Monday 2 February 2009

Monday 2nd.February 2009

Needless to say , I didn't get out today , so concentrated on the birds in the garden . First job was to clear 8/9 inches ( 20/25 cms. in new money ) of snow off the back path , put down a good quantity of food and refresh the water bowls .
Whilst doing so , I could hear Fieldfares and Redwings calling from surrounding gardens , and the sky seemed to be alive with birds , probably looking for somewhere that wasn't white . By the time I got inside and up to the back bedroom window , thew mixed Finch flock had already decended onto the food on the path and in the feeders . The Chaffinch numbers were well up on previous days , but fewer Goldfinches and just the odd one or two Greenfinches . Whilst watching them , I spotted a female Brambling settle in the Laburnum tree next door , then warily fly down to the path . With that , the children next door , the school being closed came screaming into the back garden to play in the snow , and everything disappeared , including the Brambling .After a while , and the children's hands having got cold , the Finches returned , but no sign of the female Brambling .
The 'chak-chak' of the Fieldfares seemed to be closer now and with binoculars , I found them with 2 Redwings , finishing off the last few berries , almost at ground level , on the Cotoneaster shrub in the other neighbour's garden . No sooner had they finished them , then their children came out to play in the snow , once again dispersing everything from the path .
During the morning , most of the usual visitors turned up , Collared Dove , Feral Pigeon ,
Woodpigeon , Dunnock , Blackbird - both native and foreign , Robin and a first for a long time ,
two Song Thrushes in the garden at the same time . Another unusual garden visitor was Pied Wagtail , unusual in the garden , but not unusual in the road out front . The Corvids were represented by Magpie , Carrion Crow and Jackdaw and at lunchtime , I counted 70+ Jackdaw in two Lime trees along the road .
Both male and female Great Spotted Woodpecker made several visits , as did a pair of Blue Tits . Starlings , in varying numbers also made regular visits to both feeders and path . Overhead , both Black Headed and Common Gulls were circling , looking for food . Unusually , only one Rose Ringed Parakeet was seen today , and that was unusually quiet .
Just before lunch , I went back to the window hoping that the female Brambling would reappear , she didn't , but there on the path with a couple of Chaffinches was a male . I grabbed the camera and prayed that the children had had enough of snowballs , and managed to get a couple of shots .
This afternoon , the numbers have been down , and no more views of either Brambling , still 22 species on a snowy Winter's day will do for me .

5 comments:

Warren Baker said...

Greenie,
i did much the same as you today, and saw much the same also. Apart from the fact that you seemed to have nicked the brambling back!!

John Young said...

A few fieldfares over longfield this morning before I headed off for work. Great selection of garden birds.

Steve said...

Good list Fred...great to have Brambling in your garden

Simon said...

Well done with the Brambling!

Adam said...

Hi Greenie

Glad you didn't have a wasted journey to East Malling yesterday (you can always email me: adam.whitehosue@emr.ac.uk if you're planning to be around and I'll let you know what's about). Nice Brambling shot!

Adam