WHAT'S BUZZING OR FLYING NEAR YOU 2020

No @strongylodon, we've been here nearly three years now and what you can see is the remains of a nest previous to that. I don't even know if they still nest in the area, I certainly don't see any flying around up until they appear here at this time.

 

@Sheal I am surprised that they were stopping at the site of the old nests, you could if you wanted put up artificial ones.

 

I'm wondering if they've got good memories @strongylodon and realise they've nested here before. My gables are quite deep and it's not easy to see the nesting site from more than a few feet away. I have four gables and that's the only one that shows any sign of a nest having been built.

I won't be putting up artificial nests, I don't want to encourage them. From past experience they make too much mess. My patio doors underneath the gable in the above images are a mess already from just this short visit.

 

Seeing one Osprey over the Middlebere channel at Arne is always a welcome sight but 5 were seen today, I only saw 4 but this is the most we have ever seen at one time. They are all females probably from Scotland, some maybe juveniles and may stay for a week or so (followed by others) making their way South to West Africa but are in no real hurry.

There is an abundance of Mullet and Bass in the river Frome and in Poole harbour which are their prefered food.

 

Around here we get buzzards and maybe the occasional kite,that's the bird of prey sort.
and sparrow hawks, they don't just catch sparrows seen one with a blue tite once.

 

Green Woodpeckers

 

More Green Woodpeckers. They have taken over the school playing fields as their territory since March, so decided I'd better take a few shots before school restarts.



Banded Demoiselle

 

Wheatears migrating south but only a few on the coast today, wind was too strong for a channel crossing.






Kestrels not wanting to fly today.

 

Mourning Dove.

 

Turnstone.




Cormorant fighting with an Eel (or Lampery?).






It went down eventually.

 

A worrying problem that perhaps you can help me with please @strongylodon.

In the last few weeks I've watched as two Chaffinches (on separate occassions) visiting my bird station have become listless over a few days, struggled to fly and eat, almost as if they're drunk. Both I found dead in the garden. Yesterday another one turned up in the same condition and is gradually going down hill. I clean the feeders regularly and all other birds that visit are healthy, so could this be a disease affecting them?

I've noticed this year that the breeding season was good for all the birds and numbers around the feeders have probably doubled, particularly with all the different finches.

 

It sounds like Trichomonosis, the same disease which affects Greenfinches as well. It is caused by a parasite and gradually constricts the throat eventually causing death.

 

Thank you @strongylodon. Not a nice way to go and also horrible watching them suffer. The Greenfinches that visit seem healthy but I'll keep an eye on them.

Edit: I've just been reading reports on the disease you mention and it's almost certainly what my visiting birds are suffering from. As suggested I will stop feeding and providing them with water for the next three weeks. I will also speak to my neighbours as they also feed birds.

 

A couple of hours down at the Fleet lagoon between Weymouth and Portland this morning, full of waders.
A sleepy Dunlin and a young Ringed Plover both will spend the Winter here.




Little Stint, even smaller and only passing through on it's way to Africa.


Sanderling, still with some summer plumage.