What's Buzzing or Flying near you today......2016

They're not all in my garden, 35 + roost on the edge of our village, about a 6 or 7 minutes walk away, but the most we've had in our garden at any one time is 2.

 

Oystercatcher in the harbour today.

 

Two is better than here where we see hardly any!

 

Quite a gathering in the trees across the road this morning. I'm pretty sure these are crows, and not rooks. Perhaps @strongylodon can confirm for me?

If they are crows, I'm a bit puzzled, as I always thought it was rooks which tended to flock together, whereas crows are usually more solitary.

 

It's great to just sit there and watch them, so far this morning there have been 10 Goldfinches and 2 Chaffinches in the front garden and 5 Starlings, 2 Woodies, 6 Black Headed Gulls, 10+
Sparrows, 2 Blackbirds, 1 Robin, 1 Dunnock and 1 Pied Wagtail in the back garden.

 

A bit of a myth there @Trunky, Crows can and do flock in large numbers as well as Rooks they are more solitary as far as nesting goes unlike Rookeries.

 

Over the last few weeks hundreds have been gathering in various places around the island Trunky.

@strongylodon would you know why they do this please?

 

I'm not sure @Sheal, may be communal feeding areas or possibly where young 1st year Crows can find mates. I believe they pair for life.

 

That's a possibility Strongy. Do all the crow family pair for life? I know Magpies do.

The birds gather here at dusk and a couple of hundred will settle in a copse of high trees, they make an amazing noise!

 

Again not sure, Jackdaws and Jays may not but Crows, Ravens and Rooks possibly do.

 

I've just got back from a brief trip up North (well Birkenhead is North to me )

Saw this almost blackish/blue Pheasant on the way back from Kimmeridge last Thursday.