Friday 6 March 2020

A Chiffchaff sang in a blossoming tree near the bridge. We have a few that stay over the winter, and they have been singing from time to time.


The Long-Tailed Tits in the Rose Garden continued to raise the sides of their nest. Soon they will be arching over the top to make the roof.


While I was waiting to shoot this video, a Great Spotted Woodpecker unexpectedly arrived on the bird feeder in the shrubbery ...


... and a Hairy-Footed Flower Bee browsed in the flower bed.


This is the second day running I haven't seen a Redwing. Their last area of bare earth was being cultivated ready for returfing. I think they've gone. There was just one Mistle Thrush looking for insects in the new turf.


The male Little Owl on the Henry Moore statue basked in the sunshine.


One of the Coal Tits near the bridge came out to be fed.


So did a Jay near the Italian Garden.


A Carrion Crow preferred to go through a bread bag.


A Grey Heron stalked through the reeds near the Italian Garden. It was probably hoping to find a nestling or a rat, but wasn't getting anything bigger than insects.


The pair on the north side of the island were both busy breaking off twigs to add to their nest.


An adult Common Gull had a juvenile moment playing with a stick.


The sunlight lit up the turquoise eye of a Cormorant in its peculiar breeding plumage on a post at Peter Pan.


The Coots have recaptured their nest under the willow near the bridge. An evicted Great Crested Grebe gave one a hostile stare.


Two male Mute Swans circled each other menacingly in front of the mate of one of them, who was no doubt impressed by their macho posturing.


Farther up the lake, a fight broke out.


Yesterday's heavy rain has flooded the flat area south of the Physical Energy statue.

6 comments:

  1. I managed to see the Redwings three times this year. I’ll miss them

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    1. They're seasonal. You wouldn't want Christmas pudding all year round.

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  2. Going to miss the pictures of the Redwings as well. Such beautiful and secretive birds. On the other hand, Chiffchaffs are beginning to sing: we win some, we lose some.

    Striking picture of the Cormorant. They repay taking a closer look.

    I'm sure that is a menacing display, for a Swan, but for the rest of the universe it looks slightly comical.

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    1. Well, a silly display is always better than an outright fight. Swans can and do hurt each other in those.

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  3. Nice to see the Chiffchaff- hopefully a harbinger of spring (even if in your case it is an overwintering individual). The only one I've seen was such a bird at Titchwell back in January.

    Your bee, despite a superficial resemblance to a Carder Bee is a solitary species- a male Hairy-footed Flower Bee (the females are blackish), Anthophora plumipes. These love tubular flowers- in my garden Pulmonarias + Creeping Comfrey. Yesterday I saw my first female in the garden for the season on a Muscari flower before 3 males gave her a chase.

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    1. Many thanks for the identification. I had noticed its hairy feet, a bit out of focus in this shot, but foolishly paid no attention to them.

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