The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Nov 20th: Chaffinch numbers are building again today had 6 with the usual gang.
Nov 26th: Dunnock spotted 3 in front garden.
Dec 5th: Goldfinch numbers up to 30+ today. Common Gull - 13 over and around the house. Coal, Great and Blue Tits one of each. 6 Greenfinch, 40+ House Sparrow in front garden knocking seven bells out of the nuts, fat balls and black sunflower seeds. I never tire of watching the spugs, one minute they are busy feeding the next they are diving for cover in the privet

On Monday [Dec 5th] went for bulk bags of seed but my usual supplier has stopped stocking one brand of songbird mix [ it was very good and very cheap] because the prices have shot up! So I'm trying another brand but with slightly less black sunflower seeds in it. The sparrows and Chaffinch like it.

Dec 9th: Chaffinch - 9 plus the usual gang, and the feral pigeons are back Also had nine Blackbirds, most I've had for a while, could they be foreigners.

Not seen nothing of the pair of Sprawk but i've been not been looking that much.

On the wish list this winter is Brambling, not had any in garden before. And maybe Waxwing now i've got a winter fruiting Callicarpa.

Kind regards

John

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

First report I've done since 9th Dec' not been well and still aren't, having tests on Thursday, but here goes.

For the past month I've only been filling the feeders and water tubs once a week. The large niger feeder, fat ball feeders and peanut feeders only want filling about every two to three weeks, whereas the black sunflower feeders can be emptied in a day sometimes! If this happens I throw seed out the window or front door with a scoop rather than going out in the cold, only problem being the pigeons get most of it rather than the small birds. Regarding the water tubs there are four in the front garden and at least six plus the water butt in the rear garden, so they don't need filling more than once a week.

Dec 20th: Coal Tit - 1, Blue & Great Tit - two of each plus supporting cast.

Jan 1st -11th 2012: Common Gull - 28 circling the house, House Spugs - 20+ in front garden, Goldfinch - 17, Blackbird - 1pr, Feral Pigeon - 5, C Dove - 2, Chaffinch - 11, Wood Pigeon - 2, Blue & Great Tit - 2 of each, Coal Tit - 1, Dunnock - 2, Greenfinch - 7, Starling - 80+ over garden and surrounding houses. Noticed a C Dove shape on the lounge window so maybe I'd had a visit from the Sprawk! But there was no evidence of a kill.

So that's me up to date Because of the recent mild weather the birds have been a bit thin on the ground gardenwise. The last day or two with night frosts and sometimes day ones I've noticed more birds visiting. I've plenty of food for them including fruit.

Didn't get chance to wish my pals HX or HNY But I did receive good wishes from a couple of members.

Kind regards

John

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

Jan 16th: While sat looking out rear lounge window and thinking the birds were a bit thin on the ground decded it would be a good idea to have lay down as I've been ill past few weeks. Just as i was getting up spotted something in the lilacs so sat down again, the bird flew into the cherry tree about ten foot from window, it was a male Bullfinch and it stayed no more than twenty seconds! Not even time for a piccy/video . That made my day

Kind regards

John

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

This past week has seen the garden with a fair number of birds of one sort or another. I kept a special watch a week last Monday and couple of days after because it was on the 23rd of the last two years that a Lesser Redpoll has visited. Last year only one came where as the previous year I was lucky to have two with one staying eight weeks and the other three weeks and then it came back five weeks later as I remember.

The House Spugs are hammering away at the fat balls, peanuts, black sunflower seeds and songbird seed especially in the front garden with upwards of fifty birds at any one time. Also in this part are a pair of Blackies, a pair of Dunnock, several Starlings, C Doves and Greenfinches with all keeping a wary eye out for the Sprawks but they have plenty of cover if needed either in the high privet, conifer and shrubs.

In the rear garden this morning I was picking a few twigs up when I spotted a Sprawk flying towards the old school. I filled the feeders up a few days ago and one thing I have noticed of late which has never happened in my garden and that is the Chaffinch brigade are now going on the seed feeders and sometimes the fat balls. In 2008 when my mate and I were in Scotland [Morvern area] all the Chaffinches were on the feeders! I am getting upwards of fifteen Goldfinch, half a dozen Greenfinch, nine+ Spugs, two Great Tit, three Blue Tit, five Doves and a few Blackies. Not forgetting the overhead glances from the local Common Gulls and the odd Black-head Gulls.

