Cold, wet and windy.
Some weeks since I added to this blog. I have made a visit to the RSPB site at Newport Wetlands and called in at the New Fancy feeders on a few occasions.
Not much in the way of unusual birds around the village. A pair of Mistle Thrushes are frequently seen at various sites, either feeding on the football pitch or or one of the small paddocks about here.They often give their alarm call and fly off into cover. Even today there were two Redwings feeding in one paddock with two Song Thrushes and three Blackbirds. A pair of Buzzards were very vocal flying over towards the Forest this morning. Wrens, Robins and Hedge Sparrows were all singing in the garden today. The hedge at the end of the garden showed some Greenfinches, Goldfinches and a pair of Woodpigeons which seem to be nesting in some Ivy. A Long Tailed Tit was seen with a beakful of nesting material. Great Tits and Blue Tits seem to be in evidence everywhere.
At the New Fancy feeders there are always a good mix of the tit family.There usually seem to be about 50 Chaffinches with a few Bramblings amongst them. The lone Hawfinch is often seen but not on every visit. Four Siskins were on the feeders on my last visit.
On a recent visit to the Newport Wetland Centre there was a large flock of Goldfinches on the feeders near the visitor centre accompanied by a pair of Reed Buntings and a few Greenfinches. The water outside this centre was patrolled by a Little Egret which was not at all put out by the frequent human visitors.
Further away from the Centre we saw Tufted Duck, Pochard, with Curlews out on the mudflats.