27 Feb At 8.45 this morning a Peregrine shot past the station, not much higher than roof-level! Nearby, the male Blackcap gave a brief burst of song, a Collared Dove did a dsplay flight and a female Chaffinch was near the feeders.
25 Feb Two Cormorants flew over the park this morning at 9 O'Clock - always a strange sight in central Bristol - also a Coal Tit in the pine near the lower entrance, a singing Greenfinch, and a Blue Tit.
24 Feb It is all very quiet at the moment, no doubt due to the settled spell and mild conditions. Only a month or so and we should see the first of the spring arrivals.
Every day seems to bring more birdsong - Dunnocks, Blackbirds and Wrens were all singing well this morning at the station.
22 Feb Welcome to the new look website - I am trying to correct some glitches you will see on the various pages so please bear with me! On Friday 20th a male BLACKCAP was in song at the station and more CELANDINES are in flower in the park.
17 Feb The last two days have been a bit quiet other than for a couple of COAL TITS in the park yesterday and a PIED WAGTAIL, 5 BLACKBIRDS and 5 CHAFFINCHES at the station this morning.
|
15 Feb A cool and overcast morning gave way to a bright and positively spring-like afternoon. The second of our monthly walks around St Andrews Park produced 17 species. One lucky participant saw a Siskin - a small finch which tends to be a winter visitor to these parts. Another highlight was a Long-Tailed Tit carrying nesting material - in this case a white feather - so spring cannot be far off! The full list is as follows: Blue Tit Great Tit Coal Tit Long-tailed Tit Greenfinch Chaffinch Goldfinch Siskin Blackbird Starling Robin Wren Carrion Crow Herring Gull Magpie Collared Dove and Woodpigeon. Elsewhere, a BLACK-HEADED GULL flew over Belvoir Road this afternoon - unusual for this area, and a GREY SQUIRREL was in next door's garden.
|
|
|
14 Feb An exciting bird was seen this afternoon by a Montpelier resident - a FIRECREST. This very uncommon relative of the Goldcrest is a beautiful bird and it must have been fantastic to see it in the garden! It is the first time one has been seen in Montpelier and I will certainly be hoping it sticks around in the general area so that I might get to see it! Also reported by the same resident was a flock of LONG-TAILED TITS. All I saw today was a pair of DUNNOCKS in a neighbouring garden, some BLUE and GREAT TITS in various locations around the patch, and a flock of 25 gulls flying high over the station - they were making a tremendous noise and may have been spooked by a bird of prey, although there was no sign of any raptors among them.
|
|
|
|
12 Feb An unusual sighting of a JACKDAW perched on a nearby rooftop this morning - usually they just fly over. At the station was a group of LONG-TAILED TITS and a WOODPIGEON doing its display flight, rising up, gliding and clapping its wings. Also a GREY SQUIRREL near the bird feeders.
|
|
|
11 Feb I put some bread out this morning and I was surprised to see a HERRING GULL, 6 WOODPIGEONS and 2 CARRION CROWS feeding just outside the window! Later, in St Pauls Park, the birdsong was lovely - a DUNNOCK, 2 COLLARED DOVES, a CHAFFINCH and a ROBIN were all in good voice, while a couple of GREENFINCHES were chasing each other around the upper branches of a tree.
|
10 Feb A gorgeous sunny morning after the 'orrible weather yesterday. In the park at 9am the first CHAFFINCH song of the year was a real tonic; a rather sad-looking CELANDINE was in flower outside the lower entrance to the park but it was still a welcome sign of spring, and a pair of WOODPIGEONS were copulating! Also several LONG-TAILED TITS in the high branches and a GREY SQUIRREL was seen. At Portland Square there were two GREAT TITS and a GREENFINCH.
|
|
|
|
|
9 Feb Not much to report over the last couple of days but the female BLACKCAP was showing well in the garden this morning.
|
7 Feb A new arrival in the garden this morning - a male BLACKCAP to keep the long-staying female company - both were seen eating ivy berries at one point. Also 2 male and a female BLACKBIRD and the usual GREAT and BLUE TITS, 3 WOODPIGEONS, a ROBIN, and 2 CARRION CROWS. The CHIFFCHAFF was still at the station along with some GREENFINCHES, CHAFFINCHES and a GREY SQUIRREL. Another Grey Squirrel was near the Royal Mail office.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 6 Feb Not much to report today - I did manage to struggle into work though! The male and female BLACKBIRDS in the garden were once again spending a great amount of time fighting - surely with food at a premium, too much energy wasted in fighting does not enhance survival? Discuss. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 Feb The renewed snowfall this morning emboldened some of the shyer garden birds, especially a WREN which perched a couple of tomes right out in the open, on a flower pot! Sadly I was not quick enough to 'shoot' the bird with the camera. Also in the garden were 3 BLACKBIRDS (2 males and a female) 5 WOODPIGEONS, 2 FERAL PIGEONS, 2 ROBINS and a party of half a dozen BLUE and GREAT TITS. At the station this afternoon, a Blackbird was in song and there were 6 CHAFFINCHES and a party of LONG TAILED TITS.
|
|
|
3 Feb The snow was beautiful in the morning sunshine. The 2 garden BLACKBIRDS came to the window for their raisin ration and despite sub-zero temperatures, a GREAT TIT was singing a few gardens away. At the station a pair of PIED WAGTAILS were on the platform but keeping to a narrow strip against the wall where there was no snow lying. A medium-sized raptor flew over but I could not get a good view of it - it was flying fast and looked like a falcon so the chances are it was a Peregrine rather than the more usual Sparrowhawk. Up to 5 Blackbirds were near the feeders at the station, indulging in occasional ill-tempered quarrels amongst each other as they searched for food - also a couple of CHAFFINCHES nearby.
|
|
1 Feb At 10.30am a RAVEN flew over the garden, cronking quietly to itself, and the female BLACKCAP was again on the neighbour's fat ball. The CHIFFCHAFF turned up again today, this time at the allotment gardens, where there were also 3 LONG-TAILED TITS. In St Andrews Park, there were at least half a dozen REDWINGS this afternoon feeding on the grassy areas and allowing a close approach. Two PIED WAGTAILS were in Richmond Road.
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment