
23 Snipe (WHIE)
24 Blackbird - all over
25 Stonechat (WHIE) - a pair north of the new fire station
26 Reed Bunting (WHIE)
27 Wren - numerous
28 Robin - as above
29 Starling - as above.