Buzzards

Yesterday I noticed all the sparrows in my garden acting a bit unusual, but when I looked up into the sky there wasn't anything up there that could be spooking them.

So then I took a glance into the field and there I noticed a parent Buzzard training a young Buzzard to hunt rather close to my fence.  The youngster was just sitting lazily in the field while the adult was nearby.

The youngster then flew into the next field so I shouted mum and we went on a walk to follow them. My dog Jura managed to sneak out of the door too, so he ended up coming with us. This always ends in disaster though.  Every time we get the camera out, he thinks it's a toy and starts barking for us to throw it - not good for bird watching and definitely not good for the camera.

We got a great view of the River Weaver from the top of the hill.  It was still really full after all the rain last week.

And then I saw them again, wheeling in the skies like vultures.  I could hear them calling to each other.

They were quite high so the pictures arent the best, but it gives you an idea of just how magnificient these birds are.

When we got home the male Sparrow was still sitting in his lookout tower.

We got home just in time to see about 7-8 Long Tailed Tits passing through the garden.  This was the best picture I could manage as they were just too quick and flighty.  They returned again this morning.

A great walk, especially following the Buzzards and them following us!

Sparrowhawk V's Blue Tits

As Winter is drawing in, tits in my garden have increased. Especially Blue Tits. I've counted, 7 but there's possibly more.

Sometimes they're foraging in the bark for insects.

But most of the time they're taking it in turns to and fro from my nut and seed feeders.........

But beware! Earlier this week there's been a female Sparrowhawk which keeps on coming for a tasty treat, a lovely tit delicacy.

Not the most friendly of birds, but stunning to look at.

Has it gone yet?

To finish of a beautiful sunset from earlier this week - before all the rain started.

Sky Watch Friday

Orange You Glad it's Friday

Kingfisher and Gold Crest

This afternoon I took a visit to Marbury Park and to my surprise when I arrived at the bird hide by the lake there were hardly any birdwatchers there. There wasn't much there the first time round, however the second time me and my mum got one of the most extraordinary pictures of a Kingfisher perched on the edge of a dead Birch tree. 

My first Kingfisher picture has to be my Wilde Bird Wednesday.

When I arived at the woodland birdhide there were most birds there that I have seen before. I recorded 16 Nuthatches, 4 Coal Tits and a lot of others, but despite all that after a while a very unusual visitor popped up just in front of me and my mum - it was a Gold crest. The pictures aren't very good because I was so flipping excited. 

As you can see they not brilliant, but you can just make out his lovely yellow crest.

My favourite part of watching them was when they were hovering, almost like a humming bird.

There was a boat race out on the lake disturbing the waterfowl, however not as much as a Buzzard was disturbing a Jay which we watched for about 10 minutes

We walked along lots of enticing forest paths.

This was quite difficult to get a picture of, because it was at the very top of a scots pine I think it's a squirrel drey.

There were more Canada Geese than I expected, there were about 30 of them.

At the end of the trip I called at the rangers office to see Chris and to tell him what I had seen. Because I was talking about Nuthatches he gave me a dead one he found to take home and examine (my mum wasn't very impressed).  Chris thinks it is a young fledgling that has not survived the last two very cold nights.

It is very sad, but it did let me have a good look at one of these lovely birds up close.

Another New Furry Visitor

When I got home from school there was a furry rodent that I have never seen in the garden before, and it stayed for a long, long while. I have heard from Andrew of how much damage they can course so hopefully it's the last time it visits.

The squirrel eventually moved on to my next door neighbours garden.

Then came back to mine which it probaly prefered the most. It was looking at my feeders.

The numbers with the Sparrows in the garden is still great, the highest I have ever counted is 47 (thats just in the tree).

I have counted 49 in the hedge. These friendly birds high up in the hedge are for Sky Watch Friday.

It's been a great week, as on Wednesday I really enjoyed a walk to the Weaver with Kirsty and Emma from chesire life.  They didn't want to go in my last blog with the rat.

Garden Favourites

I have finally succeded in getting a good picture of a Coal Tit (one of my favourite garden birds). I love there black and white head.

It's not a very good picture but I this is the first Robin I've seen it in a while.

And the Blue Tits I get in my garden are thriving. I'm getting about 5 on the nut feeders at a time.

  

And Andrew, there has been a rat in the garden too. I wonder if it's the one that you had.

He's not been back though since his first visit.

7000 Pairs of Pink Feet!

When I arrived at Martin Mere today I visited  the Focus bins shop and the helpful man in there told me that about 7000 Pink Footed and Greylag Geese had arrived for the Winter.  However, alot more are still expected, so I'm back again in October.

When they all took off in a group it looked incredibe. This is just half of a half of how many Geese there were in the air. 

You can always see how big and muscular their wings are when they have a standing flap.

Here are a pair of Pink Footed Geese coming in to land. 

And more Pink footed geese

There ws quite a few Snipe out on the pools today, but kept hiding whenever I got the camera out.

This picture proves how many geese there were. This was just a small flock of them.

There was a young female Pheasant hanging around the bird feeders near a smaller pool.

 I also saw a Marsh Harrier and a Peregrine Falcon, but couldn't get picture because the Marsh Harrier was to quick and the post the Peregrine was sitting on was to far away to get a decent shot.

A totally brilliant rainy day! So it has to be my very Wild Bird Wednesday blog.

A "Quiet" Day At Home!

As I didn't go anywhere today (apart from some great goal keeping from me this morning) I decided to sit in my garden and try and get some good photos of the birds that feed and visit my garden. I especially liked this picture I took not only because it's a cute, fluffy juvenile Greenfinch, but also that I was about half a metre away when I took it (I was trying to hand feed it)

I also got this picture of two Goldfinches which to be honest I don't think seemed to like each other.

There were quite a few tits in the garden this morning especially Blue Tits.

There were 3 or 4 Great Tits as well, however I could only manage to get this picture.

A pair of Coal Tits were passing through, however sadly I didn't get a picture.

There was a Chaffinch sitting on the fence, first male I've seen in 2 days.

Finally the local farmar had hired another farmer to plant the grass seeds in the field behind my house.       

                                

Which has invited a whole new variety of birds like the Pied Wagtails.

The best thing about today was getting an all new visitor in the garden, a Nuthatch.

I think this is a male.

I love this picture because I got the Goldfinch elegantly coming into land.

A feeding Greenfinch and Goldfinch

So much to enjoy in the garden today.

I am really looking forward to going to Martin Mere tomorrow.

Mr Fluffy at the start of the blog is a definite My Sunday Best