Cloudy, dry but windy.
Very quiet about on the bird front lately. Two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen in the garden yesterday prior to flying off into Oak trees nearby. Buzzards are seen pretty much on a daily basis, sometimes sitting in nearby trees , at others riding high on the thermals. Plenty of babies about with Robins, Hedge Sparrows and Blue Tits much in evidence in the garden. Blackbirds and Song Thrushes seem to be very plentiful all around the village.
There are large numbers of small Rabbits seemingly everywhere, I don't doubt that the Buzzards will thin these out as some seem to be infected with Myxamatosis.
The two Fallow Deer are still around the village frequently. This morning , when I took the dog out for her walk, they were feeding near the main road. Did I have my camera, no. I walked home, about 150 metres, picked up camera and set off again. They had barely moved when I got back. I took several shots of the buck, moved about six inches to my right to line up on the doe, they were gone. About a week ago they were posing under a nearby street lamp at about 11pm. I definitely was not carrying a camera at that time.
We had an unwelcome visitor this morning. A Hornet came in through an open bedroom window. My wife quickly vacated same bedroom. I managed a couple of not very good pictures before it flew out through the open window sounding like a small helicopter.
There still seem to be plenty of Painted Lady butterflies about, lots of Speckled Woods around here, too.

They have been haunting me.

Dry, sunny and warm.

During the last month I have sighted two Fallow Deer, about the village, on four or five occasions. Every time I have seen them, I've not had my camera with me. Today I was prepared. I didn't have a brilliant sight of them because they were in the area of Forestry, recently replanted and were partly obscured by the plastic tubes which cover the young trees, to protect them from damage by deer and rabbits. They were sadly, some distance away and I had Polly our GSD hanging on my left arm, trying to see what I was seeing.
Last week I saw them in the open from a distance of only about 10 metres but no camera. Today they were about 150 metres from home close to the main road through the village.

I'm sure that eventually I will get some better shots but these will do for starters.
Lovely to see them amongst the Foxgloves which are putting up such a good display at the moment.

Very wet and misty.
A miserable day after the sunny days that we have had recently. At least the high winds have dropped meaning that it is a lot warmer.
Many of the first broods of chicks are out and about now. Robins and Hedgesparrows were seen this morning following parents, calling persistently.
Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a Treecreeper were the most unusual birds seen today with most of the more common species either seen or heard. There did seem to be a lot of House Sparrows down the lane today, certainly making plenty of noise. There are hundreds of small Oak trees popping through the grass in the woods. These are probably as a result of Jays forgetting where they had buried acorns during the Autumn.
Highlight of the day today was to see two Fallow Deer browsing on a Hawthorn tree. I guess they ere only about twelve metres from where I was standing. They soon caught sight of me and melted away into the undergrowth. I saw them again about five minutes later as they came into the Oak wood further down the road.

Warm and Sunny after overnight rain.
Yesterday afternoon we paid a visit to a nearby Wildflower Meadow, run by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. What a sight. The floor is almost covered in an abundance of flowers. All the shady parts, under the hedges etc. are filled with Bluebells with a smattering of Lady Smock. The bulk of the open spaces are a mass of colour. Dandelions both in flower and loads of fully open seed heads. Plantain, Cowslips in large numbers and loads of species that I cannot name. What we had come to see of course were the Green Winged Orchids. Were we disappointed, no we were not. GWT say that there could be 50,000 flowering in this one meadow, about three acres. I know that I haven't enough fingers and toes to count them all. What a sight. Mostly dark purple in colour, there are a few that are pink and we even found a white one. Orange Tip Butterflies abounded, I have never seen so many in such a short space of time plus there were a few Peacocks, Tortoiseshells both large and small.
Nettles grow profusely around the edges of the meadow and Buttercups are everywhere. There was also a lot of Dock, of which some of the larger leaves were covered in Flies. What that was about, I cannot imagine.

The Ring Necked Pheasant above is a very dark breasted individual, the first I have seen like that around here. Mistle Thrush feeding a youngster was the first fledgling that I had seen this year.
The above is I believe a Crab Spider hiding in a Narcissus "Cheerfulness". I guess it won't be so cheerful if some unsuspecting insect arrives looking for nectar.

