Tag: Magpie

A day in Amsterdam, a few birds.

After saying how great it was to have free internet the hotelā€™s internet has been down all evening this will just be a quick one, with my bird list, pretty short today:

  1. Coot
  2. Cormorant*
  3. Greylag geese
  4. Jackdaw
  5. Magpie
  6. Mallard Duck
  7. Mute Swan

* new for this year

Iā€™ll hopefully be back out at the gardens for the tulip festivals tomorrow, my ankles couldnā€™t handle the pace of the city and getting bumped a lot at the central train station, Iā€™ve decided to try and get more good photos from the tulip gardens.

Hope others are getting to see a lot of great birds!

Away for a few days. Not sure if Iā€™ll have net access

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

What birds Iā€™ve seen today:

  1. Blackbird x 1
  2. Blue Tit x 2 ā€“ one going to the RSPB nest box
  3. Carrion crow x 2
  4. Magpie x 1

Bird List for Monday 15th of April 2013

Great news everyone! Ā The RSPB Sparrow Terrace Nest BoxĀ that I put up earlier in the year is now in use! Ā 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! Ā 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 havenā€™t taken advantage of the tax free cash ISA you can find theĀ best ISA ratesĀ here: SaverScene:Ā 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.

  1. Blackbird x 1
  2. Blue Tit x 1 ā€“ I only saw one going in and out of the nest box.
  3. Bullfinch x 1 ā€“ Male
  4. Carrion crow x 2
  5. Coal Tit x 1
  6. Dunnock x 3
  7. Greenfinch x 1
  8. Kestrel x 3 ā€“ 1 was chasing another one off, a couple seemed to be creating aĀ territory.
  9. Magpie x 2
  10. Woodpigeon x 1

Wow the wind in Edinburgh had the birds in hiding!

I couldnā€™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:

  1. Blue Tit x 1 ā€“ heard only
  2. Dunnock x 2
  3. Greenfinch x 1

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

  1. Jackdaw x 6
  2. Magpie x 1 ā€“ collecting nesting material
  3. Rook x 1
  4. Starlings x 2
  5. 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 itā€™s worth having a look, I wasnā€™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 thereā€™s often Eiders off the side, as well as a few different divers, shags andĀ 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 couldnā€™t do much walking but one brief trip into the garden showed up 3 wonderful Siskin they wereĀ incrediblyĀ flighty and didnā€™t stay around long, but lovely to see!

Hereā€™s my garden bird list for April 13th 2013:

  1. Blackbird x 1
  2. Blue Tit x 1
  3. Carrion crow x 1
  4. Coal Tit x 1
  5. Dunnock x 2
  6. Magpie x 2
  7. Siskin x 3
  8. Starlings x 1
  9. Woodpigeon x 2

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

Iā€™ve been busy with my parents here again but have been trying to watch the garden as much as possible. Ā Iā€™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/Ā (now closed as I move into gardening as a profession) and for the highest interest rates in Australia: saverscene.com.au/finance/savings/Ā (now closed as I move into gardening as a profession) I personally find the interest rate differences between the countries fascinating, I donā€™t know if itā€™s something with people interested in birds and collecting that find mathematical problems and things like interest rates interesting? Ā I know pretty much all birders I speak to collected stamps, cards or coins as a kid, many still collect things as adults, Iā€™ve noticed Dr Who Figures, Star Wars Figures and other such things, or are obsessive list makers. Ā I donā€™t have the cash for collecting, but like to keep lists and updated pages for those sorts of things. Ā 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:

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

Cold day in Edinburgh, ISA updates for new season, more DIY, and a few extra birds!

Itā€™s Monday so that means a very busy day updating the best interest rates for ISAs, Savings Accounts and deals on Credit Cards, ISA season has started for the tax year of 2013/14 and thereā€™s a new allowance, so do try and make the most of your ISA by getting in early, you can find the best interest rates here: saverscene.com/isa-individual-savings-accounts/Ā (now closed as I move into gardening as a profession) – hope that helps, if you do have any questions do feel free to ask!

Due to the changing of the tax year ISA season has beenĀ incrediblyĀ busy for me, very few birds were seen today, but I did notice that the female bullfinch was only around very briefly and that it was much skinnier (may have been a different bird) than the one I saw last week, the male continued to forage by itself. Ā Does anyone know; Do femaleā€™s loose a lot of body size after laying eggs? Ā I sure hope theyā€™re nesting near by!

The Garden bird list was pretty much all the usual suspects, plus I saw a couple of Jackdaws from the car in Corstorphine Edinburgh, not far from the house, plus a pied wagtail when I was out at Hermiston Gait getting even more paint and other DIY tools, always feels odd when I donā€™t have the right tool as I had everything I needed back in Australia, but due to carpal tunnel Iā€™ve not done as much mending as I would normally and my dad keeps asking whereā€™s this or that and end up going to buy one, once again Iā€™m rambling but hereā€™s my garden bird list:

  1. Blackbird x 1
  2. Blue Tit x 3
  3. Bullfinch x 2 ā€“ the female looked a lot smaller than last week! Hope that means sheā€™s laid some eggs somewhere.
  4. Carrion crow x 4 fly overs
  5. Coal Tit x 1
  6. Dunnock x 3 ā€“ really showing mating behaviour.
  7. Jackdaws x 2 ā€“ from car in Corstorphine
  8. Long-tailed tit x 2
  9. Magpie x 2
  10. Pied Wagtail x 1 ā€“ Car park Hermiston Gait ā€“ West Edinburgh, once again back at B&Q for more DIY gear!
  11. Woodpigeon x 1

Sunday 7th of April Garden Bird list, went to see Chris Addison last night.

Another very busy Sunday with DIY and out to comedy last night, saw Chris Addison a regular on Mock the Week, good fun! Ā Was exhausted when I got home so hereā€™s yesterdays list of birds:

  1. Blackbird x 1 ā€“ singing from 5.30am today
  2. Blue Tit x 2 ā€“ getting very territorial
  3. Carrion crow x 1
  4. Coal Tit x 1
  5. Dunnock x 3 ā€“ also very territorial.
  6. Long-tailed tit x 2 ā€“ thought I was going to miss the charming couple that visit the garden, but they showed up about 5pm :D
  7. Magpie x 2
  8. Woodpigeon x 3

Festival of the Spoken Nerd, Garden Bird list & night time visitor.

This first entry was from last night on the way to an Edinburgh to see a Science Festival show ā€“ we went to see Festival of the Spoken NerdĀ and on the way there I spotted a common buzzard just near Murrayfield Stadium. Ā The show was excellent full of fun science ideas and a good amount of comedy.

  1. Common Buzzard ā€“ seen on side of road.

Today wasnā€™t a great day for birdwatching instead a lot more DIY and when not doing that trying to stay off my feet as my ankle tendons are popping out a little too often, all very frustrating! Ā On arriving home last night I took chewie out for a final visit to the garden and heard the wonderful call of a tawny owl. Ā Hereā€™s my garden bird list for today:

 

  1. Blackbird x 2
  2. Blue Tit x 2
  3. Carrion crow x 2 flying over
  4. Coal Tit x 1
  5. Dunnock x 3
  6. Long-tailed tit x 2 ā€“ they were around almost every time I was outside today.
  7. Magpie x 2
  8. Tawny Owl x 1 -heard only
  9. Woodpigeon x 4