WHAT'S BUZZING OR FLYING NEAR YOU 2020

Very distant Corn Bunting.

 

Plenty of young members of the Tit family here today amongst other regular visitors. @strongylodon can you name the bird in picture five for me please?

 

Is it a young sparrow Sheal?

 

No Jenny, it's a finch of some sort and bigger than a Sparrow. I don't take pictures of Sparrows....ever! I can't stand them, grrrr!

 

@Sheal Possibly a young Greenfinch but not sure from the angle.

 

Thanks Strongy. Sorry, not the best picture of it.

 

@Sheal Nice to see you still have Siskins as well but we haven't had a Coal Tit in the garden for over a month.

 

Yes @strongylodon, the Siskins weren't around through winter and early spring but have been here since the breeding season started. There's possibly 3 adult pairs and their young.

The Coal Tits are now in abundance, in fact I've seen more of those this year than Blue Tits. I only see an occasional Great Tit but the Long Tailed Tits are here through winter and early Spring.

There are a few Goldfinches visiting but they are nervous and I'm still yet to get those on camera.

I've only seen one House Martin this spring, but they tend to congregate here before leaving later in the year. I'm wondering if numbers in general are down?

 

Not seen many swallows this year, the numbers seem to be dropping every year.

 

@Sheal House Martins have declined dramatically in the last decade along with Swifts and to a lesser extent Swallows and Sand Martins. All four are having a hard time here.

 

Why do you think that is @strongylodon .
Is it them nasty people shooting them on their migration route?

 

@pete Too fast to be shot but caught in mist nets, some 2/300 yards long all around the Med and this is before they have the chance to breed. Here, we are the main problem, councils netting buildings to stop nesting, new builds and refurbs now have plastic facias so nests can't stick to them, mass use of insecticides in Agriculture, the list goes on.

 

Is that a yellow bellied?i have one

 

I'll take note of House Martin numbers come Autumn if any appear.