For such a quiet and heavily wooded area, we have surprisingly few interesting birds.
At this time of year I start to fill our bird-feeders with mixed seeds, and am usually disappointed to see that 99% of the takers are Great Tits, with just a few Blue Tits, a couple of Robins, and a handful of Sparrows joining in. All very bog-standard.
However we do have a few interesting visitors. Black Caps (above) always turn-up, a family of Doves cautiously watch affairs from a safe distance, and Nuthatches regularly scamper up and down the Quince tree where our feeder hangs.
In Summer we often hear Hoopoes calling (but tend not to see them), we have a regular visit from a Hen Harrier, and to witness the migrating Cranes is always a delight.
Recently we have been 'invaded' by Egrets who peck around beneath the foraging cattle. The skies are always dotted with Buzzards, and several groups (maybe the same group) of Red Kites have been spotted circling above the house.
I love to see plenty of birds about, and to hear the Blackbirds singing in early Spring is one of the year's true avian pleasures. Serious birdwatchers might find our area a bit dull, but if quantity is anything to go by, we are blessed.
Some good old English Robins would be lovely. Presumably they have never been brought out here.
ReplyDeleteWe always wonder where they go in the Summer. Presumably not to NZ.
DeleteMost of our birds are crows who are very loud but other birdsong begins at dawn and we see swallows and sparrows, occasionally robins and other unusual ones whose names I do not know. On summer nights there is a bird with a shrill call whose name in greek I do not remember.
ReplyDeleteI love birdsong at dawn.
Birds are indeed a delight, even the crows, and magpies
Last year we had an explosion of Magpies; this year they've all gone. I saw my Hedgehog again this morning; I now know where he lives.
DeleteHere in recent years there have been green parrots, it is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Green Parrots are now to be seen all over England. They must breed very quickly, as I never saw any when I lived there.
DeleteWe had a great variety on the farm including the usual ones and always several pairs of yellow hammers each year - plenty of pied wagtails and yellow wagtails all the summer visitors and redwings and fieldfares in winter. Here, only two fields away I see very few birds but plenty of cats - mayhe reason.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of Cats here, both pets and feral. I expect they kill plenty.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYou've confused me. What was her nasty comment?
DeleteI deleted it because it was clearly lost in translation.
DeleteMy OH would be very envious. He is a keen birdwatcher. We haven't had many small birds to our garden recently and the food we leave out for them is often left untouched. Yesterday, however, we watched a mouse calmly munching his/her way through the scraps of cooked porridge we had put out for the robin.
ReplyDeleteOur Robin seems happy with the discarded seeds that fall from the feeder. When it gets cold we'll put out Grease Balls for them too. No porridge for them here!
DeleteSo interesting that since we moved to The Highrise, we see more birds than we ever saw at ground level.
ReplyDeleteI think we used to see a bigger variety of birds at out Brighton Town House too.
DeleteInteresting to think that you see fewer species in a wooded area, but we had that same experience when we lived in the country! Now that we live in town (very close to a creek and wooded nature trail, though) we see lots more variety. I wonder why?
ReplyDeleteI think wildlife now heads for urban areas more, because they know they'll find plenty of food. I blame McDonalds.
DeleteThat still all amounts to a lot of birds to me. The migratory birds are always interesting, even if it's only a handful at a time.
ReplyDeleteEven in the urban jungle where I'm at, I was pleased to hear one morning this week the distinctive call of a Channel-billed Cuckoo. We get one in the neighbourhood every year and you only hear it a couple of times, if you're lucky to be home, that is. I don't know if it's the same bird each year or a single opportunist but it amazes me to know that it's flown from Papua New Guinea to inner Sydney to pop its egg into some unsuspecting magpie's nest.
We always have ordinary Cuckoos in Spring. Do they make the same sound?
DeleteGracious, no! They are the dinosaur of the cuckoo family at about 2 feet long. Nothing sweet-looking or sounding, but the call is distinctive as it reverberates through the neighbourhood.
DeleteThat's a shame; we love our Cuckoo's song.
DeleteI have woodpeckers and jays making daily visits from the woods and lots of other birds like tits.
ReplyDeleteOur Jay numbers have diminished. They used to hang around with the Magpies, but I only see one or two these days. We have green and greater spotted Woodpeckers, but I usually hear them, rather than see them.
DeleteWe are seeing less birds in the summer (especially the yellow finches) but the winter brings many species on their way to warmer weather. The beautiful red Cardinals stay all year though, and are especially pretty during snowy times.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen photos of Red Cardinals, but they really look wonderful. It's a pity we don't have them here.
Delete