Spider!

I depend on spiders for my invertebrate 'fix' in these dark winter days. Throughout the autumn I've been enjoying my Zygiella x-notata going about her daily business in my bathroom window, but in recent weeks I've worried that dropping temperatures would see her supply of prey dwindle and that she would die of starvation. I was therefore relieved to see her tucking into a big fat Calliphora sp. this morning - it must have flown into the flat seeking warmth only to be captured in 'my' spider's web. That should keep her going for a few weeks.....

Before......

....after

Avon Winter Bird Survey!

I did an Avon Winter Bird Survey around Montpelier/St Pauls/St Andrews this morning and the results are as follows:

Herring Gull 4
Feral Pigeon 46
Woodpigeon 16
Collared Dove 3
Magpie 4
Jay 2
Carrion Crow 8
Raven 1
Blue Tit 1
Great Tit 2
Long-tailed Tit 2
Starling 2
Blackbird 2
Robin 9
House Sparrow 21
Chaffinch 2

Ideally I would have liked to have done the survey an hour earlier as there was quite a lot of traffic on the roads by the time I did it but I overslept!

Fox!

A Fox in the garden this morning but gone by the time I grabbed the camera. Maybe it'll be back.

On the roof below my window there's a little patch of flowering grass which is a Poa sp. by the look of it. It could be an obscure alien from a wild bird seed mix.

St Andrews Park!

A quick visit to the park produced a pair of Blackcaps with bursts of sub-song from the male. Also lots of Blackbirds, a Robin and Blue and Great Tits.

Blackbird

Robin

Montpelier Station - the return!

This morning the station produced a male Blackcap, a Coal Tit, 2 or 3 Long-tailed Tits and a couple of Chaffinches.

Montpelier Station!

Superb numbers of House Sparrows this morning feeding in the scrub. I reckon there were 30, possibly more! Also a few Chaffinches, a group of Long-tailed Tits, a Blue Tit and a Goldcrest.

St Andrews Park!

I spent a nice hour or so in the park this afternoon - there was lots of common bird activity including a singing Mistle Thrush, 3 Redwings, 1 male Blackcap, 1 Goldcrest, 15 Long-tailed Tits, 3 Coal Tits, 2 Jays, 5 Chaffinches, 10 Goldfinches, a few Starlings, 5 Blue Tits, 3 Great Tits, a singing Dunnock, 3 Blackbirds, 3 Black-headed Gulls and 2 Herring Gulls.

Herring Gull

Female Blackbird

Blackcap

Blackcap

Black-headed Gull

Long-tailed Tit

Great Tit

In Montpelier Park this morning there was a sub-singing Blackbird, 3 Chaffinches, lots of Woodpigeons and some flowering White Deadnettle. Near the station there were 2 Green Shieldbugs basking in the winter sunshine. There were 5 Chaffinches near the feeders. Interestingly, a combined estimate of Grey Squirrels in Montpelier Park and the station came to about 8!

White Deadnettle

Green Shieldbugs

Another Blackcap!

Another Blackcap at the station this morning, this time a female which spent time near the feeders. Also a couple of Dunnocks, a Chaffinch, a few Starlings, a Great Tit and a Robin nearby.

Montpelier Station!

I'd hoped the cold weather might have brought some interesting birds to the feeders but they were being hogged by a Grey Squirrel. A flyover Sparrowhawk and a couple of Long-tailed Tits were the only birds of note.

St Andrews Park!

A stroll round the park on a cold but sunny morning  produced several Blue, Great and Long-tailed Tits, 15 Goldfinches, 20 Starlings, a Goldcrest, a couple of Chaffinches and a Blackbird. A Grey Squirrel was walking on the frozen pond!

Blue Tit

Goldfinch

There were also a couple of Long-tailed Tits in the garden and a party of 10 of them halfway up Richmond Road. A Jay was calling near Fairlawn Road.

Blackcap and Redwings!

My first wintering Blackcap of the year - a male - was at the station this morning. I normally see my first ones about now. Also 10 Redwings flew over - they might have been the St Andrews Park birds on an awayday. Other birds included a Great Tit, a Chaffinch and a sub-singing Blackbird.

Montpelier Station!

This morning there were a couple of Long-tailed Tits, 3 or 4 Chaffinches, a Dunnock, a Robin, 6 Collared Doves and lots of House Sparrows feeding on Old Man's Beard seeds!

House Sparrows female and male