Montpelier Station

A flurry of activity near the feeders this morning. A male Blackcap, 10 Chaffinches, half a dozen House Sparrows, a Starling, a Wren and a Dunnock shared the space with a couple of lively Grey Squirrels.

Garden birds

Guy has emailed to say he still has the Brambling appearing in the garden from time to time and a Song Thrush has been singing near the railway, also a pair of Bullfinches very regularly on his sunflower heart feeder. 

Singing Blackcap

A taste of spring this morning - a singing Blackcap at the station! Also a couple of Chaffinches near the feeders, a single Starling, a singing Great Tit and a Long-tailed Tit.

Park and station

A quick visit this morning produced little of note other than a Robin and a couple of Collared Doves in the park and a few Long-tailed Tits at the station.

Collared Dove

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

Garden birds

Jim has sent me a report of the birds in his garden today. Apart from the usual, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Jay, Collared Dove, Long-tailed Tit, Blackcap, Robin, Woodpigeon, Magpie and Blackbird he had a Goldcrest in the garden this afternoon. A fine collection of birds, and Goldcrest is a very good sighting.

Blackcap (photo by Jim)

Jay (photo by Jim)

In St Andrews Park this afternoon a pair of Mistle Thrushes were flying to and from a tree near where they nested a couple of years ago. I wonder......Also a couple of Blackbirds and a flock of 15 or so Goldfinches of note.

St Pauls Cemetery

This afternoon in the cemetery I found a Hairy Shieldbug basking in the sunshine. Nearby a Blackbird was sifting through straw for food and some Goldfinches were singing.

Blackbird

Hairy Shieldbug

At the station this morning a Coal Tit was singing and a single Starling was flying around.

Starling

Montpelier Station

It's been quiet the last two mornings at the station - yesterday a couple of Long-tailed Tits, a group of Chaffinches and a cat were the highlights, and today singing Wrens, Great Tits and Dunnocks plus the usual gang of Woodpigeons.

Woodpigeon

Dunnock

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

Jackdaws

Two Jackdaws flew over the station this morning. Nothing else of note I'm afraid.