What have you seen

12467163

Comments

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2017 #92

    Saw what I took to be a flock of about 50 Thrushes feeding on a field close to the CL we're staying on near Upton. I didn't realise that they flocked in such large numbers.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #93

    Nellie, they'll be Fieldfares, see my pic on the previous page. I'll see if the copy and paste function works now.   (No it doesn't !)

     

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #94

    A wander along the top of Portsmouth harbour at half tide. Lots of Brent geese, a few egrets, a couple of oystercatchers, a smattering of dunlin and a curlew heard but not seen. Plus the usual suspects - black headed gulls, crows.

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited January 2017 #95

    A trip to the Avon Gorge to catch sight of the perigrine proved almost fruitless as the bird sat in a tree on the far side for the whole time I was there, but a few regulars popped up. Mouse, Robin, Grey Squirrel, Dunnock and Mistle Thrush.

     

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2017 #96

    brue, they were a good bit smaller than Fieldfares, and didn't appear to have the light colouring that I associate with them. Thanks for the photo though. 

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2017 #97

    We saw our first lamb of the year, with it's mother, a couple of days ago on Castlemorton Common.

    Today we has a visit from a small flock of Long Tailed Tits. There were 4 of them at one time hanging and feeding on the fat ball outside of the van.

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,190 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #98

    lovely walk in glorious winter sunshine round our local estate, not the housing sort, this morning smile.  Kestrel almost overhead hovering but moved off without coming down.  Heard at least one woodpecker and the rooks were crawing looking like they were beginning to pair up.  Dog had a field day barking at the squirrels, I swear she'll climb a tree one day!  One tree had four squirrels that we could see surprised why aren't they hibernating?

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,190 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #99

    lovely walk in glorious winter sunshine round our local estate, not the housing sort, this morning smile.  Kestrel almost overhead hovering but moved off without coming down.  Heard at least one woodpecker and the rooks were crawing looking like they were beginning to pair up.  Dog had a field day barking at the squirrels, I swear she'll climb a tree one day!  One tree had four squirrels that we could see surprised why aren't they hibernating?

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited January 2017 #100

    Perhaps the birds were Redwing which are often found in large flocks and alongside Fieldfare

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #101

    Waxwings, again!

    In Burnley town centre (honest!), in a tree just outside the library, about 15 of them. 😊

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #102

    I saw a Robin just outside the front side window of the caravan this morning.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #103

    Just found this Youtube video which shows Redwings and Fieldfares. Lets see if it works.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2017 #104

    brue, the video works well, thanks. As I said the birds were too far away to fully identify, but looking at the video I think that they might well have been Redwings rather than Fieldfares, but I could not spot their eyestripe.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #105

    Not easy! Fieldfares are very noisy and chatty that might help another time. 

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited January 2017 #106

    Grey squirrels do not hibernate as they are unable to store food for long periods. Rather they build winter dreys which they sometimes share for extra warmth, using their tails as a blanket.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2017 #107

    They were there again today. Bit easier to see and they had a couple of Fieldfares in among them. 

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #108

    I listened to Tweet of the Day on BBC Radio 4 this morning and it was about Mistle Thrushes gathering in small flocks at this time of the year.

    Tweet of the Day

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,190 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #109

    Well you learn something new everyday 😃. I grew up a country girl too 😯. When I was a child never saw squirrels or badgers for that matter. So when I was told squirrels hibernate I took the teachers word for it, backed up by nature books too! But I expect if I really try to recall any illustrations they would be red ones. 

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited January 2017 #110

    Me to, I looked it up after taking the photo on page 10 when the question arose about hibernating. How do these small creatures survive such cold nights? We have a few pairs of collared doves that sit around the garden, how sad to see that one pair is missing a partner, even though we have more than we need of them.

    Speaking of hibernating, has the Lesser Spotted Oneput hibernated or migrated?

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #111

    Still about, lurking in the shadowssurprised Just off to Cucumber Lane in Beccles to try and spot Bramblings, Bullfinches, yellow Hammers and over 100 Fieldfare and Redwings

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #112

    Saw 2 x Purple Sandpipers at Ness Point in Lowestoft

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2017 #113

    So perhaps it was a flock of those that I first saw?

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #114

    Saw cattle egret on Halvergate Marshes then on to RSPB Strumpshaw plenty around including otter in the distance and Snipe by reception

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2017 #115

    Saw 3 black Boars running free around the fields/wood above the River Stour near Stratford this afternoon. Wonder if they are one that have escaped from nearby farm and are now breeding in the wild?

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #116

    Male Bull finch in the garden this morning. smile

  • holmesonwheels24
    holmesonwheels24 Forum Participant Posts: 148
    edited January 2017 #117

    Lovely bird the bullfinch , especially the male, nice photo well done.

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #118

    Both the male and female have been in the garden all day feeding on buds on a fruit tree. She was a little more secretive and with light fading no decent photo, will try again in the morning.

    Lovely robin came in on the feeder though! 

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
    1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited January 2017 #119

    We saw a couple today as we walked round the nature reserve near the Anderton Boat Lift. Great to see, if only fleetingly.

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
    1000 Comments
    edited January 2017 #120

    Great photo!

    We sometimes get bullfinches on our garden feeders, always male and female together, beautiful birds.

  • greylag
    greylag Forum Participant Posts: 584
    edited January 2017 #121

    Waxwings....Waxwings and yet more Waxwings.  This year is being one of the best for many years for Waxwings, they are everywhere.  Went into Beccles for my latest fix and found 4 birds that kept coming down to a small Rowan tree, swallowing half a dozen berries, flying back to the top of a high tree and repeating procedure every 15 minutes.

    I have (For me) some brilliant pictures which will keep me happy if I never see them again.

    If you get the chance go see them..........you will always remember it.