Dry and Sunny.
A fairly uneventful few weeks have passed since I last added an entry. Many of the Summer visitors have appeared over the last weeks, not least a Cuckoo could be heard from the garden last week. The first I have heard here for several years. There are plenty of Swallows and House Martins about the village too. I have heard a Blackcap singing in the hedge at the bottom of the garden, although I've not seen it. Several Chiff Chaffs are about the area making their presence known with their distinctive call. A pair of Hedge Sparrows are nesting in our large Clematis Montana " Rubens ". They are making dozens of visits a day, now, to the nest so must have youngsters there.
Only one unusual visitor to the garden recently, a Green Woodpecker, on the feeders.Quite a few Butterflies about now that the weather has warmed up. Peacocks, Orange Tips and a Speckled Wood have all been noticed, along with a few Red Tailed Bumble Bees. Many young Rabbits about the verges too, with a lot of them failing to out run the traffic.
The first fledgling I have seen this year was a Mistle Thrush being fed by one adult in a small grass paddock nearby.

Mild but damp after overnight rain.
I really must try to keep this more up to date. Most of the local birds appear to be busy singing and nest building. Almost everything is carrying bits of stick, moss, grass, feathers etc. depending on size and species of course.
I have seen a single Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on several occasions, sometimes drumming and usually high up in large Oak trees. Also one sighting of a Greater Spotted Woodpecker in the Oak wood near our village football field.
Members of the Thrush family seem to be very much in evidence probably because I see them feeding out in the open. A Mistle Thrush was seen chasing a Jay this morning, I hope it hadn't lost eggs or young to this colourful member of the Crow family. Song Thrushes and Blackbirds seem to abound at the moment, I guess it is easier feeding now that we have had an appreciable amount of rain. When it is very dry they seem to spend a lot of time rooting about under shrubs and through the accumulated leaves on the ground, looking for sustenance.
A very unusual sighting from my window yesterday. A pair of Mandarin Ducks flew in and landed in an Oak tree before dropping into the recently replanted area of Forestry land adjacent. I guess that they were nest site hunting. There are surely plenty of nooks and crannies among the piles of treetops etc. that are to be found on that piece of ground. It is a long way from any water and that is only a tiny brook that leads off towards the A48.

Cold and misty early, hot and sunny later.
Plenty of birds singing now. Our resident cock Blackbird is certainly letting everyone know that he is about. There is a Robin singing almost all day long, I guess he must stop to feed at times. There are several pairs of Hedge Sparrows in the garden and you can usually hear one singing. I'm sure that one pair are nest building near the house, although I haven't found a nest yet. Wrens have nested in the Ivy covering a fence in past years, so may do so again. There are definitely Jackdaws busy in one of our chimneys.
I watched some Jays this morning, searching under oak trees,no doubt looking for acorns that had been hidden during the autumn. Magpies have been busy nest building, or at least adding to last years remaiders. Some of them are becoming quite enormous, nests that is, not the birds.
Blue and Great Tits seem to abound, so much so that they appear to be the only birds about at times. Starlings seemed to be much in evidence today after going some days without seeing any. Greenfinch numbers seem to have picked up here and Goldfinches are very numerous.
Plenty of squirrels around today and rabbits, including youngsters. A Peacock butterfly was also sighted this morning just sunning itself on the ground.

Showery with cold northerly wind.
Dog walking this morning showed plenty of birdlife but nothing unusual. The chimney Jackdaws seem to be busy bringing sticks so are obviously intent on nest building there again. Magpies and Jays always let you know when they are about as do the Crows and Ravens which are always to be seen in the fields to the rear of home.
There do seem to be many more Song Thrushes about at the moment but they are much shyer than the Blackbirds which abound. Two Mistle Thrushes seen again on the local football pitch. If I keep walking they usually stay on the ground but if I stop to have a better look they take off and head for tall trees somewhere close at hand. Long Tailed Tits seem to have paired off because I no longer see these in large groups, only pairs. Blue and Great Tits are still plentiful especially on the feeders which abound round the village. Wood Pigeons, I believe are already nesting but Collared Doves will be following shortly.
Robins, Wrens and Hedge Sparrows all seem to be plentiful, especially in the garden. They all can be heard singing almost all day long. The local Buzzards can also be heard calling away during most of the day. If you step outside the door you can mostly hear a Buzzard calling. House Sparrows are also plentiful but mostly at the other end of the road.
The highlight of the day came this afternoon when a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker flew into the Whitebeam tree at the roadside in our Garden. What a delight, the first I have seen for some years.