Today a troop of feral Pigeons arrived, settling underneath the Niger feeder - last year was bad enough with 13 today 18 came, this time next year that will be 25 ish . At least they will hoover up the seed preventing the Wood Mice getting it, not seen any lately.

Not seen the Robin and Wren of late.

That's all for now.

Regards

John

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

Jan 31st: Good numbers today including the Robin

Chaffinch - 12+
Greenfinch - 12+
Blue Tit - 2
Dunnock - 2
Feral Pigeon - 13
House Spugs - 40+
Goldfinch - 15
Starling - 7
C Dove - 5
Blackbird - 2
Magpie - 2 [ one of them went on bird table and took two pieces of fat ball and flew to a roof nearby and ate them, I watched through bins, the species has got to be my fave bird other than a raptor].
Common Gull - 5 over
Wood Pigeon - 3

Must fill the feeders ready for the snow etc that is forecast end of week!

Regards

John

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

Feb 3rd:

At last a Wren has been spotted on a pile of branches at rear of garden, reported I hadn't seen one for ages, now I have.

Feb 5th:

For the first time since last summer at least 40 Common Gulls were seen over my garden. They were trying to drop into a garden two doors from me [the neighbours must have put bread out] and then they were coming back and settling on a roof opposite, that was a nice sight.

All the other regulars are coming every day with good numbers of Greenfinch and Chaffinch [ keep looking out for Brambling but none yet]. I've got enough berries for a couple of Waxwing if they fancy dropping in

Regards

John

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

GARDEN LIFER: 3 Fieldfares in garden this morning brings my Garden List to 32 species!

Also 1 Black-headed Gull and 2 Long-tailed Tits.

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Feb 14th:

Male Siskin on niger feeder with seven Goldfinch at 1305, it stayed about five mins. I think that's the first Siskin for two years in my garden, but made my day

The usual gang were fedding aplenty except the tits were absent.

Regards

John

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

Although I didn't spot the male Siskin on the 15th, I did see it on the 16th and this time it stayed longer allowing me to video it for ten minutes and take a few pics, again it was on the niger feeder.
Didn't get much time to view on the 17th as i was attending hospital and shopping.

Today the 19th spotted two Long-tailed Tits in front garden, not had any for quite a while. Only reason I saw them was because of a Magpie had landed and wondered what it was doing. Also today had a single Blue Tit, two Blackies, two Magpie, four C Dove of which a pair have made a nest in the cherry tree seemed a bit precarious last week with the gas lads laying new pipes and a big 8 wheeler with grab rocking the tree everytime he moved soil or brought backfill, but the female is still sat there so here's hoping. To be hoped the sprawk doesn't see it. In the rest of garden there is loads of activity with the Greenfinch, Chaffinch, House Spugs etc.

Kind regards

John

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

Feb 21st: Dunnock - 3 [ two were displaying so assume the other was a female]
Feb 24th: Chaffinch - 12+ plus supporting cast
Feb 26th: Blackbird - 6m 1f, the Wood Mouse was seen on the ground bird table.
Feb 28th: Blackbird - 4 singing at 0235, heard when I put the bins out

March 1st: Goldcrest - 1 [ spotted flitting about in back garden, a great spot, last one seen here about fifteen years ago ]

The Collared Dove still sat on the nest in cherry tree in front garden. Still loads of House Spugs in front garden feeding on mostly the fat balls and peanuts. In the back garden there is a good selection of small birds including Goldfinch, Greenfinch, LT Tit, Blue & Great Tits, Starlings, feral and Wood Pigeons, Magpies plus the above.

Bad news for the birds and for me four of the trees in the back garden are having to be cut down because my next door neighbour is having new fencing up and the trees encroach over the boundary, so I'm having them sorted and then down to the garden centre and order some more. Thinking along the lines of getting conifers, at laest my neighbour won't complain about the leaves . Maybe Silver Birch or California Redwood[ ] . If anyone has any suggestions I'd welcome them especially trees that will attract the birds.

Kind regards

John

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

Ah well no suggestions for any trees from anyone, does anyone read my ramblings

March 3rd: Sprawk passed end of garden.
March 7th: pair of Dunnock dispalying + two each of Great and Blue Tits plus usual gang.
March 14th: After the C Dove had been on the nest three weeks I spotted a single juv peeping from under mum and later being fed. This is the first time I've actually seen a dove with young, they usually nest in the conifer at the back garden. This year the nest is in the deciduous cherry in plain sight of both upstairs and down. Also this day at 0750 had three Canada Geese over low going south, probably to MSQ.
March 18th: the juv dove left the nest and spent most of day in the conifer next to the cherry.

