Narroways!

A couple of hours on Narroways this morning produced 2 Ravens at the nest - one looks like it's sitting on eggs! Also a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew calling over the cutting from the ash wood towards the orchard. At Boiling Wells a singing Song Thrush and Greenfinch plus a courting pair of Dunnocks. Near the Ashley Hill end of the stony path there was a party of 2 Great Tits, 2 Blue Tits and 5 Long-tailed Tits. Plenty of Robins around. A pair of Jays in the Ash Wood. On Steve's reptile mats there were a couple of displaying Sepsid flies (also called Ensign flies - they are fond of human and animal waste!) but sadly no lizards today.

Robin

Raven

Raven on nest

Sepsid flies

In Montpelier I was very pleased to see my first hoverflies of the year - 2 Eristalis tenax on Dandelion. In Ashley Court Road a Jay was sat in a tree calling, mimicking a Buzzard!

Eristalis tenax

Narroways

This morning on the reserve: Grey Wagtail pair (female carrying nesting material), Raven on nest, Greenfinch (boiling wells), dead Magpie (Lynmouth Road), 3 Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcap, 2 Long-tailed Tit

Grey Wagtail

Hoverflies - Leucozona lucorum (my first ever hurrah!), Marmalade Fly, Rhingia rostrata, Syrphus sp. Also Common Carder Bee.

Leucozona lucorum

Marmalade Fly

Syrphus

Rhingia rostrata

Ramsons coming into flower.

Ramsons

A Jackdaw flew calling over Richmond Road.

Chiffchaff!

There was a Chiffchaff singing and showing well on Narroways Nature Reserve this morning - my first of the year on the patch. Spring has sprung! Also a pair of Grey Wagtails at the brook, Raven on the nest, pair Long-tailed Tits, 2 Jays and a Greenfinch. A Viola sp. in Simons Grove - doesn't look quite right for either Common Dog Violet or Sweet Violet.

Greenfinch

Long-tailed Tit

Violet

A Coal Tit was singing at Fairlawn Road and a queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee was prospecting for a nest at the station.

Narroways and St Andrews Park

This morning on Narroways: 1 Grey Wagtail, 1 Raven (climbing centre), 2 Greenfinches singing near brook, 2 Chaffinches, a few Goldfinches flying over, Great and Blue Tits, a pair of Magpies refurbishing nest, 1 Jay, lots of Robins, pair of Wrens (ash wood). Hazel catkins showing well.

Hazel catkins

Grey Wagtail

Magpie and nest

Robin

In Montpelier a couple of Ravens flew over the top of St Andrews Road and a Dunnock and Great Tit were nearby.

Dunnock

Great Tit

St Andrews Park produced an impressive 15 Redwings plus 20 Goldfinches, several Chaffinches, 2 Coal Tits, Great and Blue Tits and several Blackbirds. Gulls were represented by 10 Herring Gulls, 2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls and 2 Black-headed Gulls.

Redwing

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.

Birds! Real birds!

Seems ages since I've been able to report a selection of birds on this blog as they seem to have been very thin on the ground, but at Montpelier Station this morning there was a soaring Sparrowhawk overhead mobbed by a Carrion Crow, Blue and Great Tits in the trees, a couple of Woodpigeons, a singing Coal Tit, calling Dunnocks and singing Wren and Robin. A Chaffinch and a Greenfinch flew over, my first for ages, sad to say.

St Andrews Park

Despite the wild wind and drizzle a few hardy souls turned up for this walk. There was a surprising amount of bird song despite the conditions and at least it was mild. The list in full:
Redwing - a count of 15 birds by one participant was very impressive
Starling - a mini-murmuration of 40 birds
Blackbird - a few
Dunnock - 1 or 2 heard
Blue Tit - seen by one of us
Great Tit - 1 by the bowling green
Long-tailed Tit - seen on 2 occasions
Coal Tit - heard and seen in a neighbouring garden
Chaffinch - just 2 or 3 seen
Goldfinch - several seen and heard
Greenfinch - 1 in full song
Carrion Crow - several around
Feral Pigeon - 1 or 2 near the play area
Woodpigeon - a few
Magpie - 2 or 3
Robin - a few seen and heard
Herring Gull - 1 or 2 drifting over
House Sparrow - just 1 male noted

Quite a bit of Frogspawn was in the pond.

Frogspawn

Narroways

An hour around the reserve this morning before the rain brought proceedings to a close: 1 Grey Wagtail (brook), Wren showed well at Lynmouth Rd, Robin at community garden, 2 Blue Tits and a Great Tit near bench, Black-headed Gull over the hill (local rarity!) also Lesser Black-backed and Herring Gulls flying over, Greenfinch and Chaffinch over cutting, Jay at Simon's Grove.

