Gav – Page 5 – What Birds I Spotted Today

Hello from the Netherlands a few new birds for the year!

Hi all I’m writing from the Netherlands here to see the http://www.keukenhof.nl/ displays, amazing gardens! I wasn’t sure about the internet access but the hotel I’m currently in has free wifi, a few new birds for the year as well as a Bat (not sure what type) and 2 hares have shown up while out on the bus and when managing to do some walking, ankle tendon’s popped out a few times sadly.

Bird list from Netherlands mostly from Keukenhof:

Blackbird
Chaffinch
Coot*
Dunnock
Egyptian Goose*
Great Tit
Grey Herron
House Sparrow
Jackdaw
Lapwing*
Mallard Duck
Mute Swan
Starling
Swallow*

*new for the year

Thanks to having internet access I also managed to update the Saver Scene Australia finance pages: www.saverscene.com.au/finance/ (now closed as I move into gardening as a profession) for best savings, credit cards and bank accounts. I love having free wifi, it’s amazing just how many places in Holland have it, although I try not to be in front of my computer while travelling it’s helpful for a few things like listing birds and updating money saving websites and forums! I hope to have time to update the UK one on Monday as i have to take time off my feet due to the torn ankle tendons. I’ll process some pictures when back in Edinburgh to show the beauty of the Dutch gardens!

Away for a few days. Not sure if I’ll have net access

I’m off for a few days, not sure if I’ll be getting my bird lists done, hopefully my family will keep a record for the garden while I’m away.

What birds I’ve seen today:

Blackbird x 1
Blue Tit x 2 – one going to the RSPB nest box
Carrion crow x 2
Magpie x 1

So sore went back to bed! Very few birds.

I had a shocker today, after a tough night of pain I didn’t get enough sleep, so I went back to bed and all of a sudden it was dusk!

Birds I saw today:

Blackbird – heard only
Carrion Crow x 7 – flying over at dusk.

I did have dreams of starlings flocking to the garden, but that obviously doesn’t count!

Also for those interested there’s now a RSPB voucher code listed here: RSPB voucher code for free delivery, voucher expired, but check the latest RSPB Sales.

Bird List for Monday 15th of April 2013

Great news everyone! The RSPB Sparrow Terrace Nest Box that I put up earlier in the year is now in use! Not by sparrows, but a blue tit has started using the middle box, was a bit worried nothing was going to, but very excited to see a blue tit bringing nesting material into the box yesterday!

Sorry my bird list is a day late again, a lot happening with my parents being here! I also was updating all the finance pages for www.SaverScene.co.uk yesterday, which during ISA season takes a bit longer due to a lot of changes. If you haven’t taken advantage of the tax free cash ISA you can find the best ISA rates here: SaverScene: Highest ISA interest rates (now closed as I move into gardening as a profession), obviously if you have any questions about that feel free to ask on the forums or drop me an email.

Blackbird x 1
Blue Tit x 1 – I only saw one going in and out of the nest box.
Bullfinch x 1 – Male
Carrion crow x 2
Coal Tit x 1
Dunnock x 3
Greenfinch x 1
Kestrel x 3 – 1 was chasing another one off, a couple seemed to be creating a territory.
Magpie x 2
Woodpigeon x 1

Wow the wind in Edinburgh had the birds in hiding!

I couldn’t believe how windy it was here, I saw very few small birds at all today, and only heard a blue tit briefly, hope Spring starts properly soon!

My garden bird list for today, and I was outside a lot, although windy it was pretty sunny in the afternoon:

Blue Tit x 1 – heard only
Dunnock x 2
Greenfinch x 1

Not in my garden, but on a walk around Corstorphine Edinburgh:

Jackdaw x 6
Magpie x 1 – collecting nesting material
Rook x 1
Starlings x 2
Woodpigeon x 1

If you happen to be in Edinburgh over the next few days/week The Royal Yacht is celebrating her 60th birthday, even for non-royal fans it’s worth having a look, I wasn’t sure when I went, but the engine room is a great museum piece and the tearoom is lovely, also at this time of year there’s often Eiders off the side, as well as a few different divers, shags and cormorants. Find out more about the 60th birthday here: 60 years of Britannia.

