December 2009

31 Dec Up to 10 Chaffinches of both sexes in Montpelier Park this morning, together with Blue Tits, a Pied Wagtail, a couple of Blackbirds and 2 Grey Squirrels. Additional species in St Pauls Park included a confiding Goldfinch and a couple of Greenfinches. A Blackcap was calling in the garden at dawn, also a Great Tit and 3 Woodpigeons in the garden 28 Dec A frosty and sunny morning. One Redwing was still in Fairlawn Road and another flew over Narroways - also 5 flew over Cotham at lunchtime. At the station a female Blackcap was showing well, also a Jay flew over and a Grey Squirrel was near the feeders. Two Goldfinches were at Narroways, also fly-over Greenfinch and Chaffinch there and a party or two of Long-tailed Tits. A singing Dunnock was in a garden in Sussex Place and Blue and Great Tits were frequenting a birdfeeder in Cobourg Road. Another Bumblebee was out and about at Narroways despite the chilly temperature! 27 Dec A wander round the patch on a rather gloomy afternoon produced 2 Redwings in the tree next to the footbridge at Fairlawn Road. At St Andrews Park a Mistle Thrush was in full song, a Jackdaw called overhead and several Greenfinches and a Goldfinch or two were flying around. Two Jays flew over the garden this morning. Redwing 26 Dec Species seen and heard around the patch today: Redwing 2 over Richmond Road, 3 at Fairlawn Road Magpie an impressive count of at least 10 birds in and around a tree near the station Jay 1 at Fairlawn Road, 1 at St Andrews Park Coal Tit 1 at Balmoral Road, 2 in St Andrews Park Pied Wagtail 1 over Station Road, 2 at St Andrews Park Chaffinch 1 or 2 over Fairlawn Road Greenfinch 1 at Ashley Hill, a few in St Andrews Park Great Tit 2 in the garden, several around the patch Long Tailed Tit good numbers at Fairlawn/Hurlingham Road and Richmond Road Blue Tit several in garden and around the patch Robin 1 in garden, 1 Fairlawn Road, 4 at the station Collared Dove 2 at station Woodpigeon several around the patch and in the garden Starling 1 at Old Ashley Hill, several at St Andrews Park Wren 1 at Old Ashley Hill, 2 at station Herring Gull flock of 7 over St Andrews Road Blackbird 1 in garden, several around the patch Carrion Crow 3 in garden and several around the patch A dead Brown Rat was in Station Road - I took a photo but it didn't get past the censor I'm afraid - rather gruesome! It looked like a chunk had been bitten out of its hind quarters. 25 Dec In the garden this morning the female Blackcap was eating ivy berries in the sunshine. Also a couple of Great Tits, 5 Blue Tits, a few Woodpigeons, a Feral Pigeon and a Blackbird in the garden. A Pied Wagtail was running along the pavement in Cheltenham Road at lunchtime. 24 Dec Much more bird activity this morning - 8 Redwings flew NW over Station Road, while a Dunnock posed conspicuously in a bush. A Blackbird sang briefly and I was delighted to see 'Patch', the male Blackbird with leucistic feathering around his cheek, perched on the building at the station - he has been around at least two years now which is amazing when you think how many cats and Sparrowhawks there are in Montpelier! Incidentally, there were about 6 Blackbirds around the station altogether, along with a Wren, 4 Robins (one showing very well) and half a dozen female Chaffinches. 23 Dec Only a Jay, 2 Collared Doves and a Grey Squirrel to report at the station this morning. 22 Dec Despite the snowy weather which can usually be relied upon to bring some interesting birds, there was little to report at the station this morning other than Blue Tits, a Dunnock and a singing Robin. Must try harder. Starlings 20 Dec Despite the cold conditions, the sun brought out a Bumblebee in a Richmond Road garden at lunchtime - it was either a Buff-tailed or White-tailed Bumblebee. Half a dozen Redwings flew over the flat this morning, and a party of Long-tailed Tits were in the front garden. At the station, a group of 9 Starlings were on telegraph wires and there were 6 Woodpigeons and 2 Collared Doves also at the station with a Grey Squirrel nearby. A Jay was in a tree in the grounds of St Matthews Church, Cotham this afternoon.  Female Chaffinch 17 Dec In Montpelier Park this morning there were 2 Jays and a Magpie chasing each other through the trees, 6 Woodpigeons, a singing Coal Tit and a couple of female Chaffinches. The station produced several Collared Doves plus Blue and Great Tits near the feeders. A Blackbird shuffled and tossed leaves looking for invertebrates, while a Robin sat on a branch just above him, trying to look nonchalant but really watching for any insects he disturbed! 16 Dec Despite the gloomy and rather uninspiring conditions this morning, St Pauls Park really delivered the goods, with the first Chiffchaff of the winter feeding in the branches of the mature trees in the corner. Also in the park were a couple of Great Tits, a Blue Tit, a very tame Robin, 6 Blackbirds, a conspicuous Wren, 2 Dunnocks, 3 Greenfinches, 6 Goldfinches and fly-over Herring Gull, Pied Wagtail and Collared Dove. Heron at Barnes WWT Reserve 14 Dec I had an awayday to Barnes WWT Centre in London - some good wildfowl around, and this Grey Heron posed nicely! 