29 Feb There seems to have been an influx of GREENFINCHES as there were no less than eleven of them in one tree at the station this afternoon. These may have been birds from the continent which have been wintering in the UK and are now preparing to return to Europe for the spring. Also a single JACKDAW flew over St Andrews Road at 2.15 pm. The food I put out in the garden is being pilfered on a regular basis by FERAL PIGEONS even though I do my best to discourage them! |
28 Feb Today's jaunt around Monty between 11 am and 12 noon produced two fine male BLACKCAPS near the top of the railway path, feeding on buds in a tree high above the road - they showed well for several minutes. During my perambulations I noted a total of five Blackcaps - apart from these two there was one in the garden, one at the top of St Andrews Road and one in full song at the station. Presumably different birds are involved - if so that's not a bad total. Also this morning great views of a singing GOLDFINCH at Fairlawn Road. At Ashley Vale highlights were a SPARROWHAWK, a GOLDCREST and a GREY WAGTAIL. The LONG-TAILED TITS were yet again at Station Road - they are always there so have they been glued to their perches? There is a possibility they might be building a nest so I will check it out, although hanging around outside Colston's Girls School with a pair of binoculars during the school week is not going to enhance my reputation so I will wait until the weekend! |
27 Feb A fabulous spring day. A GOLDCREST was singing and showing well in the pine tree near the Old Vicarage this morning at 10 O'clock and HOUSE SPARROWS were chirping and flying around the half-renovated houses opposite the Cadbury in Richmond Road. The verge along the top of Station Road has been looking a bit bleak since the clearing of vegetation to build the new wall but there are signs of re-growth there, with a single CELANDINE in flower. As I write the garden BLACKCAP is singing loudly in the late afternoon sun. |
25 Feb A sunny morning which gave way to cloudier conditions this afternoon. I did a circuit of the patch between 10.30 and 11.30 this morning and as I arrived back at my front door a BUMBLEBEE hit me in the side of my head! Otherwise very quiet apart from a GOLDFINCH over Richmond Road and plenty of CHAFFINCHES on the feeders at the station including an absolutely stunning male, where also the GREY SQUIRREL was once again upside down on the seed feeder! The pair of garden BLACKBIRDS were still coming to the raisins I put out and the BLACKCAP was singing well. GROUNDSEL was in flower at the station approach. |
24 Feb I had a wander round the patch between 10 am and 11 am but it was all rather quiet. A STARLING was in a tree at the top of St Andrews Road whilst at the railway path were the usual BLUE and GREAT TITS. Good numbers of GREENFINCHES and CHAFFINCHES were at the station. The garden BLACKCAP at last gave a burst of full song! Talking of the station, the recent engineering work has devastated the vegetation on the disused platform. While I'm glad money is being invested in the Severn Beach Line, it is a shame that so much of its natural history interest is routinely and thoughtlessly destroyed. |
23 Feb At about 10 am, an impressive nine JACKDAWS flew over the flat and the male BLACKCAP was having a barney with a ROBIN in the garden. A GOLDFINCH flew over Richmond Road and there were at least three singing male GREAT TITS at Fairlawn Road, their chiming songs echoing along the railway cutting. |
18 Feb Another fine sunny day - all very quiet on the bird front though. In the park at lunchtime a PIED WAGTAIL flew low across the path in front of me and two WRENS were singing vigorously within about ten metres of each other, so the two territories were quite close together. I watched a cat stalk a BLACKBIRD but it failed to catch it, thank goodness. The cat's patience, stillness and utter concentration was fascinating to watch. In the garden the male BLACKCAP was very active, along with the Blackbird pair, two BLUE TITS and a couple of WOODPIGEONS. A butterfly was seen briefly but I did not get enough of a view to identify it. The LONG-TAILED TITS were halfway down Station Road again this afternoon and at Fairlawn Road I heard a weird call which I couldn't identify and I was unable to track it down - it sounded most like a Golden Oriole which is frankly very unlikely so I guess it might have been a Starling which is a very good mimic! |
17 Feb Lunchtime at the station on a lovely sunny day produced four COLLARED DOVES, four BLUE TITS, three BLACKBIRDS, a GREENFINCH and a female BLACKCAP. There was also a male Blackcap sub-singing at the station and another (or the same bird) in the garden. A LESSER REDPOLL flew over St Andrews Road and a GOLDFINCH over Richmond Road. At Fairlawn Road there was a HOVERFLY and a BUMBLEBEE enjoying the sunshine in a sheltered spot. |
16 Feb A beautiful sunny and cold winter's day but again the birdsong has decreased with the colder weather. This afternoon at 3.00 pm a rustle of dead leaves along the railway embankment at Station Road betrayed a BROWN RAT which seemed unperturbed at my presence only a foot or two away and at face level! Above the rat a few LONG-TAILED TITS were feeding in the high branches. Earlier, at 11.00 am, a CHAFFINCH did manage to sing weakly at the railway path and nearby at the top of St Andrews Road a BLACKCAP was calling vociferously. It was great to see the Gas beat Southampton on TV and reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. |
