Skip to main content

Bluebells

Yes its bluebell time again. The woods around here are full of them. It is also the time for suicidal baby rabbits. One sat in front of the car this evening, obviously trying to escape detection by staying perfectly still. I backed up for a couple of feet and it finally decided to move.

On the bird front I haven't seen a lot, mainly because I haven't had much time to spend looking. I discovered why there are no sparrows in my garden, they are all at the other end of the village where the older houses have real hedges rather than fences and conifers. My lilacs and crab apple at the back and rowan at the front are not sufficient compensation.

Travelling around during April I have seen a few birds of prey. On Good Friday there was a buzzard above the M25 at junction 23 and later in the month there was a red kite at Great Missenden and another near Thame. A trip on the south side of the M25 last weekend gave a puzzling glimpse. There was a large bird of prey near Clacket Lane Services. I didn't get a good look at the silhouette but the wingtips were not splayed as a buzzard's usually are and they seemed a bit more swept back that I would expect for a kite, I didn't get a good look at the tail. The location would make sense for the London peregrines but if I was twitching I would be dubious about what making it a tick.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Where are the finches?

 The garden has been disturbingly quiet this month when traditionally the feeders will be continously active. I am seeing a handful of blue and great tits on the feeders but no finches and only the occasional long tailed tit. Normally I woukld expect goldfinches and a few bullfinches on the feeders and chaffinches and redpolls on the ground at this time of year. It has been a strange winter, very mild apart from one cold snap so I hope that they are simply don't need to come into the gardens. On a better note I saw a pair of sparrows in the front hedge this morning so, hopefully, they might be spreading from their stronghold in privet hedges at the other end of the village. Away from home a family trip to Yorkshire netted three pairs of goosander on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal between Shipley and Saltaire. I think this is the first time that I have been close enough to get a good naked eye view. I have been neglecting this blog, probably because most web browsing is now done on t
Post a Comment
Read more

Sparrows

 I was quite excited this morning when I disturbed two house sparrows on the fat feeder in the front garden. Luckily they did return later. I didn't get a chance to look out of the window but I also heard a great spotted woodpecker call in the front garden. In the back garden we had our first nuthatch sighting of the year which makes three garden firsts for 2022. The redpolls didn't linger this year and I haven't seen the coal tits for a while but we have had the usual regular selection including blackbird, robin, blue tit, great tit, long tailed tit, chaffinch, goldfinch and bullfinch. Out and about sightings have included red legged partridge alongside the A418 near Tiddington, skylark on the fields behind the house and a trip to the Forest of Dean with a far too brief glimpse of a dipper but consolation from a pair of kingfishers along the Cannop Brook.
Post a Comment
Read more

Not So Quiet

 During September and October the garden normally seems to be devoid of birds. For the last few days there has been a flock of tits on the feeder. At least 5 blues at a time plus two or three long tailed as well as the occasional great and coal. This only takes place later in the afternoon, usually at around 5.
Post a Comment
Read more