since the breeding and feeding program started kites have made something of a comeback from extinct due to being shot and poisoned as vermin.
they are not vermin they are refuse collectors and afaik dont bother with live prey, farm stock or game birds and only dine on dead things.
We have a lot of buzzards in the woods and the occasional kite, but we hear more often than see them, as even in winter it is hard to see things through a wood full of deciduous trees.
the birds are avoiding the wind at the mo but while it has been chilly i have added a pair of blackbirds to the domestic fowl.
they saw the buffet that dik gets and decided i must be ok, from keep a distance/fly away/beady eye they went to a couple of feet and eating
i think they have a juvenile one with them, if not they have a juvenile one that follows em about
the local avians did have some late clutches last year.
there are at least 3 sparrows.
the fat woodies have a slimmer "back door man" on the case and a jackdaw that likes to push mr fat woodie's face into lunch
thinking of jackdaws they seem to have increased from a few to quite a few
saw a pair of bluetits, the wren has mostly been snoozing but pops round to check for invertebrates when it warms up a bit.
pies, we have a few but they prefer kebabs on the main road
dik has reduced his personal space to inches if a cashew is involved or the first worm after the thaw is waved.
Have never actually seen a peregrine strike, but I know they hit the prey at some speed. We tend to get the ones that it knocks out of the sky and can't retrieve in our garden. Luckily mainly pigeons, and there are too many of them.
i have seen a few, something that did surprise me was the cornish pair i watched for a few weeks raising a nestling were catching voles if no avian was convenient
a lowish hover and scan then a near vertical drop to grab one, first time i saw it i thought it was a different species but watching at the nest site they were fetching voles and mice as well as birds.
that go for anything issue, yesterday afternoon i was between shed and wall in the yard. something came down from above and behind so fast i did not "see " it , the noise was ace.
it might have been an aborted an attack on my hair or it might have just been passing by.
having shared that , bird news, old dik is now new dik.
same tree, different bird in shape and more importantly has no idea when i offered up a very nice worm
mr and jnr blackbird have seperated and both are singing of their need for lurve so i guess it was mrs b that copped it over the dale.
full on spring stuff in bird town.
the sammisons rummage a bit now and again but might still be eating the winter feast stores
the overdue compost rummage might be a bit of a surprise for them but it is a small price for food and shelter and no puss cats
My 'down the garden' robin came and visited me yesterday while I was doing some digging. Came within a couple of feet of me, so rather nice. Looked at me quite fearlessly, so think it has decided I am useful and no threat.
The lane up to the woods has celandines in flower, but none in the woods yet. Found a couple of odd primrose flowers and some barren strawberry flowers in a warm corner.
Heard woodpecker and tawny owl in the woods yesterday.
gregotyn
Joined: 24 Jun 2010 Posts: 2201 Location: Llanfyllin area
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 19 3:06 pm Post subject:
We are only sporting snowdrops up to now, I have seen nothing else yet. It seemed as though it was still autumn about 3 weeks ago as there were leaves blowing all over the road and gathering in 3 foot high piles which we have to drive over/through. It seemed quite strange at this time of the year, they have disappeared now!
I think the leaves are because it has been quite dry. We still have quite a lot in odd places in the wood, but things are starting to come up now; seen a few more primroses and some barren strawberry in the wood. May be doing a flora survey today, so will see what is rousing, although think it will be mainly leaves, not flowers.
Heard what we think was a marsh tit in the woods on Thursday, but couldn't make out what it was as against the sky and it flew off before I could get near enough for an ID.