What have you seen
Comments
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You might be very surprised by the changes if it has been a long time. There are major changes taking place at the moment, worth a visit if you are in the area.Tudor caravan site is just up the road alongside the canal and behind the pub.
The site looked pretty full when I passed yesterday.
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I am assuming you mean the road that parallels the actual Cut, I had always a thought that it was a private farm road.
Did think of taking bike in the car and cycling around the island, long time since I walked the island and can't remember if the path is smooth or rough.
Just have to wait for 'that' moment!
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The major changes would indeed have to be major to drag us back, BM. We visited in January 2017. We saw more Rats than Bewicks! I'm being serious. Rats climbing over each to access bird feeders, Rats running along walls next to footpaths. We were disgusted with the mess lying around. When I complained before leaving we were treated to a shrug of thd shoulders.
We always used to visit Slimbridge every 3 years or so but we'll not darken their doors again.
We found a similar, but not rat infested, malaise at Martinmere near Southport.
We'll just have to enjoy our previous memories.
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They have had problems with rats around the feeders, but that seems fairly common where food is available for foraging animals, rats especially.
They took the feeders down last spring, but as they are back up, I expect the rats will soon be back.
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For the goodness knows how many winters we have supplied the birds and a few mice and hedgdhogs with sustenance. However I have never seen so few Chaffinches. We have just the 1 female when we normally count them in double figures.
Are they coming down with finch disease like the Greenfinches? Has anyone else noticed this?
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Same here, Oneputt, goldfinch are by far our most common feeder bird, all year round. Sometimes accompanied by similar numbers of siskins. 2 species we rarely saw a few years back.
Still have chaffinch and greenfinch joining in, no bramblings yet though.
Love watching them!
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We have many sparrows visit in a flock several times a day and a few Goldfinch, Coal, Great and Blue tits all day and the occasional small group of Long Tailed Tits.
Not often do we see chaffinch in any numbers just the odd one or two. However on my last trip to Steart Marshes I came across a flock of well over 100
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Our chaffinches re-appear in the winter. We've noticed some very large flocks of birds going overhead just now, not sure if it's impending weather or new feeding grounds.
We only see the Bullfinch when the blossom is breaking in Spring or on flower buds like our winter honeysuckle.
That reminds me, I must check our wintersweet blossom, which should be out now.
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Well I put my wellies on and went in search of our Wintersweet, it's in a dank corner of our garden, surrounded by mounds of composting leaves. I think it's one of my favourite early winter flowering plants along with winter heliotrope as both have a strong scent. Good to have some winter flowering plants for the insects.
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Nice photos Brue.
Had a very enjoyable day at various places on the Wirral today. Burton Mere RSPB was lovely as it still had some sun this morning. A Merlin and a Pinging Bearded Tit were the highlights. The Beardie has only just made its first ever appearance at this reserve so I was pleased to at least hear one of the three that are present.
Then onto West Kirby, where the Great Northern Diver is to be found on and under the Marine Lake bordering the estuary. It put on a fine display with a walk around the perimeter being a bonus. It's quite aggresive and drove off a couple of Goosanders and a Scaup that got too close to it for its own good.
Then before returning home I called in at Parkgate which overlooks the marsh area of the River Dee near Neston. A female Hen and Marsh Harrier out on the marsh. They put up about 300 Lapwings amongst others. A couple of Short Eared Owls reported to be having a barney a bit further down but missed by me. Still, an enjoyable day with plenty of fresh air and excercise.
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Lovely photos Brue had to look that plant up as not sure and now know, still have bumble bees around on the salvia flowers and violas and this morning we still have a female Redstart about very late usually gone by early November.
WN good birding day for you very envious.
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Funny you should mention the Redstart, RK. Whilst at West Kirby the other day I was talking to a fellow Diver watcher. He mentioned that 2 friends of his had seen a Swift flying over the marine lake on Saturday, 1st.December. Very strange but both people apparently experienced.
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Never seen one myself, but there is a report of a red rumped swift over Oneputs way.
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They are beautiful birds BM. We were lucky to see some whilst looking down on them when staying in Central Spain one year. We're supposed to be heading down to Aiguamolls near Roses next Spring and they can somtimes be seen there with plenty of other Hirundines.
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Just for interest sake I'd always supposed that swifts were amongst the Hirundines but they are not. Apparently they are classified as Apodiformes which was very surprising to me!
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