In general still getting good numbers of birds every day. A party of nine Greenfinch came on the 13th and are still here. The House spugs are still thirty plus strong in the front garden with a pair of Blackies displaying. Not seen the juv dove since Sunday, so...
The Goldfinch still have command of the Niger Feeder. A pair of Great and Blue Tit have taken over command of the rooster basket containing black sunflower seeds at the far end of back garden, displacing the Greenfinch which had stood guard over it most of last week, they more than likely have other things on their minds

I've not seen the pair of Magpie lately, they always cheer me up . Had a Rook on the street light yesterday, it's probably one of YWT birds in the 117 nest [2010] rookery, it's only about a mile from me as the Rook flies

Hoping today [21st] I have few hours away from the house on the local patch, all watching will be done from the car

Toodle loo

John

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

Hello John

A good contender for a tree in your garden would be Holly. The berries on ours lasted until the end of Feb and attracted a small party of Redwings a garden first for me. Holly berries attract quite a number of different birds. Another good tree would be Rowan, in fact anything that produced berries would attract birds. I suppose Crossbills could visit if you planted conifers. Good look with your gardening.

Terry Barker

Hi Terry,

Thanks for replying. I have a standard Holly in front garden and a varigated one in the back garden. The berries don't last long because the Blackies gobble them up, greedy sods, was hoping the Waxwing would call but very few in the country this winter. Not had Redwing as yet, so well done. My favourite tree in the garden is the Rowan, last year it was heaving with berries, the branches were almost on the ground, again the Blackies and Starlings made short work of them. I have a thirty foot conifer in the front garden and a twenty foot in the back garden.

A few weeks back I spotted a Goldcrest [ a rarity in mine] and the last tree it went on before leaving was the 20' conifer. I did buy 3 Callicarpa and they have been full of berries but nothing has touched them, even though the catalog I bought them from says the shrubs will attarct birds.

If my neighbour had her way there wouldn't be any trees in my garden, and when I told her my intentions of getting more she nearly blew a gasket .

March 22nd: Coal Tit perched next to back window of the lounge.
March 24th: female Blackie building nest in front garden privet. Male Sprawk passed over back garden and left mt. Not seen juv C Dove since last Sunday so looks as if it was collared by you-know-who .

Regards

John

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

Today 26th March spotted the juv Collared Dove in the tree where it was born, it looked a bit lost, hadn't seen it for a week. Also spotted Mum on the nest again, so more on the way or maybe she was having a snooze

Filled all the feeders and water tubs much to the joy of the waiting army

Noticed a pair of Magpie on roof opposite with one carrying something like a worm.

Toodle pip

John

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

April 4th: At 22.20 heard some geese going over the house, they were certainly not Greylags or Canadas from the sounds I heard, so have to assume they were Pink-feet. The sky was clear with the stars clearly visible.
On this day I had an appointment at Jimmy's and on way home I parked at usual lay-by [A64] which on the north side is surrounded by trees, lo and behold a Red Kite came low over the car and trees and made three passes, this made my week let alone day. Before I set off from home it was raining and the forecast was for more rain so I decided to leave the bins and camcorder at home but I always keep a pair of 8 x 21 in glove box. I did try taking a photo with camera phone but it didn't work out. I've been parking there for quite a few years but never seen this raptor there but nearer the A1/A64 junction. Okay I know it's not strictly supposed to be in this section but...

April 5th: Mum C Dove is back on the nest in front garden, now the blossom and leaves are out she is well camoflaged, it's funny to see her last young 'un perched next to her in the tree usually preening itself. There are also two other C Dove juvs knocking about in the rear garden. Also noticed the number of W Pigeon has increased to six and some of the ferals have returned, one was having a set-to with a W Pigeon, the feral lost and flew off. Plenty of activity on the display front with the Goldfinches.

April 8th: Spotted 2 LT Tit on the Lilac in the triangle in back garden. Plenty of noise coming from the gulls overhead, spotted a pair of LBB and the rest were adult and one immature Common.

At present there is a pair of Blackies got a nest in privet hedge in front garden and another pair got one somewhere in back garden, almost sure a pair of W Pigeon are nesting in the conifer close by.

Kind regards

John

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