Topic: Bird watch

[reddebs]

I haven't heard of a chaffinch box, some seem to prefer sleeping in the bushes rather than a box. What about a Great Tit one, as they are a bit bigger than a blue tit one. What about a Blackbird one, which is like the robin's box, which has a open front?

Yeah I wasn't sure if chaffinches used boxes but great tit and blackbird ones are a great idea.  Thanks Jill 👍

[jillcwhomever]

Yeah I wasn't sure if chaffinches used boxes but great tit and blackbird ones are a great idea.  Thanks Jill 👍

Good luck! 

[BlackandWhitePaul]

I been sat here watching this for 20 minutes.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb3CyCBSWRs

[Pistolero]

Beautiful fat, red, male Bullfinch in the garden right now...never seen one here before ...made my day/week ...

[reddebs]

Beautiful fat, red, male Bullfinch in the garden right now...never seen one here before ...made my day/week ...

Gorgeous aren't they 😍

[Pistolero]

Gorgeous aren't they

Absolutely...sat there as proud as you like for a good few minutes..and with 3 or 4 blue tits jumping around the tree behind it too...a sight to behold and no messing..

[John C]

Beautiful fat, red, male Bullfinch in the garden right now...never seen one here before ...made my day/week ...

Never had one in my garden, I bet you we're made up mate.

[Pistolero]

Never had one in my garden, I bet you we're made up mate.

Chuffed John....did a double take when it landed....little beauty..vibrant red....I'm taking it as omen for next week's final 😎👍

[reddebs]

Linnets in the garden this morning 🤗

[jillcwhomever]

I been sat here watching this for 20 minutes.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb3CyCBSWRs

Quality that. 

Linnets in the garden this morning 🤗

Never had a Linnet in my garden.

[reddebs]

Quality that. 

Never had a Linnet in my garden.

We don't get them often Jill but there's so much gorse around us that it's perfect breeding habitat for them. 

There's so much activity today.  Buzzards, thrushes, blackbirds, robins, the goldfinches have made an appearance as have the long tailed tits. 

Lots of woodpeckers on the peanuts and starlings squabbling over the fatballs ☺️

[jillcwhomever]

We don't get them often Jill but there's so much gorse around us that it's perfect breeding habitat for them. 

There's so much activity today.  Buzzards, thrushes, blackbirds, robins, the goldfinches have made an appearance as have the long tailed tits. 

Lots of woodpeckers on the peanuts and starlings squabbling over the fatballs ☺️

All of my favourites in that group. Do you get Redpolls where you are? They are another one I've never seen, but there loads of pictures up on twitter from the wildlife photographers that I follow. I was wondering if it's a good year for them. My group is mainly sparrows, goldfinches and a mixture of great/blue tits at the moment. Oh and the Starlings are coming back as well.

[reddebs]

All of my favourites in that group. Do you get Redpolls where you are? They are another one I've never seen, but there loads of pictures up on twitter from the wildlife photographers that I follow. I was wondering if it's a good year for them. My group is mainly sparrows, goldfinches and a mixture of great/blue tits at the moment. Oh and the Starlings are coming back as well.

We've had one once a couple of years ago Jill so they're not regulars but must be nearby.

We've had some unusual ones recently though.  The shellduck the other day, a pair of mallard this morning and a snipe and a curlew sandpiper a few weeks ago.  Not that it's been wet or anything 😂

We had a dozen or so wheatears stayed for an hour or so refuelling whilst on their migration back to Greenland/Iceland last spring so hopefully we'll get some other migrants passing through this year.

Definitely not your usual garden birds 😂

[jillcwhomever]

We've had one once a couple of years ago Jill so they're not regulars but must be nearby.

We've had some unusual ones recently though.  The shellduck the other day, a pair of mallard this morning and a snipe and a curlew sandpiper a few weeks ago.  Not that it's been wet or anything 😂

We had a dozen or so wheatears stayed for an hour or so refuelling whilst on their migration back to Greenland/Iceland last spring so hopefully we'll get some other migrants passing through this year.

Definitely not your usual garden birds 😂

Wow, some impressive mentions there Debs.  I have just been out to get some shopping and come across some birders with their equipment on New Brighton promenade. They were trying to take pictures of a Purple Sandpiper which I'm guessing is not that common around here. There was a huge group of waders on the landing stage at the back of the shops, had Dunlins, Turnstones, Sanderlings, the usual seabirds. The Dunlins are so cute they just walk two steps, then they run, then they are back to walking again, such a jaunty bird. I am off next week so intend to do some serious birdwatching. It should be a great time to do it with the migrants coming and going as you say.

[reddebs]

Wow, some impressive mentions there Debs.  I have just been out to get some shopping and come across some birders with their equipment on New Brighton promenade. They were trying to take pictures of a Purple Sandpiper which I'm guessing is not that common around here. There was a huge group of waders on the landing stage at the back of the shops, had Dunlins, Turnstones, Sanderlings, the usual seabirds. The Dunlins are so cute they just walk two steps, then they run, then they are back to walking again, such a jaunty bird. I am off next week so intend to do some serious birdwatching. It should be a great time to do it with the migrants coming and going as you say.

If there's twitchers it'll be a rarity for sure and yes dunlin are fun to watch.

Enjoy your week off then, where are you thinking of going for the birding?

[jillcwhomever]

If there's twitchers it'll be a rarity for sure and yes dunlin are fun to watch.

Enjoy your week off then, where are you thinking of going for the birding?

I have just come back from a walk and some birdwatching. I saw a wonderful Turnstone who was ambling along the sea wall and then on the actual promenade itself, despite all the people along the way. I couldn't believe how close I was getting to him, the sweetest bird gorgeous markings. There was the usual oystercatchers, redshanks, more dunlins and bar tailed godwits as well and a great aerial battle between a herring gull and a much smaller one. Plenty of action around.

