What's buzzing or flying near you 2024 ?

I don't use the term "anglers", I call them "fish botherers".

 

A large majority of Cormorants are resident, Phalacrocorax carbo and in smaller numbers, P carbo sinensis which are often seen in large flocks chasing fish shoals. A few are resident but large numbers come for the Winter.

A few Siskins came on a very grey day with a brief female Reed Bunting again whh was immediately chased off by our resident bullying Robin.

 

@strongylodon the "resident" birders said that it hadn't been seen for some days and that is why it was easier to get around the reserve and hides as less birders.

 

@On the Levels I had planned to go there but I was waiting to see if it was around. I will see if it appears again, I saw it last February so it may hide for a while.

 

Siskins are quite thin on the ground here - or should that be thin on the feeders...
We do have them, but they don't come in the garden very often. We had them visiting more often when we lived round the corner from this house. Plenty of good habitat for them though. Lovely little birds.
Never seen a reed bunting - don't know if we get them round here, although I'd expect there would be suitable sites for them.

 

We saw a Little Egret in a patch of left-over sea on the beach the other day. No photo unfortunately.

 

I watched a sparrowhawk trying to catch her breakfast around one of the bird feeders this morning but she flew away after a while "empty handed".

 

The large number of Goldfinches has dropped to around 6 and Siskins 3/4 (they keep being harassed by the bullying Robin) so the Sparrowhawk hasn't been around since.

 

Not seen 'our' goldies recently @strongylodon, but they're around, so they'll be back in soon. I need to buy more sunflower hearts to ensure I keep them happy for the colder weather coming. They get through them at a rate of knots.
The little whitethroat seems happy enough, but it's tricky getting a half decent pic. He/she sat for a while yesterday on two of the trees in my garden, so I was able to get some that were a bit clearer. I'd need a fancier camera to get a much sharper photo though.

 

A male sparrowhawk landed in one of the plums trees and surveyed the area for some time. Then a little later a peacock butterfly on the wing. Amazing.