Sunday 3 January 2010

Sunday 3rd.January 2010

The first bird survey of the year at Down House , was probably one of the coldest that I have ever done on the site . The sun was out , but the temperature did not creep into the positive range during the whole visit . Some excitement with the species found would have warmed things up , but a measly 16 , was probably one of the lowest ever recorded . The highlight , if you could call it that , was 5 Fieldfares that flew over calling , about five minutes from the end , and they were the only sighting of Winter Thrushes . It was really hard going to find any birds , and I even failed to record a Robin or a Starling . Things can only get better .
Back home , 12/15 Redwings and 2 Fieldfares have been gorging on the berries next door , my estimate of them lasting till next weekend doesn't look sound .
Apologies to those who have had enough of the Blackcaps on the Callicarpa , but when I got back from Downe , and was hugging a hot cup of coffee , I looked out of the kitchen window , to find the 2 males and the female all feeding together . I put the coffee down and rushed upstairs to the back bedroom window , and managed to get one hurried shot before they split up . Not the greatest shot , the males either side , and the female towards the top , just left of centre .

5 comments:

Warren Baker said...

No one gets fed up of winter blackcaps Greenie!

It was hard out there today your right!

Phil and Mandy said...

Thanks Greenie, your tip was very useful and I have wdited the post for today. Nice to get Blackcaps in the garden, I have been getting Long Tailed Tits in mine recently.

Ken. said...

Hi Greenie.
I agree with Warren,how can anyone be fed up with looking at Blackcaps, in fact I like the female more than the male, with luck you might get a photo of her.

Anonymous said...

3 Blackcaps..... such a greedy boy, Greenie ;-) One would do for me.

ShySongbird said...

Lovely to see the Blackcaps, I have had them in my garden the last two Winters but so far, this time, only one brief glimpse of a male.