Garden Bird list

A surprising addition to the garden bird list on Thursday - three Quail calling in fields audible on my patch walk.

Click here to hear the call.

April lapse

The last entry I wrote was on 17 March much has happened.

The weather at the end of March and into April was unseasonably cold and for far too long the strong east wind played havoc.  Winter thrushes kicked around in big flocks - especially Redwing - I encountered a flock of about 300 which made a sound like 3000 in Laughton Woods, Lincs.  The bittern at the end of the garden put in more appearances and once was caught on camera.



A Barn Owl put in a brief appearance for a couple of nights - which was edifying, but the number of Short Eared Owls dropped from 5 to 3 to 2 and then they were gone by the end of April. Of the last pair - this was the most obliging.....

In the garden we were for the first time blessed with frequent visits from Lesser Redpoll and Siskin - both new to the garden list since I started in 2010.

 

Greenficnh numbers were low but climbed in April.  Goldfinches came and went.  The two sparrow species were a pretty constant joy.

It was cold and wintery and miserable! Nonetheless, the season continued with Kestrels in the former "owl" box. The warblers and hurindines trickled in and the winter ducks on the Idle floods stuck around well into April.  A tawny owl called manically during the day but night time revelaed our end of the village was positively replete with them. Raptors were thin on the ground except at Blacktoft where Marsh Harriers filled the air with a sky dance or two .

I bulked up my bird list with visits to St James Park in London, Blacktoft Sands RSPB, Loch Leven RSPB.