What have you seen

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  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #992

    Just read that there are 28 Parrot Crossbills at the Saint Helens car park (santon downham)

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #993

    I found this on Tweet of the Day Oneputt, I didn't know much about them so your post was interesting. smile

    Tweet of the Day

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #994

    Parrot Crossbill at Santon Downham.  Apologies for poor quality but poor light, no sun, and distance to blame (my excuse anyway.  If they opportunity arises I will return and try again.

     

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #995

    Now 42 Parrot Crossbills reported by St Helens carpark.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #996

    One thing about winter is the lack of leaves giving you  better view. I've just been watching a little Goldcrest working it's way through some of the bare shrubs in our garden, a bit too dismal for a photo but nice to watch. smile

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #997

    25 gold finches on the feeders today

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,195 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #998

    Oneputt I'm sorry but I have to ask this question. Do you see 25 gold finches at the same time? If so how many feeders do you have? We have a couple of seed feeders and a couple of fat ball feeders that are busy all day, including gold finch 😆 but never see that many different birds at once including the groundfeeders let alone one species.

    When I have done the big bird or butterfly count I undertood number to be recorded was the most I had seen at once within the time frame to avoid duplicates. Have I been sending in duff figures?  😲

    Just sent 15 starlings all together devouring the mealworms on the grass.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #999

    We have 4 different feeders but they use them like a pit stop, hanging around in nearby trees and bushes so quite easy to count.  As far as bird counts are concerned I just count the number of birds entering the garden during the allotted time.  I would think that the RSPB probably use some type of weighting tool to come up with the numbers

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,195 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #1000

    That makes sense 😆. We have queues but they sit in the evergreen shrub adjacent or one on the other side of the garden and flit on and off the feeders quickly. Next oor have a cat that likes to lurk so assume birds are wise to it.

    We had cats years ago but didn't feed the birds then. When we had the now 'holiday' dog living here cats stayed out of the garden.  Last time holiday dog visited not sure who got biggest shock her or next doors cat 😲. Cat's creeping back now.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2017 #1001

    We had "twelve" useing our feeders on Sunday or was it one coming back every few minutessurprised

  • Pliers
    Pliers Forum Participant Posts: 1,864
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    edited November 2017 #1002

    We use a "super soaker" to deter cats. The icy cold water doesn't harm them, but they don't like it one bit. Cats aren't daft, they soon realise where they're not welcome and give our garden a miss when they're on their rounds.

    I actually like cats, just don't want them killing "my" garden birds. 😊

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,644 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #1003

    I saw about the same number of goldfinches today as OP when out for our afternoon walk in the bushes alongside the main road into town. This morning there was a GSW on a Cherry Tree on the green in the middle of our estate. Have never seen one there before.

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1004

    Talking of feeders, don't see the numbers of green finches on them these days. Also, would expect to see the siskins by now, where are they all?

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1005

    Haven't seen any greenfinches for ages, much depends on the weather if the garden visitors increase when they need a bit more food. We've just sent off for some new fatballs and they don't seem to be quite as popular. 

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited December 2017 #1006

    Down at East Head near Wittering yesterday, there were masses of Brent geese. Also same a pair of sandpipers and a solitary lapwing. I think most of the birds must have been hunkered down to get out of the biting wind.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1007

    Breydon Water (just outside Gt Yarmouth) this morning from the bird count:

    990 Pink-feet roosted, 9100 Wigeon, 55 Pintail, 610 Teal, 113 Avocets, 997 Black-tailed Godwits, 45 Bar-tailed Godwits and over 3,800 Lapwings.

     

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1008

    We're nearly back to your visit on the OP Oneputt, lovely time of the year to be visiting these places. Here's to the next year on this thread! smile

  • RedKite
    RedKite Club Member Posts: 1,717 ✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1009

    About 20 minutes ago had a bird flying over low by our kitchen window and as it went over I was surprised to see it was a Hen Harrier not see one here before, we still have have our brambling with the chaffinches and the other day we had two herons flying over nothing unusual as we get a lot over here but flying over with them was a great white egret and they all landed in some trees then flew off again towards to local lake must have wanted company. Very chilly here in the Lot but at least the sun came out today very pleasant.

  • HelenandTrevor
    HelenandTrevor Forum Participant Posts: 3,221
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    edited December 2017 #1010

    Finally managed to get a photograph of our local Parakeet this morning. 

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1011

    About 17/18 of the Gold Finches that eat us out of hearth and home in a tree at the bottom of the garden.  Yesterday we had a Green Woodpecker and this morning 4 x Greenfinches

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2017 #1012

    We seem to be inundated with long tailed tits and great tits ,there are green woodpeckers wee see most morning's when out with Rosa

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1013

    Does the Green Woodpecker come onto your feeder JVB and if so does it go for peanuts?  Obviously seen GSW on feeders but never a Green.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2017 #1014

    The one that has been into our garden,has only been on the lawns, have not seen it on the feeders,we see most of them on the ground when out with Rosa,not sure if it is green woodpeckers but they have been very vocal,and have been doing a lot of knocking on the trees in our local ancient woods

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1015

    There are more 'ringies', our only naturalised parrots, in the UK than there are Kingfishers. When I was a child collared doves were only just establishing themselves here, look at them now. 

    Mrssf saw a lesser spotted woodpecker this morning, I think I've only ever seen a couple of these sparrow sized birds in my entire life. 

  • greylag
    greylag Club Member Posts: 585 ✭
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    edited December 2017 #1016

    OP

    Did you do the count on Breydon?

    What time of day and state of tide was it when you visited.  Weather permitting I plan to do Breydon on Friday.

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1017

    GL, Chatted to guy doing the count at low tide.  I will be in North Norfolk over the weekend but will hopefully go down to Brandon area to see the Parrot Crossbills again on Saturday

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1018

    Went to NWT Clay this afternoon, plenty of raptors about but star was barn owl quartering on fringe of reserve.  Plenty O’Grady geese, ducks and waders around.

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1019

    O'Grady Geese? Do they migrate from Liverpool? wink

  • Bluemalaga
    Bluemalaga Forum Participant Posts: 936
    edited December 2017 #1020

    Sightings on yesterdays stroll, Mallard with 12 very young ducklings under her in the nest. Black headed gull in summer plumage and trees all around in bud. Is it spring or summer?

    Today snow, not much but crazy climate we live in. I bet today there will be caravans heading for the coast

  • Oneputt
    Oneputt Club Member Posts: 9,144 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2017 #1021

    20+ Parrot Crossbills just outside Brandon, love to watch them drinking, have to turn their head to one side. 15+ Twite at Thornham harbour, 2 x redwings on the CL.  

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