The Lincolnshire Bird Club

A couple of days ago, I had no fewer than 15 Black-headed, 2 Herring and a Common Gull on the snow-covered lawn in the back garden, scrapping over.... scraps!

Resident Robin appears to be developing psychopathic leanings!

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Very busy recently as would be expected. A new bird today is a female Reed Bunting on the feeders with the Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Blue and Great and Coal Tits, Dunnocks, Robins, Chaffinches, Starlings, Jackdaws, GSW, House Sparrows and one Siskin.

David

Dec 18th
I was late up again and just as I was drawing the curtains in the rear bedroom I spotted a bird I've had on my garden wish list for years hoping that one day it would come [ my mate told me one day it will come and at last he is correct ] and by golly was I pleased! I went for the camcorder praying it would still be there and thankfully it was, so started filming it on the lilac. It was about half way up and kept coming down and feeding on the black sunflower seeds [ there was nut feeder very close but I didn't see it go on there ], it looked to be either wedging the seeds in the trunk or opening them. I was ecstatic at seeing a GSW [female] in my garden at long last!! Managed to get a four minute video, and then it flew to another feeder at the end of the garden, this had niger in it and the GSW was feeding on it, this time managed a much shorter video as it only stayed a short time and flew off. YABBA DABBA DOO

Also yesterday had as far as I can remember a record count of Chaffinch in the garden of 15 but no Brambling among them. Other birds seen were Dunnock - 2, Blue Tit - 2, Great Tit - 4, Crow - over, Common Gull - 3 over, Magpie - over, Collared Dove - 7, Wood Pigeon - 2, House Spugs - 30+, Wren - 1, Goldfinch - 9, Greenfinch - 6 and Starling - 4.

Garden list now is 36 I think over the years plus 18 ish over the garden.

Thanks Katherine and David for your recent garden sightings.

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

No problem!

After 4 years' worth of having bird feeders in the garden, my Garden List is 31. The most extraordinary visitors have been Moorhen, Pheasant and someone's escaped Cockatiel!

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Dec 26th:

On the 20th and 21st had 16 Chaffinch each day, I checked each of them just in case a Brambling called in but alas not. Filled all the feeders and bird table on the 22nd, also got stocked up with loads of seed etc. Not seen the GSW again.

When I was a kid my favourite bird was a Yellowhammer and I fondly remember how pleased I was when I saw it on my trips to Brumby Woods.

In the last ten years I've often said to my pals I'd be overjoyed if I got one in my garden, well today I saw two just outside the lounge window feeding on some songbird seed I'd put out earlier I got the camcorder and took a few pics and a short video, managing to get both in the frame at times If the path hadn't been so icy and the temperature very low I'd have thrown the seed further down the garden, but I didn't fancy going out so threw the seed out the window and very plaesed I did! They stayed about five minutes and flew off but one returned later for a quick snack. Hoping they tell their mates and a few more come. That was a garden tick

I haven't been birding for ages because of the weather BUT I really don't need to with the varied birds that visit the garden. Also on this day had 6 - Blue Tit, 17 - Chaffinch, 17 - Goldfinch, 1 - Great Tit, 1 - Wren, 12 - Greenfinch, 1 - Magpie, 4 - Blackbirds, 12 - Starling, 1 - Robin, 15+ House Sparrow, 7 - Common Gull over and 2 - Crow over.

As of yet I've not seen any dead birds but all the snow hasn't gone yet. Hopefully with 20 feeders and two bird tables I won't see too many casualties.

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

I am still surprised (a nice state to be in) that two female Reed Bunting continue to visit the feeders. Never had them in a garden before this winter and I don't live near any extensive reed beds. There are quite a few seen locally on Beck Lane though but this is not exactly in the village. Disappointed however that, although I've seen them on Beck Lane, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll have yet to visit my garden - had them last winter.

David

David,

If I were the Bunts I'd rather have a free meal than one I have to hunt for Never had them in my garden yet but at the rate I'm going it's still possible.

