30 Mar Montpelier Park produced a single Willow Warbler
and a Chiffchaff with at least 2 singing Blackcaps nearby. A singing Greenfinch
was also in the park. The Starlings at the station have almost all gone - just a couple around the feeders
seen this morning. There were more Greenfinches singing this evening at St Pauls Park.
29
Mar The only birds of note this morning were 3 Jays sat in a tree in Montpelier Park. Not much else
in the drizzly conditions. 
|
| Dunnock |
28 Mar The
first 2 Willow Warblers of the spring turned up in Montpelier Park this morning together with
a Goldcrest, a Chaffinch, a Robin and a few Long-tailed
Tits. Nearby at the allotment gardens were a couple of Great Tits, half a dozen House Sparrows and
a Dunnock.
The female Blackcap was in the garden again and a male was in song
at the station this evening.
|
| Blackcap |
|
| Goldcrest |
|
| Holly Blue |
27 Mar The
first Holly Blue of the year - a female - was in the garden this lunchtime. Also in the garden and surroundings
was the female Blackcap and a pair of Blackbirds looking like they are feeding young in
the nest judging by repeated visits. A Jay also flew over the flat. I could hear the singing
Mistle Thrush again from my window this morning.
The Chiffchaff was still singing at
Fairlawn Road/railway path and highlights at St Andrews Park included a singing Goldcrest, a Mistle
Thrush and a few Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Greenfinches.
26 Mar A female Blackcap was in the garden this morning - whether
she was a newly arrived migrant or a wintering bird I'm not too sure. A definite migrant, however, was a Chiffchaff
along the railway path - singing and showing well. Also nearby was a Jay. A Carrion
Crow was breaking off twigs, jiggling them around in its bill then discarding them - a very fussy builder of
nests! Goldfinches were heard near the Ashley Road/Picton Street junction.
Harry reports 5 Common
Lizards on Narroways this morning - an excellent count.
|
| Chiffchaff (photo by Jim) |
25 Mar A Siskin flew over Montpelier Park this morning - quite low and I
hoped it might settle in a tree - but it carried on towards Cheltenham Road. Also in the park was a Coal Tit
and the Carrion Crow gathering beakfuls of nesting material and flying to the pine at the back of the park again.
Jim saw and photographed this Chiffchaff singing away on Narroways this afternoon. Lets hope
this is a taste of things to come this spring!
24 Mar Montpelier Park produced
a Coal Tit, a singing Blackcap, a Chaffinch and a couple of Long-tailed
Tits this morning, and a Carrion Crow was seen carrying a stick into the pine tree at the back of
the park so is presumably refurbishing a nest from previous years.
A Jackdaw flew over the station
and a Wren showed well. A Harlequin Ladybird was trundling along the footbridge even though
it was still only 8.50am!
23 Mar A thrash around St Pauls this morning was pretty unproductive
but at least the weather was lovely.
St Pauls Park: a Chaffinch, 2 Wrens,
4 Blackbirds, 2 Great Tits. I discovered a whole load more Turkey-tail fungus
too.
Portland Square: Lots of not-yet-in-flower Alexanders.
Brunswick Square Cemetery:
Goldfinch, Robin, House Sparrow.
22 Mar Highlights
at the station this morning were a Jackdaw flying over, a Long-tailed Tit carrying
nesting material (a feather) and the 2 singing Blackcaps. Still about 10 Starlings
and half a dozen House Sparrows knocking around.
|
| Red Kite |
21 Mar A
Red Kite drifting SW over the station this morning - a first for the patch.
Also 2 singing Blackcaps and a Goldfinch along with 10 Starlings.
|
| Buzzard (photo by Jim) |
20 Mar Where to start? The monthly bird walk in St Andrews Park was brilliant
today with a couple of Buzzards and a Peregrine flying over (and thanks to Jim for the photos).
The complete list is as follows:
Coal Tit - at least 3 birds singing, calling and showing
well
Blue Tit - 1 or 2 singing
Great Tit - a few around the park
Long-tailed
Tit - small groups noted
Chaffinch - thin on the ground, but at least 1 heard
Goldfinch
- 3 or 4 singing
Greenfinch - 2 or 3 in song
Carrion Crow - 1 or 2 noted
Jackdaw
- 2 mobbing a Buzzard
Buzzard - 2 within a minute or two of each other drifting over, possibly in a
westerly direction
Peregrine - 1 flying purposefully over the park
Collared Dove
- 2 or 3 heard and seen
Woodpigeon - several birds seen and heard
Dunnock -
at least 1 heard singing
Robin - at least 4 birds in song
Blackbird - a good
showing of male and female birds
Thrush sp. - there were brief views of what was probably a Mistle
Thrush
Herring Gull - at least 1 drifting over
|
| Peregrine (photo by Jim) |
|
| Coal Tit (photo by Jim) |
|
| Harlequin Ladybirds |
Meanwhile in Montpelier,
my first local Brimstone of the year flew through the garden and at the station a 'white' butterfly
(probably a Green-veined White) was flitting around. At least 10 Harlequin Ladybirds were on ivy near the
footbridge.