A bit of a better day for the birds.

My legs were really bad today so couldn’t do much walking but one brief trip into the garden showed up 3 wonderful Siskin they were incredibly flighty and didn’t stay around long, but lovely to see!

Here’s my garden bird list for April 13th 2013:

Blackbird x 1
Blue Tit x 1
Carrion crow x 1
Coal Tit x 1
Dunnock x 2
Magpie x 2
Siskin x 3
Starlings x 1
Woodpigeon x 2

Another very quiet day in the garden!

Another terrible day in my garden, a lot of people working in their gardens around us at the moment, sadly didn’t even get a blackbird!

Blue Tit x 1 – heard only
Coal Tit x 1
Dunnock x 2
Magpie x 2
Woodpigeon x 1

Bird list for April 11th, do any other birders collect or take interest in interest rates?

I’ve been busy with my parents here again but have been trying to watch the garden as much as possible. I’ve also been doing a lot of DIY and work on the websites I do for actual work, now ISA Season is behind us a few banks and building societies are finally increasing interest rates for cash savings, best interest rates for term deposits and instant access for the UK can now be seen here: saverscene.co.uk/savings/ (now closed as I move into gardening as a profession) and for the highest interest rates in Australia: saverscene.com.au/finance/savings/ (now closed as I move into gardening as a profession) I personally find the interest rate differences between the countries fascinating, I don’t know if it’s something with people interested in birds and collecting that find mathematical problems and things like interest rates interesting? I know pretty much all birders I speak to collected stamps, cards or coins as a kid, many still collect things as adults, I’ve noticed Dr Who Figures, Star Wars Figures and other such things, or are obsessive list makers. I don’t have the cash for collecting, but like to keep lists and updated pages for those sorts of things. I like to see comparisons, graphs and charts, any other birds out there the same?

My garden bird list, and a few from just near Murrayfield, for April 11th 2013:

Blackbird x 2 – males fighting for territory
Carrion crow x 1 in garden, 3 mobbing the common buzzard.
Common Buzzard x 1 – getting mobbed by a crow on the edge of the western approach near Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Dunnock x 3
Magpie x 2 – not sure if it was the nesting pair I’ve seen around a bit
Starlings x 2 – and not the evening murmurations as usual.
Woodpigeon x 5

Mating rituals of the Woodpigeon… Also very few birds again.

It’s been a slow few days, it’s got grey and cold again, the only highlight of bird watching today was getting to watch the mating behaviour of the woodpigeons, a fascinating dance that happens right under our noses and people don’t seem to even bother watching! I added some notes as I watched the birds today.

Blackbird x 1
Carrion crow x 3 – one was bouncing up and down on twigs at the tops of small trees, it looked as it was trying to break off branches for nesting.
Coal Tit x 1
Dunnock x 1
Woodpigeon x 3 – the mating rituals were funny today, a male was displaying to a female on top of some metal chimneys and the sound they were making it reminded me of tap dancers, absolutely fantastic!

Talking of mating behaviour you have to see the video footage of a Peacock spider from Australia.

I was hoping to write up a bit about the Fly On the Wall Wildlife Cameras that I mentioned yesterday, but once again it’s after 23.00 and I’ve been exhausted by a long day and very sore ankles. Hopefully tomorrow will bring more information about these camera setups and their voucher code.

Very small bird list, voucher code for Fly On The Wall wildlife cameras!

Feel really bad, didn’t have a lot of time bird watching today was in the garden a lot of the day, digging up dead trees and removing awful plastic under the soil. Other than the LTTs everything else seemed scared to show itself. If I wasn’t in the garden I was helping my Dad remove old pipe and cable work from under the house. Very few birds seen today

I may need to get a few wildlife cameras setup so I can see more of the birds, I’ve started looking into it and the guys at

Fly On The Wall – security and wildlife cameras (sadly closed) have given us an exclusive voucher code for April 2013 this is an exclusive code for a 12% discount on all wildlife and bird cameras, voucher code: WBIST12

I’ll do a bit more about it in a post tomorrow.

Blackbird x 1
Dunnock x 1
Long-tailed tit x 2

even the Woodpigeons didn’t show up!

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookies for birds? Are they made of peanuts?