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.

Mild but cloudy day. Some sun later.
A fair day for birdlife with a good variety on show today.
Three Buzzards were circling over the house this morning making a lot of noise as they did so. On my walk around the village today Crow, Magpie, Jay and Jackdaws all put in an appearance. Great Tits, Long tailed and Blue Tits were all busy in the shrubs and small trees that I passed. Only one Fieldfare in the orchard with a couple of Blackbirds and a Chaffinch keeping it company. Woodpigeons and Collared Doves seem to be everywhere making a lot of noise as they went about their business.
A single Nuthatch was seen in a neighbouring garden. Robin, Wren and Hedgesparrow all put in an appearance in the garden together with Greenfinches and Siskins. A Song Thrush was singing well in the bottom hedge this morning competing well with the resident Blackbird. Highlight of the day was a Goldcrest flitting about the hedge at the end of the garden. A Pied Wagtail put in several visits to the house roof whilst I was gardening.

Frosty overnight, followed by a grey day.
The lamb pictured is the first to be born to one of the street sheep that frequent the village. You do have to slow down when you are driving about as they are very inclined to stroll out into the road just as traffic is approaching.
Very quiet on the bird watching front today. Several Song Thrushes were seen along with one Fieldfare and two Chaffinches feeding in the orchard that I pass when dog walking. The oak wood revealed about dozen Blackbirds, two Jays and a large number of Woodpigeons. A Buzzard soared over the tree tops in the Forest and two Greenfinches sang from the top of a large Leylandii hedge. Robins trilled their mournful winter song from numerous trees and bushes as I passed. House sparrows seemed to be very busy and Great and Blue Tits were also much in evidence.

Snow overnight. Thawed well all day.
Quiet morning around the village today. Robins, Wrens and Hedgesparrows all singing well in the garden this morning along with the resident cock Blackbird. Plenty of Woodpigeons and Collared doves flying about from Forest to fields and back again. A good mix of Blue and Great Tits with a few Longtailed keeping them company. Jays always seem to have a lot to say for themselves and they were having their say this morning. Some of the local Jackdaws are very interested in one of our chimneys, I expect they will nest there, as usual.
A visit to Cannop this afternoon revealed a lot of different species. A Buzzard flew across No. 2 pond while there was an abundance of waterfowl in attendance. Two Mute swans came to see us first, followed by a multitude of Mallards. Two drake Mandarins were accompanied by one duck. There were four Tufted duck drakes and two females out on the water and one Greylag goose. At the feeders there were generous numbers of tits, Blue, Great, Longtailed and Coal. A few Chaffinches and Blackbirds were feeding on the floor accompanied by a cock Reed Bunting. On the walk back to the car one Grey Wagtail came to the edge of the pond and was feeding very close to me. There was plenty of water flowing out towards the other pond, due no doubt to all the melting snow.

Snowy, cold but bright.
Very quiet on the bird front here over the last few days but quite a bit of snow making it treacherous underfoot on the side roads. All the usual birds have been in evidence but mostly in small quantities.
Several Greater Spotted Woodpeckers and Nuthatches were seen in the woods, with two Fieldfares feeding on windfall apples.
A journey further afield was called for as the village was only yielding sightings of all the normal suspects. New Fancy was first call, no Hawfinch but a large quantity of Chaffinches were under the feeders as were about six Robins flitting from place to place. The feeders were occupied by loads of tits. Great, Blue, Coal and Longtailed were all to be seen.
A visit to Cannop followed with the following being seen on the water, Mute Swan, Mallard, Mandarin, Coot and Moorhen. Nothing unexpected there then. The feeders were swarming with birds. Great, Blue, Coal and Longtailed Tits were all feeding well in good quantities as were a large flock of Chaffinches, both sexes, about equal in number. Two Reed Bunting cocks and one hen were feeding for a long spell as were Robins and a single Nuthatch. Other visitors were one Song Thrush, several Blackbirds, a Treecreeper which confined itself to the small tree trunks and a Grey Wagtail. An interesting hour or so in the snowy Forest.
During an evening walk with the dog, one Rabbit ran across in front of us, the first seen for some time. Normally they are about all day long, here. Tracks in the snow showed Rabbits all over the place, with both a Fox and Deer having visited the oak wood that I pass through.