12 Feb A David and Goliath incident took place in the park this morning at about 8.40. A WOODPIGEON was sat in a tree minding its own business, enjoying the sunshine in a Woodpigeon kind of way, when a male BLACKBIRD flew to a branch a metre or so away. Suddenly and without warning the Blackbird flew at the Woodpigeon causing the larger bird to fly off. The Blackbird chased after it, the two birds doing a circuit of the park before disappearing, and the Blackbird keeping within a few inches of the pigeon! Normally, aggression between species is not that common unless there is direct competition over a food supply (for example the well known 'pecking order' adopted between birds at the birdtable) or perhaps nesting sites. This just seemed like an unprovoked attack! Also in the park were about five (mainly male) CHAFFINCHES and a splendid male BLACKCAP which did a bit of sub-singing. The Blackcap could possibly be the same individual that visits the station and my garden although that would mean ranging over quite a wide area. The SONG THRUSH was heard singing again but this morning was further towards Colston's School. |
11 Feb In the garden this morning: what I presume to be a pair of DUNNOCKS chasing each other around and then flying off; three BLACKBIRDS (two males and a female); a couple of WOODPIGEONS and the sound of a scolding BLACKCAP. It was a joy to hear a SONG THRUSH from my window, presumably the same bird I saw in the park the other day. At the station another Blackcap was sub-singing and a couple of COLLARED DOVES were in the trees near the feeders. |
10 Feb Another cracking day, warm and sunny. The garden BLACKCAP was sub-singing this morning at around 9 o'clock so he will probably burst into full song one of these days. At the station I saw my first HARLEQUIN LADYBIRD of the year and a GOLDFINCH flew over. A garden in St Andrews Road had a nice display of DAFFODILS. In the bathroom there was a spider species which I cannot identify. The Bird Box Bonanza was a great success - the guided walk attracted lots of people and Harry did most of the work as usual, spotting such gems as GOLDCREST and GREY WAGTAIL among others. |
8 Feb A magical moment in the park this morning - a SONG THRUSH sang and then appeared in the trees behind the Old England at around 8.45. This was the first one I've seen in Monty for many a year, and the species has declined drastically in the last twenty or so years. Perhaps this appearance heralds a change in fortune for this beautiful songster. It was also good to see people in the park again enjoying the sunshine as all too often I'm the only one there! |
4 Feb I know it was Monday morning but the garden birds seemed very cantankerous, three male BLACKBIRDS were having pitched battles and screeching loudly, a male BLACKCAP was making a scolding alarm call and two BLUE TITS were chasing each other in a frenzied aerial display! It was therefore nice to visit the more sedate corners of Monty for a bit of light relief. The top of the railway path was delightful in the sun; LONG-TAILED TITS showed well as they fed in the branches and a DUNNOCK and female Blackbird were feeding in the dead grass, no doubt finding plenty of seeds and invertebrates there. A GOLDFINCH sang briefly nearby as did a WOODPIGEON and GREAT TIT. I admired the flowering GORSE bush in Station Road and reflected on the old country proverb that says 'when Gorse is not in flower, kissing is out of favour'! |
UPDATE: This evening at around 9.45 I surprised a FOX at the top of St Andrews Road - it had only been a metre or two away and I could hear its claws on the pavement as it scampered away! |
3 Feb A superb PEREGRINE (looked like a male) flew over the railway path at 11.00 this morning from the direction of Ashley Down Road - was he responsible for yesterday's dead pigeon I wonder? At the station the feeders had the usual finches plus a GREY SQUIRREL hanging upside down again beside the seed containers! Two JACKDAWS flew over North Road, St Andrews. More fantastic fungi today - some KING ALFRED'S CAKES (Daldinia concentrica) at the top of the railway path - see photo below. A curious name, explained by the following: As the legend goes, King Alfred was fleeing a battle with the Danes in Somerset when he took refuge in an old woman's house. The old woman, not knowing he was the king, left Alfred in charge of watching some cakes in the oven. Of course, he knew nothing about ovens and didn't really know what he was supposed to do. He fell asleep, and the cakes burned. The old woman scolded him soundly for being lazy, but later she was probably sorry about "raking him over the coals" when she found out he was the king! |
2 Feb In the garden the male BLACKCAP showed well at 2.00 pm feeding on ivy berries, and two male BLACKBIRDS were being very aggressive towards each other. A wander around the patch this morning at about 10.30 produced some LONG-TAILED TITS opposite Colston Girls' School and a DUNNOCK at the nearby allotment gardens. The feeders at the station had three GREENFINCHES and four or five CHAFFINCHES and a ROBIN was also there. A dead headless FERAL PIGEON on the verge at Fairlawn Road was a gruesome sight. The wings were also detached - not sure if it was predated by a Sparrowhawk. |
1 Feb A beautiful morning, cold but sunny. In the park a GOLDCREST was calling in the pine tree near the Old Vicarage, and a brief burst of full CHAFFINCH song was the first of the spring. One or two COLLARED DOVES among the WOODPIGEONS were the only other birds of note. |
