December, Pt.1 - 1st to 14th December, 2023

I hope you had a great Christmas, and take this opportunity to wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year.

I'm ending the year with an account of my wildlife sightings and photography in the first part of December. This almost exclusively consists of sightings of birds in our garden! I hope that you don't find the lack of variety too boring!

Friday, 1st December          Garden

This was a frosty day starting at -3°C and only rising to 0°C, but sunny for most of the day.

During most winters, we get a little fed up with the Starlings that tend to arrive in great numbers, consume all the bird food,  and noisily frighten away the smaller birds. It is a relief when, eventually, they depart to somewhere else. However, this year we are seeing very few and are now getting excited when they do appear.

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) - our garden

We were still getting regular visits from Pied Wagtail.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (male) - our garden

The above photos might make it look as if the weather was pleasantly warm and sunny but, where the sun wasn't shining, it looked a little different. Below, in photos taken in the afternoon, you can see the depth of the frost.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (male) - our garden

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (female) - our garden

Saturday, 2nd December          Garden

It was frosty again, with -3°C rising to 0°C, but freezing fog and mist for much of day. We were out visiting our son for much of the afternoon. I did manage to get some shots through my study window of a male Pied Wagtail on a frost-free perch only about 7 metres from my seat.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (male) - our garden

Sunday, 3rd December          Garden

We awoke to a light covering of snow. The birds were impatient for me to go out and feed them. It warmed a little during the rather dull day, through which it drizzled with rain for most of the time, although some of the snow remained until the end.

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) - our garden

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) - our garden

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (male) - our garden

Wednesday, 6th December

There was a very heavy frost in the morning, but the day was sunny, which raised temperature from -5°C to 1°C.

We had two Stock Doves visit on this day. Here is one of them.

Stock Dove (Columba oenas) - our garden

A male Bullfinch was still a regular visitor.

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (male) - our garden

That night, the temperature was forecast to rise to 5°C during the night

Saturday, 9th December

After two very wet days, the day again started wet, but a few degrees warmer than it had been, rising to 8°C by mid day, when we had some sun. I photographed the Sparrowhawk that alighted briefly in our Rowan.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) (male) - our garden

However it soon turned windy, with wind speeds up to 45 mph (72 kph).

Sunday, 10th December

The day started quite bright.  In the late afternoon I went to the location of my most recently found Little Owl site, which I had not visited since the spring, and was disappointed to see that the nest tree, and all the other trees on that particular edge of the field, had been completely removed. I had hoped to see some winter thrushes here too, but I only saw about half a dozen Fieldfare as they noisily flew across the road in the far distance.

The only thing I photographed was a heron that had been behind a fence on the far side of a horse paddock, but took flight.

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) - near Normanton le Heath

Tuesday, 12th December          Garden

A very dull damp day, but having three male Bullfinches visit was exciting. We've had five Bullfinches before (male, female, and three juveniles), but three adult males together was a first. I managed just one record shot with all three in it!

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (male) - our garden

Wednesday, 13th December          Garden

A dull, but mild day. The Sparrowhawk was back.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) (male) - our garden

We get visits from Greenfinch most days at the moment - usually just one or two, but we have had up to four. This is a species that seems to be recovering. having been devastated by a virus a few decades ago.

Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) (female) - our garden

Just the one Bullfinch was spotted this day, but it did pose for a photo. It is a long while since we last saw a female Bullfinch in the garden, but fingers are crossed.

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (male) - our garden

Thursday, 14th December          Garden

Dull and wet weather removed any incentive to go out, and I was glad that I stayed at home as we had four wagtails visit that day. The first item that I photographed, however, was a heron on the back neighbours' roof, while we were having breakfast.

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) -from our house

Later in the morning, a Bullfinch visited. Without a shadow of doubt, Bullfinch is the most messy eater of all the garden birds!

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (male) - our garden

A few minutes later, the Bullfinch was still here when what I originally thought was a White Wagtail arrived, but my local birding expert, Rhys Dandy reckons it was a female Pied Wagtail. Assuming this is the case, it would appear to be a 1st winter bird. White Wagtail is the nominate bird of this species, with Pied Wagtail being a race of the species, largely common to the UK.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (female) - our garden

Almost immediately, it was joined by a Grey Wagtail, and this time I got a few more shots than I managed on its previous visit. This one seemed to have a much darker breast than I'm used to seeing. I think that it is a 1st winter bird.

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) (1st winter) - our garden

Later in the day, a pair of Pied Wagtail arrived, with the female being a different bird to the earlier bird as it had a black (rather than pale grey) crown. However, I only got shots of the male on this occasion.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (male) - our garden

We also had a Stock Dove pay us a visit.

Stock Dove (Columba oenas) - our garden

This brings me to the end of what (for us) was a rather special special day, even if the weather was lousy.