Dry but foggy all day.
A depressing day due to the fog not lifting at all here but a good day bird wise. A quick trip across the Forest this morning revealed that the weather was slightly better elsewhere but I certainly didn't see any sunshine.
The Speech House field was busy with birdlife, a few Crows in the distance but the thrush family was well represented. Several Blackbirds were accompanied by two Mistle Thrushes, a couple of Song Thrushes and about a dozen Redwings. A quick visit to New Fancy on my way home and a Hawfinch was feeding on the ground under the feeders. This will certainly be the highlight of my week. There were a large number of Chaffinches in the vacinity together with Coal Tits a plenty, a lone Nuthatch and lots of Blue and Great Tits. On my way back home a lone Buzzard was sitting at the top of a dead tree, silhouetted against the sky.
My walk around the village today showed large numbers of Woodpigeons, some feeding in various open spaces but mostly flying to and fro at high speed. A couple of pairs of Collared Doves flew up noisily as well. A Green Woodpecker took off from a patch of grass up into some large oak trees. Two Greenfinches were calling from the top of a Leylandii hedge while a Hedge Sparrow fed on the ground below. Several House Sparrows were feeding in the road but joined a lot of their colleagues in the Hawthorn hedge as I passed.
A flock of Goldfinches were seen in the trees at the end of the garden with Wrens and Robins busying themselves about the place. Our resident cock Blackbird was sitting in the bottom of a large shrub singing very quietly, it won't be long before he is going full tilt. The Hazel catkins are growing by the day, Spring cannot be too far away.

Cloudy but mild.
A few very quiet days as far as birds and wildlife are concerned. The sun has been shining for short periods and this brightens things considerably. Many birds are starting to sing although Spring is obviously some way off. Blackbirds, Song thrushes and Robins have all been very vocal along with Wrens and Great Tits whose song is a little boring to say the least. The Hedge Sparrows who may look a little nondescript, certainly brighten things with their cheerful renderings.
There is still one Fieldfare feeding in the small orchard, accompanied today by two Chaffinches and a lone Woodpigeon. A Greater Spotted Woodpecker flew off through the oak wood as I approached whilst a Nuthatch busied itself along some of the upper branches. Woodpigeons and Blackbirds were feeding among the leaves on the woodland floor.
Today there were six Ravens making a big commotion and flying in and out of the tree tops. I've never seen this many together in the village before. They have certainly bred locally in the past as I've seen them feeding youngsters on the local football pitch in recent years.
Magpies, Crows and Jackdaws all put in an appearance throughout the day with Blue and Longtailed Tits flitting along the hedges.
Several Grey Squirrels about today, again, running away up the nearest tree, much to my dog's disgust. The molehills seem to grow both in quantity and size, some of them are getting mighty close to the edge of the football pitch. If they appear on there, they will not be popular.
The first lamb of the year has been born to one of the street sheep, I'll try to get a picture up shortly.

Sunshine, sleet, rain, cloud.
A very mixed bag of weather over the last few days has not brought any unusual birds to light locally. Everything that one would expect to see about the village has been present. A tawny owl flew across in front of the car, well lit up in our headlights. The first I have seen for some time although we hear plenty especially during the later months of the year when they are establishing their territories.
A couple of trips to New Fancy over the weekend failed to bring any hawfinches into view. I did however see a brambling, a flock of about 20 chaffinches and large numbers of blue and great tits.
A visit to Slimbridge did of course reveal lots of new birds that are never seen at home. Curlews, lapwings, sandpiper, mallard, Canada geese, shelduck, shovelor, wigeon and pochard were all there in large numbers. The starling display, coming up to dusk, really has to be seen, it is spectacular. Large quantities of jackdaws roost on the grounds there too, along with loads of woodpigeons. The bewicks swans were of course present in large numbers.

