Seen today

[Pingu]

Bullfinch?

I should have said - it was about game bird sized.

Partridge?

[frankly frankie]

First time I've seen waxwings in the garden. (Cheshire/Derbyshire borders, yesterday)



11 of them hung around for about 3 hours, refuelling on an unloved rowan tree, before heading off.
The resident blackbird was pleased to see them go.

[L CC]

There was one bird I wasn't sure of - a fat thing, with a ruddy breast, which seemed to rattle as it flapped.

[Riggers]

I saw two buzzards today.  Both near Horsham, but in different woods.  One rose up from the roadside as I approached, and spread its wings beautifully.

There was a pretty jay as well, near Loxford.  And a whole hedgeful of chaffinches chattering.

There was one bird I wasn't sure of - a fat thing, with a ruddy breast, which seemed to rattle as it flapped.

That's a Robin with a chest cold. Not uncommon this time of year, so don't worry.

[clarion]

Thanks.  It was probably a partridge, though whether Keith or Danny I couldn't deduce.

[fuzzy]

Thanks.  It was probably a partridge, though whether Keith or Danny I couldn't deduce.

Sounds more like an Alan to me.....


fuzzy dons his coat and makes a hasty exit, stage left.

[RJ]

There was one bird I wasn't sure of - a fat thing, with a ruddy breast, which seemed to rattle as it flapped.

Fieldfare (fluffed up)?

[pcolbeck]

There was one bird I wasn't sure of - a fat thing, with a ruddy breast, which seemed to rattle as it flapped.

That's a red-legged (french) partridge.

[L CC]

There was one bird I wasn't sure of - a fat thing, with a ruddy breast, which seemed to rattle as it flapped.

That's a red-legged (french) partridge.

That's the one gamekeepers are stocking their woods/fields with these days. Well, not that one but that breed/variety.

[Wowbagger]

There was one bird I wasn't sure of - a fat thing, with a ruddy breast, which seemed to rattle as it flapped.

That's a red-legged (french) partridge.

Alectoris rufa, not to be confused with perdix perdix, which might be viewed in pyrus communis a dozen or so times towards the end of the year?

[pcolbeck]

I don't know since Alectoris rufa has been in the UK since the 17th century so the song could refer to either. Not  that either of them are likely to be seen in a  pyrus communis even during the festive season as they are both ground roosting birds.

[Wowbagger]

Long-tailed duck and a common scoter at the lake in Gunners Park, Shoebury.

[L CC]

Quote from: fboab on Yesterday at 06:57:14 PM

Red Squirrel crossing the road in front of me & Mrs Ernst Pottering for Tea. She also saw a stoat but I was only half way up the hill so missed it.
Red Squirrel. That's only the second time in my life.

http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/scotlands-red-squirrels/squirrel-sightings/

Duly reported.

Now. That one, was the second in my life, and since then, I've seen another two! The second was on the Isle of Wight... Today's was just down the road from the ancestral homestead.

[Chris S]

I spotted it too (kinda hard  to miss as it was on the fence right beside the road), but only the second I've seen this year. Also, only the second I've seen ever.

[Wowbagger]

Yesterday, a buzzard alighted in a meadow between Billericay and Shenfield (I was on the traynne). I heard another buzzard later on, but I didn't see it.

[Bledlow]

Yesterday morning, by the M40 somewhere Oakley, completely ignoring the traffic - a few grazing roe deer.

This morning:
1) a queue of traffic at least a mile long waiting to get into Bicester Village. 
2. a large flock of kites over a house at Stokenchurch. Someone must be feeding them.

[docsquid]

Today, a goldcrest (juvenile) in our garden.  Beautiful little bird, difficult to recognise without the characteristic crest marking, except that it was small...so pleased to see it.  We don't get them at the woods as we don't have any conifers, but there are quite a lot of leylandii around here, and they seem to like them.

[perpetual dan]

A group of waxwings in a tree near home.
Spotted by following the direction pointed to by the birdwatchers' scopes and cameras.

[Wowbagger]

That was how I spotted the long-tailed duck the other day. A chap with whom I used to work is a member of the Southend Ornithologiacl Grou and he was there, so I knew it was something unusual.

I generally ask spotting scope wielders what they are watching. That was also how we saw the otters on Benbecula in June.

[Juan Martín]

Several birds of prey on this morning's run. Kestrels dipping around in the gusty conditions as they took off across the fields from the trees lining the road as I passed, and what appears to have been a peregrine falcon if I have been able to memorise the siting accurately. Just as I drew up outside the garage at the end of the ride a large bird of prey passed overhead, flying downwind very high going like the clappers with wingtips turned up. I assume that this was a buzzard; as it passed over it emitted a high pitched cry that I took to be the avian equivalent of wheeeeee!!!

[Wowbagger]

Lots of fieldfares out today.

[Pingu]

At BiL's: siskin, gsw & a flock of long tailed tits.


IMG_1124 by The Pingus, on Flickr


IMG_1125 by The Pingus, on Flickr


IMG_1113 by The Pingus, on Flickr

No squirrels yet.

[slowfen]

Barn owl x2, hares and some reed buntings

[L CC]

Swans on a 'lake' in a field.
I remember reading (a long time ago) a short story about a swan who was stuck, as they can't take off except on water, and it takes a fair stretch- 200 feet, maybe? My memory is rubbish, but I was reminded when I saw this pair today, and worried for them.

[fuzzy]

It appears that the Stokenchurch Red Kite breeding programme has spread it's wings as far as Newbury