Harry reports seeing a Common Newt, 2 Commas and a Peacock
at Lynmouth Road allotments yesterday.
|
| Trametes versicolor |
17 Mar For
the first time in years I could hear a Mistle Thrush singing from my flat theis morning - it was lovely to
hear it among the Robins and Blackbirds.
In St Pauls Park there was a male Blackcap
feeding high in the trees plus a couple each of Blue and Great Tits, a few Blackbirds,
3 singing Greenfinches, a Dunnock and a Robin. Nearby some nice Trametes
versicolor (Turkey-tail fungus) complete with green algae growing on it.
|
| Hebrew Character |
16 March Right
on cue there was at least 1 Chiffchaff in Montpelier Park this morning, with intermittent song - the first
spring arrivals, hurrah! Also in the park were 3 Chaffinches, a singing Coal Tit and a Goldfinch.
At the station at least 10 Chaffinches and 5 Starlings were noted.
The first Hebrew
Character of the spring was in the flat this evening.
15 March Guy reports 2 Brimstones
at Mina Road today. There were sub-singing Blackcaps this morning at the station and the top of Station Road.
|
| Juvenile Blackbird |
14 Mar A
Coal Tit was singing lustily in the park this evening. Outside the patch, I was very surprised to see a juvenile
Blackbird just behind the BRI - this seems very early!
13 Mar It was great to
see a Wren building a nest in ivy near the railway tunnel this lunchtime. Also at the station were the
male and female Blackcaps, a few Starlings and Chaffinches and a Robin.
Along the railway path there were 2 Jays, a Coal Tit showing well, 3 Long-tailed
Tits and a few Blue Tits while at St Andrews Park a Jackdaw flew over and a Mistle
Thrush was singing. Plenty of Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Chaffinches
singing in the park too.
Harry reports that he saw a juvenile Slow-worm near Narroways today -
the first of the year.
Outside the patch, there were no fewer than 14 Magpies mobbing a rather
bemused tabby near Cotham School!
12 Mar I had no time to do my rounds today, so my
only observation was of a Siskin flying over Richmond Road this morning.
10 Mar A
repeat performance this morning with another Jackdaw over the station. A Mistle Thrush was
a singing at dusk in Montpelier Park.
9 Mar How many Jackdaws did I see
this morning? One flew over Montpelier Park, five minutes later one flew over the station, a minute later over it went
again! I reckon it was the same bird doing a circuit but I can't be sure. Also at Montpelier Park there was a singing
Blackcap and a Greenfinch, while at the station there was a Jay, 2 Greenfinches,
4 Chaffinches and a Wren which shot across the track. From the station footbridge I
could hear a Mistle Thrush singing from beyond the park, possibly originating in Cheltenham Road.
8 Mar A Blackcap in song in Montpelier Park this morning and another male Blackcap
showing well at the station along with 8 Starlings and the usual Chaffinches and
Robin. Single Grey Squirrels noted at both locations.
7 Mar A whopping
great Bumblebee was looking very annoyed as she tried to get out of the bathroom window this morning - almost certainly
a Buff-tailed Bumblebee although I didn't have any time to ID her before releasing her!
6
Mar A Raven over the station this afternoon giving prolonged views as it soared overhead. Also 2,
possibly 3 Blackcaps at the station feeders along with 5 Chaffinches, a Robin,
3 or 4 Starlings and a single Greenfinch.
About 4 Long-tailed Tits
plus a couple of Great Tits in the garden this morning.
|
| Red Deadnettle |
5 Mar Highlights
from around the patch today included a single Raven over Narroways together with a Coal Tit,
a singing Song Thrush, a Jay, Greenfinch and a fly-over Black-headed
Gull. Some Common Field Speedwell and Red Deadnettle in flower.
In St
Andrews Park there were 4 Redwings, 2 Mistle Thrushes, a singing Goldcrest,
a soaring Sparrowhawk, a Pied Wagtail, and several Goldfinches, Chaffinches
and Greenfinches.
At Montpelier Station there were 2 Blackcaps (male and female)
on the feeders, plus 12 Starlings, 2 Great Tits, 1 Coal Tit, a Robin,
2 Blue Tits and 4 Chaffinches.
A Jay flew over the flat
this morning.
|
| Blackthorn blossom, St Andrews Park |
|
| Waxwing |
3 Mar A
flock of 13 Waxwings dropped into St Pauls Park this morning and stayed
around for 10 minutes before flying off towards Portland Square. Also a singing Greenfinch, a Great
Tit and at least 1 Chaffinch.
2 Mar Lots of common bird activity and
song this morning - in Montpelier Park there was a singing Coal Tit and Greenfinch, a couple
of Great Tits and a Chaffinch or two.
At the station there were at least 10 Chaffinches
flying around, plus 2 Greenfinches, the usual House Sparrows and a sub-singing Blackcap.
1 Mar A male Blackcap was hanging around the feeders at the station this morning
along with the usual Chaffinches, Starlings, Collared Doves, Feral
Pigeons and at least 1 Grey Squirrel.
