Sparrowhawk!

A Sparrowhawk flew over the station this morning pursued by a Magpie. In the buddleia by the footbridge there was a party of feeding Long-tailed Tits. Apart from that, all rather quiet apart from a Blackbird, Robin and the usual House Sparrows. The pair of Ravens were on the mast yesterday morning.

Narroways

A brief visit to the reserve this morning produced 10 Long-tailed Tits and a couple of Blue and Great Tits, a Collared Dove, 6 Redwings flying over the hill, 2 calling Wrens, 5 Blackbirds 2 Chaffinches, 1 Jay, a few Goldfinches, a Greenfinch - quite a local rarity these days - and several Robins.

Female Blackbird

Greenfinch

Robin

More Long-tailed Tits were feeding in Fairlawn Road.

Winter Bird Survey!

I did the first of two winter bird survey visits in the kilometre square covering Montpelier, St Pauls and St Andrews this morning. The species and numbers of birds are as follows:
Robin 12
Woodpigeon 20
Carrion Crow 9
Herring Gull 12
Feral Pigeon 49
Raven 2
Redwing 2
Pied Wagtail 1
Magpie 10
Collared Dove 5
Jay 1
Blue Tit 4
Great Tit 2
Coal Tit 1
Long-tailed Tit 3
House Sparrow 21
Blackbird 3
Starling 1

Surprisingly, no finches were recorded, although I did see some distant unidentified ones.

St Andrews Park

A stroll round the park this morning produced lots of Goldfinches, a Mistle Thrush, a Pied Wagtail, a fly-over Grey Wagtail, singing Dunnock and Great Tit and about a dozen Starlings. A Grey Squirrel was very confiding.

Dunnock

Grey Squirrel

In Montpelier, the 2 Ravens were much in evidence, flying round and settling briefly on a tree in Montpelier Park.

Ravens

Ravens!

Two Ravens sat on the TV mast along Station Road and doing occasional circuits around Montpelier this morning. Sadly I didn't have my camera on me!

Montpelier Park

Plenty of birds around this morning, with a soaring Sparrowhawk, a Pied Wagtail (on the basketball court), a Jay, 5 Goldfinches, 6 Blackbirds (one singing), a couple of fly-over Chaffinches, 1 or 2 Collared Doves and Woodpigeons, a couple of Great Tits, a Robin, a Dunnock, a singing Coal Tit and 2 Carrion Crows. A Grey Squirrel was also around.

Narroways and St Andrews Park

Today on Narroways Nature Reserve: 1 Grey Wagtail, Blackbirds everywhere on the reserve - 30 plus, very impressive numbers and probably an influx from the continent. Redwing - 5 flying SE,  20+ Long-tailed Tits, 5 Blue Tits, 5 Great Tits, 2 Goldcrests, a Dunnock, a Jay, 3 Goldfinches, 1 Chaffinch, Magpies allopreening on the hill/Simon's Grove - sweet! Robin, Wren, Herring Gull, Carrion Crow and Woodpigeons all in good numbers. I Grey Squirrel, ash wood.

Grey Wagtail

Magpie

At St Andrews Park there was just 1 Redwing, a Mistle Thrush, 10+ Starlings, 2 Jays, several Blackbirds (including 1 singing briefly), a singing Coal Tit and Great Tit a few Goldfinches.