On the 27th I spotted a definate pair of Yellowhammer coming along the garden towards the seed but either the Sprawk or the cat scared everything off and have not seen them since. Oddly on Tuesday there were only about a dozen birds in garden at any one time during the day, not sure why because all the feeders were full, unless one of the neighbours has some feeders. Yesterday [ 29th] spotted a Coal Tit on a nut feeder in front garden, haven't seen one for weeks.

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Happy New Year to those who have contributed to this thread

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Jan 2nd:

As I was washing the pots spotted about thirty birds were flying [north-east] past side by side, at first I thought they may have been Pinkies but they looked to be a bit too big. As I only saw a rear view not sure what they were. They were flapping their wings slowly and were quite low over the houses.

At same time spotted a Coalie in the lilac.

Upwards of a dozen Greenfinch feeding on the black sunflower feeders, maximum count of 16 Chaffinch all ground feeding, 17 Goldfinch on the niger feeder and underneath it, 2 Dunnock in front garden along with 20+ House Sparrow and several Blackbird. Also in back garden 4 Wood Pigeon plus one feral, about 15 Starling snacking on a sausage roll and suet feeder, still 6 Blue tit feeding on nuts & sunflower seeds, a single Great Tit doing same. Noticed the remnants of a Collared Dove so the Sprawk must have been. Not found any other dead birds.

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Jan 3rd: Yellowhammer - 3 & Coal Tit - 2 [ pics and video ] plus usual birds.
Jan 4th: Yellowhammer - 1 [ pics ], in total had more than 100 birds at any one time.
Jan 6th: Coal Tit - 1 plus usual.
Jan 10th: Coal Tit - 1, Greenfinch - c20, H Spugs - c30, Common Gull - 21 over, Wren - 1, Chaffinch - c20, Goldfinch - 12, Starling - c20, Blue Tit - 4, Dunnock - 1, Blackbird - 4, Collared Dove - 4 & Wood Pigeon - 3.
Jan 18th: Mute Swan - 1 [over] & Magpie - 1 [been trying to video it for a while today succeeded].
Jan 19th: Mistle Thrush - 2 [ saw them early, they stayed only a couple of minutes after snacking on some bread next door, then perched in one of my trees ].

During the last few days the number of birds visiting the feeders other than spugs and Goldfinchs have dropped dramatically, don't know if that's a good thing or not.

Regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

As reported in the Bird Sightings section just now a presumed Lesser Redpoll was seen briefly on the niger feeder yesterday [23rd], it's a year to the day that one first appeared in my garden, in fact there were two. Could it be the same bird?

On Saturday [ 22nd] had several sightings of Coal Tit but I think there was only one.

A Magpie has now become a regular visitor and this time there were two. I try and get a bit of video each time I see it. Also had a Crow stop for a snack, they usually fly past.

Regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Just noted about 30 redwing in the willows at the edge of the garden - hoped they were waxwing that was until I got the bins on them. This is in urban Lincoln so it was a pleasant surprise nevertheless

Other birds seen in recent days
lesser redpoll
siskin
chaffinch
goldfinch
coal tit
blue tit
great tit
wood pigeon
collared dove
magpie
dunnock
robin

Unfortunately not in mine, but my neighbour's garden, a flock of 9 Lesser Redpoll feeding on Silver Birch seeds.

David

Highlights of the garden birdwatch were 3 lesser redpoll and a flyover cormorant

Good to read of Chris and David's sightings of Redpoll, the one that I had hasn't been seen since but that's not to say it hasn't been, I normally don't get up till eleven, today I was awake at 06.30!

Last Friday late afternoon had 19 Pink-feet over and yesterday had 27 going north at about the same time, not a garden tick but certainly a welcome sight!

The number of birds coming to the feeders etc has increased since my last report. Unfortunately it includes between three and seventeen feral pigeons!

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol