What's Buzzing or Flying near you today... 2015

What a smashing photo! I've only ever had one of those spotties vist when we had that very bad winter - 2010 I think it was. We'd had a lot of snow that hung around and the days were very cold. I think the poor thing was very hungry. I was shocked when I looked out of the window and saw him on the nut feeder. I live by the Mersey right by the docks and the wind turbines that run along there are practically in my garden!! Woodpeckers aren't very common here!

 

Clearing out a large herbaceous border at work today in preparation for replanting, I had my little friend here to keep me company.
He was finding plenty of worms and grubs, so many in fact that at one point he had to go and sit under the hedge for a while, before returning later to pick up where he left off.

 

If the last few months are anything to go by, the Birdwach will be dire, just Sparrows (loads) Pigeons, a Blackbird or two and not much else possibly a couple of Chaffinches and maybe a tit.

 

I'm doing mine in Morrison's car park, plenty of deep fried wagtails there

 

It may well have been a Sparrowhawk Woo.

 

Sounds more like an Emu

 

Not quite an Emu, but guess what's been seen wandering around near Shineyland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-30778706

 

Thought so

 

Durlston CP (Swanage) early this morning didn't produce much along the fields, hedges or woods and had to go down to the cliffs to see anything. It was 4c warmer than when I left home and the sun was low and direct, not good for trying to get sea bird pics.
Meadow Pipit


100ft down on the rocks was a Black Redstart difficult to see as it is mainly sooty grey but the orange tail is just visible(!)




A raft of Guillemots were making a lot of noise.


Fulmar Petrels were gliding in and out of the cliffs below and difficult to follow.
They fly on stiffer, straighter wings (and have a shorter tail) than Gulls and have two tubes on their bill which they eject a foul smelling fluid when disturbed.










A view to fall for!!!! one day, and maybe not too soon, the views of the English Channel from these flats my disappear as the buildings might.


On the way back I saw this Great Tit singing and thought it's wide black stripe showed clearly that it was a male, females are thinner, I only found this out recently.

 

Cor

 

Great pictures Strongy!

 

Whilst tidying up inside a polytunnel, heard a Red Kite screeching so balanced my pocket point and shoot on top of the tunnel door and took this pic of it 2 plots away

 

Nice one Scrunge