In Fairlawn Road there was a Magpie and a Blue Tit.

Magpie

Blue Tit

St Andrews Park

A lunchtime stroll after the morning rain produced a Goldcrest, Goldfinches, a Greenfinch doing its song-flight, half a dozen Starlings, a Jay, a fly-over Pied Wagtail,  and several Blackbirds and Robins. For me the most exciting find was what looks to be a Globular Springtail which I had resolved to see in 2016 as I've never seen one before! Result!

Globular Springtail - honest!

Singing Blackcap

I was amazed to hear a singing Blackcap in St Andrews Park this morning. Spring must be just around the corner! Just goes to show what a bit of mild weather can do to the avian brain. Also in the park was a Greenfinch, half a dozen Goldfinches, 4 or 5 Chaffinches, 15 Starlings, a Pied Wagtail, a party of Long-tailed, Blue and Great Tits, 2 Carrion Crows, a couple of Herring Gulls  plus the usual Dunnocks and Robins.

Carrion Crow

Dunnock

Herring Gull

Garden birds

Jim has been keeping me up to date with the birds visiting his garden - Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Coal tits (including this one having a bath), Great tit, Blue tit, Dunnock, Robin, Woodpigeon, and Magpie visiting on and around the feeders. Many thanks Jim.


Coal Tit (Photo by Jim)

 

There were also Coal Tits at the station this morning and in a tree in Picton Lane. Long-tailed Tits and Chaffinches were also seen at the station and a 'White' butterfly was flying around.

St Pauls Park

Not a lot as far as birds were concerned this morning, just a couple of Greenfinches, a few Collared Doves and 3 Starlings were highlights.

Insect-wise, there was a tiny greenish bee which is likely to be Lasioglossum morio along with a couple of Syrphus hoverflies and a probable Melanostoma hoverfly. I took a photo of some flowers I assumed to be Spanish Bluebells but this proved controversial on Facebook, with some people wondering if they were actually Hybrid Bluebells. I don't think anyone actually concluded with a definite ID.

Lasioglossum morio

Spanish/Hybrid Bluebells

Syrphus hoverfly

Probable Melanostoma

St Pauls Park

A long overdue visit to the park this morning produced several Blackbirds, 3 Starlings, 2 Blue Tits, a Great Tit, a couple of Long-tailed Tits, several singing Greenfinches, a couple of Robins, 3 Dunnocks, 2 Collared Doves, 3 Woodpigeons, 2 Herring Gulls and a Wren. Nearby in the church grounds some nice Wood Forgetmenot was growing (I think it was the garden form). A hoverfly in the park may have been Melanostoma.

Dunnock

Garden form of Wood Forgetmenot

Hoverfly

Robin

Starlings

St Andrews Park

I was pleased to see a Wren carrying nesting material near the park-keepers' compound this afternoon, so nesting is underway. Also nearby was a Dunnock, several Blackbirds, a couple of fighting House Sparrows, good numbers of singing Greenfinches and Goldfinches and a singing Chaffinch and Coal Tit.

Dunnock

Wren

Birds in and around the garden today included a Coal Tit (unusual here), 3 Goldfinches, 3 Blue Tits, 2 Great Tits, a Blackbird, a House Sparrow and at least 2 Woodpigeons one of which was a juvenile.

Goldfinch

Lots of moss outside my window including what I've discovered is Bryum capillare.

Bryum capillare

St Pauls Park

Not too much to get the pulses racing this morning apart from 4 Greenfinches (some in song) a Goldfinch or 2, a mixed group of Great and Blue Tits, a displaying pair of Collared Doves, 3 or 4 Blackbirds, a Dunnock and Robin and a couple of Woodpigeons. Herring Gulls also in evidence overhead.

St Pauls Park

Not too much to write home about other than a singing male Greenfinch, 3 or 4 Goldfinches, a Herring Gull, a Blackbird, a Robin and a Great Tit.

Raven

Several sightings of Raven this morning - probably the same individual each time. Flew over the garden at 9am then later seen on the TV mast being mercilessly mobbed by 2 Carrion Crows, then seen flying over the top of St Andrews Road.

Raven being hassled

At the station the feeders were full of Greenfinches and Chaffinches. A few Goldfinches, 4 Starlings and about 15 House Sparrows also at the station together with Blue and Great Tits and a single Long-tailed Tit. Seven Starlings and a few Goldfinches at St Andrews Park.

All quiet....

Along the path between the top of St Andrews Road and Fairlawn Road this afternoon there were about 10 Redwings flying about plus 2 Jays, a party of Great and Blue Tits and 5 Greenfinches.

Greenfinch

Redwings

St Andrews Park produced a few Goldfinches and Greenfinches, several House Sparrows and a Pied Wagtail.