It also brings me to the end of this blog post, which I hope has not bored you with too many images of Wagtails and Bullfinch (both of which are rather special for us) and it just remains for me to wish you all the very best in health and happiness for 2024. Please take good care of yourselves and Nature - - - Richard

The Second Half of November, 2023 - Pt.2

This blog post will be a little shorter than my previous one, and only feature observations of birds in our garden.

Saturday, 25th November          Garden

A cold dull start to the morning brought us the exciting experience of three wagtails visiting together. The most remarkable aspect of this was that one of them was a Grey Wagtail. Sadly, the pair of Pied Wagtails saw off the Grey Wagtail before I had a chance to get a decent shot of it. This was taken looking down to the ground through my study window.

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) (1st winter) - our garden

Here are the two Pied Wagtails.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (female) - our garden

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (male) - our garden

Robin also entered into the mix.

Robin (Erithacus rubecula) - our garden

Later in the morning, the sun came out. The Pied Wagtails were still with us.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (male) - our garden

Blue Tit is, thankfully, a regular colourful visitor.

Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) - our garden

We are sure the Wren is present much more frequently than the occasions that we see one on.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) - our garden

Sunday, 26th November          Garden

 

The Pied Wagtails were back again and I'll ask you to excuse more images of them, please, as their visits are far less frequent as I write this, and I'll make the most of them while I can.

 

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (male) - our garden

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) (female) - our garden

A male Bullfinch has been visiting us for a while now, but has been far more difficult to photograph as it usually makes straight for the feeder trays.

 

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (male) - our garden

The Sparrowhawk is still visiting, but its visits are a little less frequent than they were. In the second image, taken from my study window, it is on the neighbours' garage roof.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)

I also managed another shot of a Goldcrest, slightly better than my previous recent efforts.

 

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) - our garden

Tuesday, 28th November          Garden

 

Our over-the-back neighbour has a feeding box attached to the back of our back fence which he fills with monkey-nuts. This is a great favourite with the squirrels, but seems to be totally ignored by anything else. Here's a squirrel enjoying a free meal.

 

Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) - our garden

Wednesday, 29th November          Hicks Lodge

The report of a Short-eared Owl being seen roosting at Hicks Lodge in the morning had me visiting in the late afternoon. I spent a while there, in the company of a very experienced birder, but no owl was seen, and we left as darkness fell. No photographs were taken, other than of a military transport aircraft which I will not bother you with here.

Thursday, 30th November           Garden

This was a relatively good day for sightings in the garden, but only a couple of common items were photographed.

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) - our garden

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) - our garden

 

This brings me to the end of November. My next post will probably be, as usual, in about a week's time. In the meantime, please take good care of yourselves and Nature. Thank you for dropping by - - - Richard

The Last Days of 2022

My last blog post covered a period which terminated on 8th December - the day that Lindsay and I departed on a journey to have her fitted with a new right knee. The time since then has had a number of ups and downs, with rather more downs than we expected or would have wished for. I'm sorry to say that, as I write this, Lindsay's recovery is still being marred by an infection that could have serious consequences.

Saturday, 10th December

I returned home this day after a meeting with Lindsay's surgeon, with Lindsay remaining in hospital.

In my last blog post I said that I was a little disappointed that my departure from home with Lindsay had coincided with the arrival of avian winter visitors. In spite of only getting home at mid-day, this day I managed to record 17 species putting a foot down in our garden before sunset four hours later, and I did photograph a few of the more common birds.

The Magpie was being greedy, and stocking up on peanuts.

Magpie (Pica pica) - garden on 10th December, 2022

Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) - garden on 10th December, 2022

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) - garden on 10th December, 2022

I did also get some shots of one of our much less common winter visitors. At this point in time, there were still plenty of berries left on our Rowan tree.

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) - garden on 10th December, 2022

Sunday, 11th December

We had a very cold morning, with a sprinkling of snow. I was called mid-afternoon to collect Lindsay from hospital, but I did manage to get a few shots of the two wagtails that visited that day - (possible - doubt due to a comment from 'Conehead54, see below) White Wagtail and Pied Wagtail. My records list them as two different species but, technically, one (Pied) is a sub-species of the nominate (White) species.

(possible) White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) - garden on 11th December, 2022

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) - garden on 11th December, 2022

Monday, 12th December

At the start of the week, we had a little more snow and we were still being visited by Pied and (possible) White Wagtails.

(possible) White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) - garden on 12th December, 2022

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) - garden on 12th December, 2022

Tuesday, 13th December

Dunnock is a daily visitor to the garden and sometimes we get up to three of them. However, I don't often photograph them. This rather dull day was an exception, however. I find the faces of this species to be particularly attractive.

Dunnock (Prunella modularis) - garden on 13th December, 2022

We also had visits by Mistle Thrush and Redwing this day, although only Redwing was photographed.

