Tag: Magpie

Starlings zigged & zagged through the sky, garden bird list.

Iā€™ve had a very busy day today, weā€™re getting a new central heating system put in and itā€™s been a bit hectic, I did have time to do Monday updates on ISA, Savings and Credit CardsĀ and to put together the list of 100 best plants for attracting wildlifeĀ to your garden. Ā I also manage to get out and see a few birds in or over the garden, including 13 starlings that I got to watch for about 10 minutes as they zigged and zaggedĀ Ā through the sky, diving in close and checking their roosting place then flicking back into the sky high over the roost, watching it from every angle, amazing to watch, I hope to one day see one of the huge murmurationsĀ as seen in Wexford.

Hereā€™s the list of the birds I did have theĀ fortuneĀ to see today:

  1. Blackbird x 1
  2. Blue Tit x 1
  3. Carrion crow x 3 fly overs
  4. Chaffinch x 1
  5. Dunnock x 1
  6. Magpie x 2 fly overs
  7. Starlings x 13
  8. Woodpigeon x 5

Watched the Rugby, more DIY and few birds about.

What a wonderful day for Scottish Rugby! Ā Today started with snow, a lot of snow but a few hours later there was almost none lying, by the end of the day it was just a boggy mess. Ā I would have expected a lot more birds around however thereā€™s also a lot of insects about so the birds arenā€™t needing the feeders as much as a few weeks ago. Ā Itā€™s amazing how many moths are about, talking to others theyā€™ve had almost none but Iā€™m having to remove and release up to 5 a day from the house, so there should be a lot more out and about. Ā Hereā€™s my list for today:

  1. Blackbird x 1
  2. Blue Tit x 2
  3. Bullfinch x 1 ā€“ female
  4. Dunnock x 1
  5. Feral Pigeon x 1
  6. Magpie x 2
  7. Woodpigeon x 4 ā€“ really showing mating behaviour today.

Evidence a Sparrowhawk had been and my garden bird list.

Had a lot on over the last few days and more things happening tomorrow so not a lot of time for birding :( I did however notice that thereā€™d been a Sparrowhawk in the garden, sadly due to the feathers that were left of a small song bird. Ā Hereā€™s my garden bird list for today:

  1. Blackbird x 2
  2. Blue Tit x 2
  3. Coal Tit x 1
  4. Dunnock x 1
  5. House Sparrow x 4
  6. Magpie x 2
  7. Sparrowhawk x evidence one had been
  8. Woodpigeon x 3

Garden Bird List, Scottish Birdfair 2 for 1 tickets and Wexford Starling Murmuration!

A very quiet day in the garden, a couple of magpies back and 1 female bullfinch which was a delight to see, but the weatherā€™s turned cold again and the birds are back to feeding rapidly and not showing much in the way of breeding behaviour.

If youā€™re thinking of going to the Scottish Birdfair ā€“Ā www.scottishbirdfair.org.ukĀ ā€“ thereā€™s currently an offer on until the 17th of March 2013 where you can get early bird 2 for 1 tickets! Ā You just have to use the voucher codes: Day tickets ā€“ 241RSPBDay or Weekend tickets ā€“ 241RSPBWeekendĀ Iā€™m hoping to go for the weekend this year, I enjoyed last year but only got a day ticket and went on the wet Saturday where there were 2 hour lines for food, hopefully food tents are better prepared this year!

Hereā€™s my garden bird list for today:

  1. Blackbird x 2
  2. Blue Tit x 2
  3. Bullfinch x 1 ā€“ female
  4. Coal Tit x 1
  5. Dunnock x 2
  6. Great Tit x 2
  7. House Sparrow x 3
  8. Magpie x 2
  9. Woodpigeon x 1

you may have noticed thereā€™s still no Starlings, Iā€™ve been watching the Monkey Puzzle tree opposite to see if they roost in there each evening and all Iā€™ve seen in the last few 2 days is woodpigeon and magpies, however the tree does make for a great silhouette.

Monkey Puzzle tree silhouette

Monkey Puzzle tree silhouette ā€“ you can also see the silhouette of a woodpigeon just to the left.

although Iā€™ve not seen any starlings about thereā€™s some great scenes in Wexford Ireland:

Wexford StarlingĀ Murmuration

Thanks to BirdGuides Ireland & Edward DelaneyĀ for this video.

Starlings gathering together at at roost site in one of natureā€™s most amazing spectacles, a murmuration. And what makes it even more amazing is that no-one really understands why they perform these amazing aerobatics. Enjoy!

If you want to try and see a starling murmuration yourself BBC Winterwatch have put this list together:Ā Where to experience a starling murmuration this winter.

First bee of the year, garden bird list, Edinburgh Sunset.

