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Who Killed Cock Robin?

February 14, 2010 at 4:48 am

Sparrow Hawk

Yes this male Sparrow Hawk had his second Robin of the Winter in the garden this week. I know he has to live but I wish he would go somewhere else!

Last week I have been on my annual film show tour of South West Scotland with the best weather I have ever had for this tour in more than twenty years. The Kites at Loch Ken continue to increase annually with more than sixty coming to the feeding station each day. The number of young reared last year was apparently twice that of the year before and on that basis the prospects for the future look very good.

During my travel around South West Scotland I enjoyed watching a flock of one hundred and sixty Scaup at Stranraer, a Hen Harrier and Crossbills at Mossdale and on the last evening the spectacle of a million Starlings going to roost at Gretna Green.

Signs of Spring

February 8, 2010 at 2:21 am

Long Eared Owl

Severe frost early in the week but now somewhat milder as I made a first visit to some of the moorland plantations. In one a single Long Eared Owl was found but only thirty foot away from it a pair were together and apparently ready for the breeding season ahead.

Whilst there are still Jack Snipe and Woodcock about there is now a steady passage of Skylarks returning towards the hills and perhaps they know that Winter has finished? We shall have to wait and see.

There has been some movements of Pink Footed Geese in recent days with skeins of up to two hundred generally moving in a North west direction.

In the garden a party of nine Long Tailed Tits fed briefly so these have survived the severe weather of the last six weeks and will pair off to breed in a little over four weeks time.

Survival Time For Herons

February 1, 2010 at 8:48 am

Heron

There is still no let up in the severe weather with keen frosts on most nights this week and I wonder how many Herons will be left to breed next month when the season starts.

With the continued Winter weather both Woodcock and Jack Snipe are still around trying to find somewhere to feed that is not frozen. On Hopwood a Green Woodpecker was watched twice on the 31st trying to find ants in the ground. A Buzzard was also present.

In the garden both female and male Sparrowhawks have been present during the week, the male catching prey and devouring it on the 30th. However, neither were present for the National bird count on the 31st which was highlighted with the presence of twenty seven House Sparrows and two pairs of Bullfinches.

On the 30th at Ogden we watched a Little Owl sunbathing in the afternoon sunshine on the best day of the week.

Golden Eagles And Hypothermia

January 24, 2010 at 3:37 am

Golden Eagle
Golden Eagles

I have just returned from four days in Finland filming a pair of Golden Eagles that were feeding at a baited site in the forest.

When I flew into Helsinki the temperature was minus 16°C and it went much, much colder. When I entered the hide at 7.30am the following morning the temperature registered a mind blowing minus 31°C and when I left the hide nine hours later it was still only minus 26°C!! In those nine hours I had incredible views of a pair of Golden Eagles as they came to search for food buried in the snow and ice. Unfortunately I had also to concentrate on keeping myself warm and alive! It was a bad start when I reached for my first cup of coffee and upon opening the milk bottle to pour it in I found it frozen solid. Several hours later it became worse when I bit into a Mars bar only to find it frozen like a rock.

I did, however, see a new bird for me whilst I was in the hide as four Grey Headed Woodpeckers fed on fat placed in a pine tree by the hide.

The following day I was due another nine hours in the hide but as the temperature at 6.30am was minus 32°C and I was still suffering from the after effects of the day before, and I still am, I declined and we returned to Helsinki.

There was a bonus in returning to the airport early for as I walked alongside a woodland I found twenty Waxwings feeding on Rowans. As Waxwings are my favourite bird I spent nearly two hours in minus 16°C filming them. My memories of Finland are of a very cold place!!

Jack Snipe Star of The Big Freeze

January 16, 2010 at 8:12 am

Jack Snipe

This week’s photo is one of the five Jack Snipe in a local ditch that have gathered all this week. Renown for being difficult to locate two to five birds have fed all week in the ditch and now with the snow rapidly clearing, the Jack Snipe have gone with it!

On Hopwood Buzzards are struggling to find rabbits and Woodcock are now down to one bird.

In the garden we have now had continuous snow cover for thirty days. On the thirteenth January twenty two species fed during the day with a record nineteen Blue Tits, three male and one female Bullfinches and both Moorhen and Fieldfare being present nearly all day. However, both female and male Sparrowhawks are also making daily visits but thankfully we have only seen one catch.

New Garden Birds

January 10, 2010 at 5:44 am

Fieldfare in snow

What a week of severe weather with record low temperatures and a foot of snow on one day

During the extreme conditions a Moorhen appeared in the garden feeding with the thrushes and then today, the 9th, a Fieldfare started to feed on the apples and chase off all the Blackbirds. It was pleasing to have regular visits by a pair of Bullfinches and Reed Buntings. Twenty species came to feed on the ninth.

On two days the snow has been so deep that I went out on foot locally. A Woodcock was still present feeding in a ditch along with Snipe but a Skylark calling as it flew South was definitely out of place!

The best sighting of the week goes to a record five Jack Snipe all feeding together in a ditch of iron water – the only area not frozen for some distance around.