28 Feb Two Jays decided to have a look at the garden this morning and sat on the roof opposite for a few moments. There were a couple of Siskins heard calling overhead in St Andrews Road and in Montpelier Park there was a party of Long-tailed Tits and a calling Blackcap.
27 Feb Despite an extended tour of duty this morning it was all rather quiet. Highlights as follows:
St Andrews Park: Redwing 1, Mistle Thrush 2, Coal Tit 1 plus Long-tailed Tit, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Starling. Narroways: Black-headed Gull 15 (and a flock of c80 in Glenfrome Road area), Greenfinch 4, Chaffinch 1, Long-tailed Tit 5. Montpelier Station: Jay 1, Starling 5. St Barnabas: Dunnock 1, Great Tit 1, House Sparrow - big noisy group! In the garden I was delighted to see a female Blackbird gathering nesting material and flying into the ivy just in front of my window. A Satellite moth in the flat today - a new species for me! I rescued it from falling into the bath but while i was looking for a pot to put it in it escaped only to drown in the kitchen sink! I am trying to dry it out so I can photograph it tomorrow.
26 Feb A Siskin flew over Fairlawn Road this morning and sub-singing Blackcap, a Goldfinch and 4 Chaffinches were at the station.
At St Andrews Park, a Great Spotted Woodpecker was seen briefly before it flew off over Effingham Road. There was also a Mistle Thrush, some Long-tailed Tits, 2 Coal Tits, a singing Goldcrest, a calling Blackcap and 2 singing Greenfinches in the park. Several Lesser Celandines in flower at the top of St Andrews Road and Ground Ivy just coming into flower near Ashley Hill. 24 Feb The only bird of note this morning was a Jackdaw flying over the station - the first for a month or two. Just a few Chaffinches, House Sparrows and Starlings among the usual birds. 23 Feb Despite the rain, a male Blackcap showed well and even sang some sub-song this morning in St Pauls Park. Also in the park were 2 each of Blue and Great Tits and singing Robin, Dunnock and Wren. 20 Feb Fab and prolonged views of a pair of Ravens over the station this morning, doing their 'mirror' display flight - gorgeous. Also at the station were 4 Blackbirds having a bit of a fight, 9 Chaffinches, 10 Starlings, 5 Great Tits, 3 Blue Tits, a couple of Long-tailed Tits, 2 Jays and a Robin. There was another Jay and some Long-tailed Tits near the Royal Mail office in Station Road. The monthly St Andrews Park walk was great this morning, with a new bird added to the park list: Redwing - 3 or 4 feeding on the grass and in the trees Blackbird - several birds noted including a male with white tail feathers Pied Wagtail - 1 or 2 on the paths Grey Heron - one chased by Herring Gulls Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 or 2 overhead Chaffinch - 1 singing Greenfinch - 1 or 2 singing Goldfinch - 2 or 3 Blue Tit - several seen and heard Great Tit - 1 or 2 Starling - several groups of birds seen Jay - at least 2 birds seen Carrion Crow - 1 or 2 Magpie - a few Blackcap - a male near the bowls club Woodpigeon - lots! Collared Dove - 1 or 2 Robin - 2 or 3 in song Dunnock - 2 singing birds Goldcrest - 1 singing in the pine near the toilets and briefly glimpsed 19 Feb Surprisingly quiet today, although the station produced a male and female Blackcap, a Jay, 6 Chaffinches, Blue and Great Tits, 11 Starlings, a Greenfinch and a Goldfinch together with gaggles of House Sparrows and Collared Doves. 17 Feb In St Pauls Park this morning I saw what I assumed to be the resident Chiffchaff but I only had brief and distant views and to be honest it didn't seem to behave much like one i.e. it did not dip its tail and it looked too slender and long-winged. Weird. Birds I was able to identify included singing Dunnock and Greenfinch plus Blue and Great Tit. 16 Feb A visit to St Andrews Park produced at least 1 Redwing (not as common as they were) and up to 2 singing Goldcrests. Other odds and ends included a Coal Tit and Robin near the pond, 5 Chaffinches, a singing Mistle Thrush, a Pied Wagtail and a Greenfinch or two. A Jay and a few Chaffinches (one heard singing) were at the top of St Andrews Road. 15 Feb A rather impressive count of 15 Chaffinches at the station this morning plus the usual Starlings and 2 Grey Squirrels. 11 Feb A resident of this fair parish was admiring a Dunnock as I approached the station. The bird was sat on an exposed branch and singing lustily. At the station itself 2 Robins were both singing with a metre of each other in the same tree but otherwise showed no aggression - not sure what was going on there for such a territorial species. Also a singing Wren, a few Starlings, a couple of Chaffinches and a tit flock nearby. A Grey Squirrel was near the feeders as usual. 10 Feb A Sparrowhawk was perched on the top of St Pauls Church/Circomedia in Portland Square this morning and there were several Long-tailed Tits and at least 1 singing Greenfinch in St Pauls Park. 8 Feb Nothing new or particularly exciting to report this morning - in Montpelier Park there was a party of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits, 2 Blackbirds and 5 Chaffinches, while at the station there were 2 Grey Squirrels, 10 Starlings and a Dunnock. 6 Feb A Raven flew over the railway path this morning - the first for some time. Also at the same spot a male Blackcap showed well and was heard sub-singing. Nearby a a party of Long-tailed Tits were feeding in the trees. At St Andrews Park there were the usual Starlings plus a Goldfinch and some Long-tailed Tits. At the station the Starlings numbered about 8 and a Greenfinch was singing. 3 Feb I note a comment by Jan in the guestbook that she had a Waxwing in her garden on 1st February - well done! A less spectacular collection of birds in St Pauls Park this morning included a distant singing Song Thrush, 2 Wrens, 2 Robins, 2 or 3 singing Greenfinches and a couple of Blackbirds. 2 Feb A report from Julie of a Bullfinch in her garden yesterday - these birds are very few and far between these days around Montpelier. Great stuff. The singing Song Thrush and the Pied Wagtail near the station this morning. 1 Feb Nothing new to report this morning, although the Song Thrush was still singing in the distance, heard from the station, and a Pied Wagtail and a couple of Chaffinches were near the allotment gardens. |
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