Another great sign of spring for me happened today; my first bee of the year! Ā Very exciting, I was taking a break in the sun, I couldnā€™t resist it, the light had been streaming in through the windows while I worked on the finance pages forĀ (UPDATE: saverscene now CLOSED due to moving to carer in horticulture hope to have my gardening website up early 2019) & updating the best interest rates for ISAs, Savings and deals on credit cards was nowhere near as interesting as being outside in the sun, so I had to take that break and whilst outside soaking up a few rays of light a bee flew past and settle on a plant in flower, a beautiful blossom tree but sadly Iā€™m unsure what type Iā€™ll try and photos soon and see if anyone can recognise it as the bee seemed to really enjoy it.

Sadly my bird list hasnā€™t been as exciting as seeing the first bee of the year, there was a lot of noise and many magpies around chasing each other from tree top to tree top around the neighbourhood, was great to watch but more to hear. Ā I also think thereā€™s a small flock of starlings roosting in the monkey puzzle tree opposite my house I was taking photos of the sunset and wasnā€™t 100% on my birding game but Iā€™ll keep an eye out tomorrow and hopefully be able to add starlings to my local list.

My Garden bird list:

  1. Blackbird x 2
  2. Blue Tit x 2
  3. Carrion crow x 1
  4. Chaffinch x 1
  5. Dunnock x 2
  6. House Sparrow x 2
  7. Magpie x 16
  8. Woodpigeon x 1

And as I said before I was photographing the sunsets yesterday, and today, hereā€™s the first picture Iā€™ve had time to look at and size for web from yesterday:

Edinburgh Sunset

The start of Spring, sound of lawnmowers & a common buzzard.

Many birders and others think of the sound the Cukoo makes as the first sign of spring in the UK, for me it has to be the lawnmower and today a very very sunny day in Edinburgh, in fact t-shirt weather, the suburban streets rang with the sounds of people desperate to remove that 1mm of extra grass that has grown since the final cut in October/November last year. Ā August for my back garden as I wanted places for insects to hide over winter and when snow lay on the lawn, it looked like an icy tundra, thereā€™s a photo of the ice crystals below my garden bird list today. Ā Itā€™ll be a few more weeks before my back garden gets mown.

Todayā€™s bird list includes what Iā€™m pretty sure is a new bird for the year, the common buzzard, it wasnā€™t in my garden but soaring high above, hereā€™s the list for today:

  1. Blackbird x 1
  2. Blue Tit x 1
  3. Carrion crow x 1 ā€“ looked to have pale wings.
  4. Common Buzzard x 1
  5. Dunnock x 3
  6. House Sparrow x 2
  7. Magpie x 5
  8. Woodpigeon x 3

National Nest Box Week & my garden bird list.

Been pretty busy today so didnā€™t get a great lot of time for bird watching, did get to see 5 MagpiesĀ squabblingĀ and making loads of noise which was exciting and entertaining, also the coal tits seemed flightier and more suspicious of activity in the garden, not sure if it was a cat in the garden or it theyā€™re starting to breed, I hope not the later as Iā€™ve not finished cutting back the hedges and unsure if the weather will turn again, Iā€™ve also not got my sparrow nestbox up yet! Ā Will try to have them up very soon as it is currently NationalĀ nest box week.

Hereā€™s my garden bird list for today:

  1. Blackbird x 2
  2. Blue Tit x 1
  3. Carrion crow x 1 ā€“ flyover
  4. Coal Tit x 2
  5. Dunnock x 1
  6. Magpie x 5
  7. Woodpigeon x 1

Getting ready for nesting season!

A very sunny day here in Edinburgh, spring feels really in full swing and we were cutting back a privet hedge today to make sure itā€™s done before the birds start nesting. Ā Found an old nest in the hedge from last year, which hopefully gives promising signs that there maybe nest building and young birds in the garden later this year. Ā Hopefully Iā€™ll be out with the camera a bit more soon, my hands are starting to feel slightly better, hereā€™s the list for today:

  1. Blackbird x 1
  2. Blue Tit x 1
  3. Carrion Crow x 1 ā€“ flyover
  4. Coal Tit x 1
  5. Dunnock x 1
  6. House Sparrow x 3
  7. Magpie x 1
  8. Woodpigeon x 1

Lovely sunny day in Edinburgh Scotland, great for a garden bird list.

A very sunny and beautiful day in Edinburgh which produced a decent garden bird list including the 3 main tits, only 1 of each but I was still happy with that!

  1. Blackbird x 1
  2. Blue Tit x 1
  3. Coal Tit x 1
  4. Dunnock x 1
  5. Great Tit x 1
  6. House Sparrow x 6
  7. Magpie x 1
  8. Woodpigeon x 1

This weeks Bird Guides photo of the week is a great pic of a crested tit ā€“ Bird Guides ā€“ Crested TitĀ ā€“ a fantastic shot of a very startled looking bird.