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) - garden on 13th December, 2022

Both Pied and (possible) White Wagtails were still with us, and the Pied Wagtail offered itself up for some more imtimate shots.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) - garden on 13th December, 2022

Thursday, 15th December

This was a very cold day, although I did not record the termperature. I did, however, photograph frost on our conservatory window, which made an attractive pattern.

Frost on our conservatory window, on 15th December, 2022

Fortunately, it was also a sunny day. We were pleased to welcome the winter visitors again.

 

I was pleased to get the first image, below, of one of the two Redwings that visited as it shows how the top-of-head plumage overhangs their eyes - a fact that I don't recall noticing before.

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) - garden on 15th December, 2022

A first winter male Blackcap, with its black cap fringed with brown, was back with us this day also, and has continued to be an intermittent vistor.

 

Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) (1st winter male) - garden on 15th December, 2022

There was beautiful golden light towards sunset, and I photographed two of our visitors which were still around.

 

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) - garden on 15th December, 2022

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) - garden on 15th December, 2022

Friday, 16th December

 

It had been a while since we last saw a Bullfinch in the garden so I was delighted to spot a male visiting, although it was a very dull day, the bird was about as far away as it was possible to be in our garden, and so my shots were not good.

 

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (male) - garden on 16th December, 2022

I was rather pleased with the background colours in this next image, so please excuse yet another Mistle Thrush.

 

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) - garden on 16th December, 2022

I was pleased to get some video clips of the (possible) White Wagtail that visited just before sunset.

Saturday, 17th December

 

Needing to keep my trigger finger exercised, I took some shots of a Redwing in the garden.

 

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) - garden on 17th December, 2022

Sunday, 18th December

 

We had a remarkable 23 species of bird put a foot down in our garden this day (in summer it's an execeptional week when we get 20 species in the week). We had all three wagtails ((possible) White, Pied, and Grey), although White Wagtail was not photographed.

Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) - garden on 18th December, 2022

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) - garden on 18th December, 2022

For me, the most exciting visitor that day was a Song Thrush - a species that rarely visits us, with the previous visit being on 28th November, 2021.

 

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) - garden on 18th December, 2022

The male Bullfinch was back. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Bullfinches are some of the messiest eaters in the avian world I know of.

 

Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) (male) - garden on 18th December, 2022

A little more excitement was caused by the Redpoll that showed up. I only managed a record shot on one of our feeders at the top of the garden.

 

Lesser Redpoll (Acanthis cabaret) with Goldfinch - garden on 18th December, 2022

Wednesday, 21st December

 

We had another visit by Song Thrush, which put on a good show. Fortunately, there were still a few berries left lower down on our Rowan - they have all been consumed now.

 

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) - garden on 21st December, 2022

I was also delighted when Stock Dove made a return visit.

 

Stock Dove (Columba oenas) - garden on 21st December, 2022

Thursday, 22nd December

 

The star visitor this day was a male Sparrowhawk. Sadly, it did not linger long enough for me to get a decent shot, and it left without its dinner.

Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) (male) - garden on 22nd December, 2022

Friday, 23rd December

 

A non-wildlife item to report for this day. Last Christmas I made a leather bag for Lindsay. On seeing it, our daughter asked if I would consider making one for her, but to a different design, and with a cat motif. How could I refuse !?  I'd promised her it would be her Christmas present, but that was before we learned of Lindsay's pre-Christmas knee operation. Much to my relief, after working on it for a couple of months, I finished it just two days before Christmas. I think that she was pleased with the result.

 

the bag that I made for our daughter for Christmas 2022

Sunday, 25th December

 

The week ended with what I believe is possibly our highest ever weekly tally of birds setting foot in our garden - 27 species (although I confess to a slight cheat here as Pied Wagtail is a sub-species of White Wagtail).  These were (in alphabetical order):-  Blackbird (5) ; Blackcap ; Bullfinch (2) ; Chaffinch (5) ; Crow, Carrion ; Dove, Collared (4) ; Dove, Stock ; Dunnock (2) ; Goldfinch (14) ; Greenfinch (3) ; Jackdaw ; Magpie (4) ; Redpoll, Lesser ; Redwing ; Robin (2) ; Sparrow, House (3) ; Sparrowhawk ; Starling (8) ; Thrush, Mistle (2) ; Thrush, Song ; Tit, Blue ; Tit, Coal ; Tit, Great ; Wagtail, Pied ; Wagtail, (possible) White ; Woodpigeon (5) ; Wren.

Due to a number of factors, no further significant photos were taken before the end of the year.

I am sorry if you find the subject matter in this blog post is too repetitive, but the winter visitors are something that I have really cherished and I wanted to give them a level of coverage that reflected their importance to me. Having the garden, and the winter visitors, has been a real benefit to my wellbeing while I am confined to home looking afdter Lindsay.

Hopefully I will be able to publish another blog post in about a week's time, but I have little material to offer as I write this as the winter visitors seem to have now departed! In the meantime, please take good care of yourselves and Nature.

Thank you for dropping by - - - Richard