WHAT'S BUZZING OR FLYING NEAR YOU TODAY - 2017

I think it's a bird Sheal

 

I think you're probably right KFF. I've a sneaking suspicion it's a Coal Tit but I know those and this bird looked bigger.

 

We have recently had a Coal Tit visit after an 18 month absence but in the last few days a Robin has decided to bully any other small bird coming to the feeders, Goldfinches, Blue and Coal Tit all get chased off, Starlings are another matter!

Meadow Pipit

 

Visited The Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) Reserve at Cley today with Mr Kandy and had another good days birdwatching with lots of different birds flying into the reserve from their summer breeding grounds to spend their winter in the UK

The Trust volunteer wardens have been busy putting up new fencing round the reserve hoping to stop members of the public and their dogs from running amok (dogs) on the shingle beaches to stop the ground nesting birds nests from being destroyed in the breeding season.

Unfortunately the fencing is there all year round and many birds migrating onto the reserve at night fly low to avoid being predated and to get the best wind lift to help them not use up to much energy.

As we were walking along the shingle beach near the reserve I spotted this Woodcock dead after it had flown straight into the three line fencing wires which had terminated its life Such a beautiful bird that had probably flown many miles before its life was tragically ended.I took some photos of it to confirm identification when we got back to the car and our bird books but as we were walking round the reserve we met one of the volunteer wardens and told him of what we had found.He went off and located the bird and when he passed us later on he had the bird with him and confirmed it was a Woodcock and he reckoned it had broken its neck when it hit the wires.

I just hope that it is the last poor bird that ends its life this way

PS,I turned the bird over to check to see if it had any rings on its legs which if it had I could have got the details to send off to the BTO (British Trust For Ornithology)

 

Agree @Kandy

 

That's sad @Kandy. Trying to protect birds from predation but possibly causing their deaths in doing so is a difficult thing to balance, I hope there aren't any more.

Pintail in full winter plumage.


Swanning around in the sun.

 

@wiseowl what a BEEutiful photo such a clear capture shot

 

@strongylodon
Two fab shots again the Pintail is beautiful ....but the Swan capture is exquisite

 

I think they're all here @strongylodon, it's suddenly become a Coal Tit Heathrow! I've not seen Goldfinches as yet, no Starlings either, but plenty of Great, Blue and Coal Tits, Chaffinches and more recently Siskins. There are a few Robins around and they seem to be quite sociable at the table. We now have a couple - or should I say brace of hen Pheasants visiting too, very skittish though.

 

Rook friends again

 

If you are near any conifer plantations @Sheal you may possibly get a visit from the rarest one, the Crested Tit, common on the continent but confined to the Scottish highland forests here.

 

@strongylodon I was talking this evening to Mr Kandy about the Woodcock and the distance it had travelled as he was texting his sister about the number of birds we are seeing and he told me that the Warden had told him that he reckoned the bird had flown all the way from Russia to get here so it is even more a shame that it had come all that way,possibly hundreds of miles to spend the winter in this country and now it won’t get the chance of that