As for next week it will be local places, going to Moreton shore on Monday which is supposed to be a really nice day; see if I can catch some mirgrants coming in, or the elusive Kingfisher that hangs around. I would also like to go to the new RSPB place at Burton which sounds really interesting. I need to go to Liverpool shopping as well mainly for footwear as I need some comfortable walking shoes. I might cycle along to King's Gap in Hoylake as well sometime in the week. I will go further afield when its a bit warmer. But its been lovely today.

[Son of Spion]

We were walking the dog in Greenbank Park this afternoon and a Buzzard was sat on a branch just three feet above our heads. He never flew away. Just sat there looking at us. What an amazing bird, and such a privilege to get so close for so long.

[John C]

We were walking the dog in Greenbank Park this afternoon and a Buzzard was sat on a branch just three feet above our heads. He never flew away. Just sat there looking at us. What an amazing bird, and such a privilege to get so close for so long.

Brilliant aren't they, I haven't been that close but quite close.
Love them.

[Son of Spion]

Brilliant aren't they, I haven't been that close but quite close.
Love them.

They're great birds. I see them soaring on thermals in summer and they look amazing. I've been fairly close to one or two before but they always flew off. This one just sat there looking at us. It was a lovely moment. Mrs Spion was well impressed.

[jillcwhomever]

Buzzards are thrilling birds, any bird of prey is especially when they are close by.

I did a walk on a nature trail on Monday and caught a Lapwing in the field off the track, what a beautiful bird it was, especially the plumage on top its head. I also didn't realise the strange calls they made as well. It's incredible with all the wet weather around how you have all this natural made waterways in the middle of the fields and which is wonderful for all the wildlife. There was a good mixture of waders in those fields.

[reddebs]

Buzzards are thrilling birds, any bird of prey is especially when they are close by.

I did a walk on a nature trail on Monday and caught a Lapwing in the field off the track, what a beautiful bird it was, especially the plumage on top its head. I also didn't realise the strange calls they made as well. It's incredible with all the wet weather around how you have all this natural made waterways in the middle of the fields and which is wonderful for all the wildlife. There was a good mixture of waders in those fields.

As kids we always referred to lapwings as peewits as that's the call they make and agreed on how the natural world takes advantage of quirks in the weather and their surroundings.

I guess that's evolution in fast forward 😁

[Son of Spion]

We used to just call them Lappies. I do remember that we were aware of them also being known as Peewits due to their call. There used to be thousands of them on the farm fields around Sefton Church, Lunt and Maghull when we were in our teens. Not so many these days, unfortunately.

[Brissyred]

This one just sat there looking at us. It was a lovely moment. Mrs Spion was well impressed.

Probably eyeing off your dog for an easy meal.   

[Son of Spion]

Probably eyeing off your dog for an easy meal.   

I hadn't thought of that. 

[reddebs]

I've confused the birds and the red squirrels today as I've moved all the feeders away from the flower beds and into the hedge.

I'm sick of the pheasants trampling all the new growth that's emerging and damaging buds plus I have to walk through the beds to refill them so at least now I can reach them without disturbing anything.

The birds found them fairly quickly but the squirrel was in and out of the bushes and on the ground but never found them.  Hopefully it'll be back later and have another look for them.

[Danny Boys Dad]

Small brown bird has just crapped on my fence so I'm going to go out in a minute and take all the feeders in, bastards.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

Small brown bird has just crapped on my fence so I'm going to go out in a minute and take all the feeders in, bastards.

Get yourself a Falcon.

[Son of Spion]

It was interesting watching a Treecreeper searching out food today in the park. A lovely little bird. I wouldn't like to be a bug hiding in tree bark with this little fella about. He's an expert.

[rob1966]

Saw this on Facebook this morning, a Red Kite spotted at Martin Mere nr Southport

[reddebs]

Seen the weirdest sight today.

A pair of crows that are nesting close by plucking sheeps wool off one of the pregnant ewes and taking it back to the nest.

How toasty are those chicks gonna be once they arrive 😊

[jillcwhomever]

I found an egg on my path today, bloody magpies doubtless. 

[reddebs]

I found an egg on my path today, bloody magpies doubtless. 

Not necessarily Jill the parents always remove the shells from the nest once they've hatched for hygiene reasons.  We find lots of them frequently here 👍

[John C]

Not necessarily Jill the parents always remove the shells from the nest once they've hatched for hygiene reasons.  We find lots of them frequently here 👍

Isn't it a bit early to be hatching though?

[jillcwhomever]

Isn't it a bit early to be hatching though?

I had a baby robin in February this year, I don't think it survived but it was hopping around the garden for a time. It has been getting earlier where I am, as they have been collecting stuff for their nests over the last few weeks.

[jillcwhomever]

Not necessarily Jill the parents always remove the shells from the nest once they've hatched for hygiene reasons.  We find lots of them frequently here 👍

Fingers crossed then, it was that instead. We just have a number of magpies around here and of course cats. 

[Son of Spion]

Isn't it a bit early to be hatching though?

There were Mallard chicks on Sefton Park lake this Monday. First chicks I've seen this year.

[BlackandWhitePaul]

I put food out for them and every single time 2 or 3  Wood Pigeons seem to magically appear out of nowhere and eat the lot before any other birds turn up.   

[reddebs]

Isn't it a bit early to be hatching though?

Not really John.  Sparrows, robins and blackbirds will already have young.

[John C]

I've never known chicks this early, when I was a kid it snowed in April

[kesey]

There's some Woodpeckers doing what they do in Sefton Park by the old bowlies. Trrrr trrrr .