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An individual, of no great importance, who is unable to see the natural world as a place for competition. I catch fish, watch birds, derive immense pleasure from simply looking at butterflies, moths, bumble-bees, etc - without the need for rules! I am Dylan and this is my blog - if my opinions offend? Don't bother logging on again - simple!

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Monday 28 March 2016

Garden birding

As I write, this post, Storm Katie is starting to subside after a night spent battering Thanet. Heavy rain has been replaced by sunshine and shadow as huge white clouds speed across the sky. I'm off out fishing this afternoon, wind speed predicted to have dropped to a mere 23 mph, veering westward, in the process.
However, as I have been neglecting my garden observations in my recent, angling biased blogging, it is time I made an attempt to redress the balance. The garden feeding station still provides the main focus of my records, although there has been a small, but very definite, movement of Chiffchaffs through the garden in the past few days. Early on Friday morning, as I was getting the bivvy dried out - draped over the decking railings, there was a significant passage of Chaffinches passing overhead. Locally, Greenfinches have started their courtship displays and their resonant "wheezing" can be heard as a couple of males proclaim their territorial rites. Common Buzzards have been a feature, in favourable conditions, yet I have still to record Red Kite. Chris Hindle, over at Reculver, has already seen several this Spring, so they are on the move.


The garden highlight has been been the presence of a female Brambling, first seen on Saturday morning as I fed the birds in my aviary. This morning she was joined by a male and I managed to grab a few images through the glass of the kitchen door. They are a species which I record during both annual migration periods, although birds in the garden are encounters which brighten the dullest of days.
Always a pleasure when they turn up in the garden - and that's not too shabby considering it's taken through double glazing!

4 comments:

  1. Ah back to birds!
    A change for me this weekend has been being at the girlfriend's place in Surrey and seeing real birds on the garden feeders instead of sparrows, sparrows and more sparrows that I get. Non-stop streams of Blue Tits, Great Tits and Coal Tits. Goldfinches, a Nuthatch, Chaffinches sweeping up on the ground and best of all, a pair of Gt. Spot. Woodpeckers feeding avidly on the sunflower heart feeders.

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    1. Change, as you well know, is as good as a rest - does she have any sparrows? You don't know what you've got until it's gone! Hoping all is well & keep smiling - Dyl

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  2. A very good garden bird Dyl. Thanks to the locals Gulls, I had a Red Kite over my garden on Friday in Herne Bay. Keep up the excellent blog, always a great read.

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    1. Cheers Marc - I really thought I'd blown it when I messed up a photo chance on Saturday and, again, first thing this morning. I was overjoyed when she popped up, in bright sunlight and with a male for company, as I was making Bev a cuppa. My camera strategically waiting on the kitchen worktop just for this very event. Happy days! There will be Red Kites over Newland's this Spring, of that there is no doubt! Will I be around to see/photograph the event is a little less certain - one of the joys of going to work! All the best - Dyl

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