Grey morning, brighter later.
Another fairly quiet day for birds, although it is now much milder, even some sunshine this afternoon. The garden has produced it's usual mix of visitors today. Wood pigeons and magpies in the bottom hedge, robins, hedge sparrows and wrens mooched about in the shrubbery. Green and gold finches sang from the whitebeam tree. The jackdaws and a couple of crows were stalking about under the oak trees on the green near home. There were plenty of grey squirrels in evidence today obviously well awake from any winter slumber. They were being very active chasing about the trees.
A small paddock that I pass on my usual walk contained 10 blackbirds feeding with only one flying up as I appeared round the corner. The nearby orchard only revealed two chaffinches today, with one collared dove flying away as I approached. Several starlings were perched on some telephone wires, mostly flying off as I came into view. Two nuthatches were in evidence in some oak trees making a lot of shrill calls as I passed. Only one buzzard sighted today, soaring over the Forest.
Another day done.

Murky grey day.
A quiet day day about the village today, although most of the usual birds did put in an appearance. A couple of robins seemed to be chasing each other around the garden while a hedge sparrow sang from the bottom hedge. As I walked the dog round the lanes today one of the first sights was two buzzards circling fairly high over the nearby Forest. Several blackbirds were running along the grass verge ahead of us. The small trees and gardens that I passed produced some blue tits and a jay which flew off into the woods.
The playing field yielded a couple more blackbirds and their big relatives the mistle thrush pair. Woodpigeons seem to be in abundance at the moment but only a sprinkling of collared doves. There were a few starlings about this morning and a good crowd of house sparrows in and out of gardens and hedges. There was a song thrush with three blackbirds on one grass verge accompanied by two grey squirrels, they all made themselves scarce through the fence into the football ground.
A visit this afternoon to Cannop Ponds saw loads of small birds on the feeders. Blue, great and coal tits, robins and chaffinches. On the water were the inevitable mallards a pair of mute swans ans several youngsters with a single little grebe. A fairly peaceful day all round.

Frosty, foggy morning, brighter later.
A strange day today.Almost every bird that I came across during the morning was trying to warn me off. Whether it was the garden blackbirds or the robins down the road everything gave a warning call as I approached. I guess that it must have been the fog that caused everything to freak out as I approached. It certainly was that kind of day, every time I saw birds they showed mr their rear ends. Crows, woodpigeons, jackdaws, starlings, collared doves, they all flew away as I approached. Even a songthrush flipped up from the grass verge over into the football field, where there were two mistle thrushes feeding out towards the centre circle.
When the weather cleared later in the day things seemed to settle down and the birds were more back to normal. A pair of coal tits flitted along the bottom hedge and a single hedge sparrow was singing from the hazel tree.
Towards dusk three waves of jackdaws were heading for their roost probably 200 in all. A greater spotted woodpecker flew from the oak trees opposite home towards the bigger oak wood along the road. A very quiet and strange day.

Dry, sunny spells.
Pretty quiet about the village today. All the usual small birds have been about in the garden today. Robins, wrens, the three common tits, green and gold finches. The cock blackbird having a twitter from his little tree top, cheering things up a little. Two magpies showing again in the trees at the bottom of the garden. They seem to be investigating the ivy that is growing up a sycamore tree, this will have to be watched.
One buzzard was circling overhead today, no rain to keep it grounded today. They always look better flying than sitting silently in a tree. I hope that every time I step out through the door during the summer a buzzard mewing in the distance will be the first thing that I hear, as usual.
Plenty of woodpigeons flying about today along with two collared doves.
The orchard was free of birdlife today but the oak wood showed two jays and a nuthatch. A woodpecker was heard, probably a green but I couldn't see it.
Several starlings were seen on the phone wires, going nowhere.
A very quiet day all round.