13 Dec There are now at least two Blackcaps in the garden - both male and female today. As seems to be typical of this species, they were chasing other birds all over the place! Also in and around the garden were a couple of Blue Tits, a party of Long-tailed Tits, a Magpie (studiously turning over patches of moss on the roof tiles to look for food) about 5 Woodpigeons, a Blackbird and the flock of Starlings I saw yesterday. A Jay flew over the flat. Elsewhere there were more Jays in St Andrews Park and the bottom of Station Road, and both locations also produced singing Goldfinches and feeding Robins. Amazingly, another Mistle Thrush was heard singing today - coming from the direction of Montpelier Park and heard from my flat window! Mistle Thrush 12 Dec A delightful flock of about 20 Starlings around the garden this morning. Last year they arrived in October, the year before November - I really wonder if these are the same birds, possibly from Eastern Europe? It just seems strange that the same number of birds and location are involved every time. Another good bird today was a Mistle Thrush perched in a tree at Old Ashley Hill - I'm seeing more of these; have I overlooked them before now or are they increasing? Questions questions. Nearby was a party of Long-tailed Tits. A Chaffinch, a couple of Greenfinches and a Robin were all feeding on seeds on the roof of the park-keepers' huts in St Andrews Park at lunchtime, while good numbers of Starlings and a couple of Great Tits were feeding in the trees nearby. Starling 10 Dec A great selection of birds on a beautiful winter's morning. In Montpelier Park 2 Goldcrests were chasing each other through the branches of the small trees and a Coal Tit gave cracking views as it fed nearby. Two Jays, a couple of Chaffinches, a Robin, a Pied Wagtail and a Blue Tit were also seen and heard as well as a Grey Squirrel. I was delighted to hear a Mistle Thrush singing in Portland Square and I watched as it delivered its notes from the top branches of a tree - not a common bird any more. In St Pauls Park, additional birds to those already seen included Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Great Tit. Four of seven Woodpigeons! 9 Dec Outside my window this morning I saw 7 Woodpigeons feeding on ivy berries. The usual birds were at the station including the dependable Long-tailed Tits. In the kitchen this evening there was a 'Tortrix' moth - possibly a Light Brown Apple Moth - it is a native of Australia and was introduced into Cornwall in the 1930s. 'Tortrix' Moth 8 Dec A quick look round Montpelier Park didn't produce much other than a Chaffinch or two, a Grey Squirrel and a Pied Wagtail which flew into one of the mature trees - always seems strange to see a bird we normally associate with running along the ground actually up a tree! In St Pauls Park, 2 Goldfinches, a Blue Tit and a single Starling were feeding in the high branches of a tree and Woodpigeon and 3 Blackbirds were nearby. 6 Dec Right on cue, the first Blackcap of the winter - a female -appeared in the garden. Last year the first garden sighting was 7th December! Today's individual might have been the one I heard a week or so ago in St Andrews Road and has probably come all the way from Germany. Blackcaps have recently been in the news. A Blackbird was sub-singing in Richmond Road, and there were no less than 3 Grey Squirrels near the feeders on the station along with most of the birds seen yesterday. 5 Dec A bright morning but rainy afternoon. That Montpelier rarity, a Mistle Thrush, alighted briefly on the top of a pine tree in Old Ashley Hill and nearby in Fairlawn Road there seemed to be a marked influx of Blackbirds, they seemed everywhere. At St Andrews Road and the station there were parties of Long-tailed, Great and Blue Tits, and a Sparrowhawk flew over the latter location, setting off the House Sparrow flock into excited alarm calls. The footbridge over the station was a great spot to watch a succession of birds feeding just below in the low branches - Dunnock, Chaffinch, Robin and Wren among them. A Grey Wagtail flew over the station and the regular Woodpigeons and Collared Doves were joined by a Grey Squirrel near the feeders. 4 Dec Another sunny morning, but as I had little time to hang around I didn't see much except for some Long-tailed Tits and a Pied Wagtail in Montpelier Park and 3 Goldfinches feeding on seeds plus 3 male Chaffinches in St Pauls Park. Fox (courtesy St Werburghs website/Harrymac) 2 Dec A nice collection of common birds in Montpelier Park this morning - a singing Goldcrest and Coal Tit (the latter also giving good views) were joined by a couple of Blackbirds, 2 or 3 Blue Tits, similar numbers of Great Tits, a party of Long-tailed Tits, a couple of Robins, a Dunnock, 6 Chaffinches, 2 Carrion Crows, a Wren (sat in a buddleia bush) and two Magpies, while a Pied Wagtail fed on the scruffy area at the back of the park. In St Pauls Park a Herring Gull, 3 Woodpigeons and a Grey Squirrel were additions to the morning's wildlife list. Harry in St Werburghs saw three Foxes on Monday. See the St Werburghs forum here. Possible Hygrocybe fungus 1 Dec A frosty and sunny morning. At St Pauls Park there were a couple of Blue Tits and a female Chaffinch feeding in the trees, plus a few Greenfinches and a Goldfinch flying over. A single Starling was in a tree just outside the park before flying off. Some fungi in the park looked a little like one of the Wax Cap  (Hygrocybe) family which is, I think, the same species as the fungi I saw in St Andrews Road a week or two back.