What's buzzing or flying near you 2023 ?

You were lucky being in the right place at the right time Strongy.

 

It's the French 'Birdwatch' this weekend, so parked by the French windows to count the visitors coming to feed. Chaffinches were most numerous...15 in ten minutes, then sparrows, coal tits, blue tits, one wagtail, two robins and the crested tit. I'm not sure whether another survey is conducted later in the year but there's far more variety in spring and summer.

 

Be like that! We've got both but the FW are easier to lurk behind

 

Golden Plovers and Lapwings.


Water Rail.

 

Seen my first bubble bee & ladybird for the year

 

Chiffchaff, our most common Warbler. Most are summer visitors from Morocco and Southern Spain with very few overwintering but there is a big influx from Eastern Europe coming here due to our milder Winters.

 

Spring is in the air despite the cold, miserable weather. Blue Tits have been investigating the nest boxes and geese are on the move.

 

Today, the temperature was 52 degrees F, or about 11 degrees C. This has been a weird winter here in upstate New York. Normally, the temperature would be well below freezing and the ground would be covered with snow. The waterfowl are still in the area with plenty of open water. I photographed this pair of mallards just today. While I was at the marsh a man was walking his two dogs on the ice and they fell through. Fortunately, a 911 call was placed and they were rescued, but it could have been tragic. For the life of me I can not understand why anyone would walk on ice like this.

 

We had a bee buzzing around outside our window this afternoon. Hope it had it's thermals on.

 

Morning coffee, sitting in my garden room, watching the birds.

 

I've just thrown a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly out of the conservatory - it's the middle of Winter. I'm not saying that this is because of global warming.

 

Reedlings (or Bearded Tits). Moustached would be a more apt name!!

Male.




Female.