While I was putting out the duck nesting platforms this morning I disturbed a kingfisher in Upper Sowerholme.
Earlier in the morning, on my bike ride, I saw a barn owl at Glasson Dock.
Kingfisher
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Teal
Two pairs of teal in School Pond this afternoon.
Steve
Fairfield group volunteering
Here is Jonathan’s mesage
Hello All,
The Fairfield Saturday volunteering session which was scheduled for this coming Saturday, February 13th, is cancelled.
Given the current national lockdown, the Association has suspended group volunteering so the session will not take place. We plan to review the situation in early March.
In the meantime, Ian has requested that I pass on his best wishes to all our volunteers and hope that you all keep safe and well. To which I’d like to add, as I believe the young people say nowadays, “Same.”
Until next time,
Jonathan
Feeding Tables and Sparrowhawk
A female sparrowhawk was hunting by the table feeders in Fairfield this afternoon. She was fluttering in tight circles along the base of the hedge hoping to flush something – but without success.
Steve
Wintering Blackcap
Female Blackcap in the tall trees the other side of the path from the shed at the Sunnyside Lane entrance to the Reserve.
A BTO factsheet on wintering Blackcaps has the following interesting information:
“A growing number of Blackcaps that breed in central Europe are coming to our shores to spend the winter instead of travelling to the Mediterranean, where they normally go. In Britain, food provided in gardens, coupled with our warming winter climate, is helping Blackcaps to survive. The reward for enduring harsher winter conditions here than in the Mediterranean is that our Blackcaps have a shorter journey back to central Europe in the spring, meaning that they can stake early claim for the best territories. Central European-breeding Blackcaps that winter with us have been found to lay more eggs and fledge more chicks than those that winter further south.”
https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/u23/downloads/pdfs/factsheet_blaca.pdf
Oystercatchers
A pair of oystercatchers took off from Big Meadow near Lucy Brook as I passed, just before twilight on Sunday evening.
Sighting of 2 female Reed Buntings
Saw and photographed (photo is a bit poor) 2 female Reed Buntings on the feeding station Flora Field 3/01/21
Little Grebe?
Spotted this little bird (smaller than e.g. a moorhen), on the canal by Aldcliffe Rd. today. It was diving, and coming up with a little fish most times! Is it a Little Grebe in its winter plumage? Or a juvenile of some variety? Sorry about the picture quality, but it’s just on my phone.
Song Thrush
Ian saw a song thrush in Pony Wood this morning , and linnets of course.
Recent Sightings
Flora Field – a brown hare, a snipe and, spotted by Dan Heywood – overflying, a greater spotted woodpecker and grey wagtail.
Pony Wood – Dan saw 33 linnets in the big ash trees, feeding in the bird food margin. This is a record for this area so far this year.