An Oystercatcher was calling in flight by the estate this morning and this evening. Food-gathering forays by locally-nesting Starlings are gaining pace. A flock of approx 20 adult were on grass by the brook this morning. One was searching our lawn. I presumed for leatherjackets, but saw it extract a large earthworm. A Song Thrush was singing this morning, a Dunnock sang in our hedge this evening and a Chiffchaff nearby. Two Swallow flew north this evening and a Rook dropped towards the churchyard with a bulging crop.

A Redpoll flew over today as we finished fence painting, giving song and flight calls as it went north - species 56.
Up to 4 Buzzard were visible in the air at any one time, with some stooping display taking place. The only birds in song this morning were a mobile Song Thrush, the first I have heard for a while, Dunnock and Wren. Goldfinch was singing in the afternoon. A Linnet went over and a Grey Wagtail. Single Swallows were seen twice this morning, both flying north. A Collared Dove alighted briefly in the garden.
In the Sycamore a Great Tit saw off Blue Tits several times when they landed in the tree. Small numbers of locally-breeding Starling were active. The max count of House Martin today was 6.
At least 2 Red Mason Bees were on the wall of the house again, one of which was sitting in an open wall plug. A White-Tailed Bumblebee queen was searching the borders. An Alder Leaf Beetle landed on the drying washing.

A Swallow flew over today, species 55.
Five Buzzard were in the air at once to the east of here. At lunchtime a male Sparrowhawk was soaring high up, being mobbed by a Carrion Crow and their prolonged tussling was spectacular to watch.

A Willow Warbler sang occasionally in gardens behind us this morning for about five minutes, moving north up the estate.

A few Red Mason Bees were around the back wall of the house just now.

-- Edited by dave broome on Tuesday 14th of April 2020 01:06:12 PM

Hooded top definitely required for intermittent watches this morning in the cold NE wind. A Moorhen was calling nearby on Honksford Brook, a Grey Heron flew south, Linnet over, Dunnock and Wren in song and 2 Canada Geese on the move. House Sparrows were taking nest material in to a roof.

A Blackcap was singing early morning only in the Sycamore by the brook this morning, where a Grey Wagtail went back and forth a couple of times. A vocal Jay flew slowly over NW

It was fairly quiet today during work in the garden, a couple of Buzzards soaring and displaying. One was doing the soaring with both legs dangling thing, which always looks odd.
5 House Martin were over the estate. A total of 5 Meadow Pipit were heard moving north, 2 Linnet went over, a Grey Heron flew south and a Jay north over the garden was species 51 for lockdown from the garden. Probably only the third time in a year that Ive seen one here.

4 House Martin were feeding over the estate at lunchtime and 2 Meadow Pipit went north. Other birds today were a Buzzard mobbed by Lesser Black-Backed Gulls and a pair of Long-Tailed Tit that moved along the hedgerow through the garden.

This evening 3 Linnet went low north together, a Chaffinch was singing out of sight near to the churchyard, just 8 Black-Headed Gull were logged flying north and 6 Lesser Black-Backed Gull NW.

A Magpie pair arrived in the Sycamore overlooking the occupied Magpie nest in a Hawthorn. One Magpie which was inside the nest came out to join its mate. When the resident pair flew up to the Sycamore together, one of the intruding pair moved close up to its mate, leaning in while making a quiet rhythmic prrrr call. After a short stand-off the intruders departed. The residents stayed in situ for about a minute then flew off themselves.

This morning what were presumably the same 2 Canada Geese went noisily back and forth a couple of times. A Meadow Pipit flew north, an adult Cormorant went north and a Pheasant called.

There was drama at the Magpie nest in the Hawthorn by the brook. A pair were in attendance, with one of them making a couple of forays. A second pair turned up, landing right by the nest. This didnt trigger as much racket as I would have expected. Instead all four birds were perched close together, facing each other, wings flicking, tails about ten degrees above horizontal, with a persistent and fairly quiet chattering call. A few short chases took place so that it was hard to tell which pair was which. After about five minutes one pair left briefly, before returning. After another stand-off of about a minute they flew off with the explosive rattling call, on to an adjacent roof, still calling loudly there before moving off. One bird was back in the nest by now, the one outside it wiped its bill on a branch as the other pair flew off, presumably displacement behaviour caused by the situation.

Tawny Owl calling behind the garden last night

On Friday evening 2 Pipistrelle were patrolling back and forth along the back gardens and hedgerow from around sunset
Saturday 4th Apr - a small amount of overnight rain had obviously left gutters with some water in them, which was attracting the attention of a succession of bathing House Sparrow and two Blackbirds, apparently paired. The male Blackbird picked up and threw a couple of large twigs from the gutter, presumably searching for prey items. It then tried unsuccessfully to dislodge a larger branch about twice its own length which was dislodged in the top of the downspout. Again presumably an attempt to search for critters beneath it rather than an an attempt to pull the plug out after it had finished bathing.
A Great Tit pair were around a nestbox on the Sycamore, where the male was singing. Later a Great Tit collected a huge clump of coarse wool packaging from a parcel, which I had draped in to the hedge (the wool, not the parcel). What looked like a female Great Tit, maybe the same bird that collected the wool, plucked a couple of strands of dry grass from the lawn. Three Dunnock were displaying in the hedge, wing-flicking and making a quiet, rhythmic call.
A Buzzard was mobbed by Jackdaws low over the rooftops and they also mobbed a passing Carrion Crow. A Coal Tit at the feeders was the first I have seen within the garden during lockdown. A Pheasant called from somewhere out over the fields.

-- Edited by dave broome on Sunday 5th of April 2020 09:33:12 AM

Listened last night from 20:40-21:50. No Scoters heard here in that time, the only identifiable sound being a Tufted Duck that called loud and clear overhead

On Tuesday 31st March a Kestrel was circling low over the Honksford Brook corridor, 1 Lapwing flew south and a Grey Heron headed towards Botany Bay Wood.

A Meadow Pipit flew north early this morning and a group of three went NNW this evening. Also this evening there was a movement of 131 Black-Headed Gull north in several vocal flocks and a Stock Dove flew north (the first definite one Ive seen from the garden, just a couple of probables with the naked eye previously). A group of 6 Mallard were flying around late afternoon.

A Collared Dove actually in the garden this morning was the first one I have seen down for a while, usually just seen as the occasional fly-over.
A Blue Tit flew down to some bare soil and pulled out dry vegetation of some kind from the ground, moss maybe. I thought it was gathering nest material, but it flew in to the hedge with it and pulled it apart on a branch, so presumably searching for food items? It flew back down to the soil, but as it searched the ground it was flushed by a Great Tit which flew down to the same spot, virtually landing on the Blue Tit before returning straight back to the feeders. The Blue Tit then went and methodically searched the surfaces of a Cherry tree, including the undersides of all branches. A Wren sang briefly in the hedge.

A new species in the garden for me was a Wood Mouse, feeding in a border.

Still surprised when the occasional plane goes over, usually at a great height. Using the free version of the Flight Radar app fills the curiosity of where they are headed to. One lower flight passed overhead and was due in Paris in 43 minutes, having flown from Los Angeles. Im surprised how far away flights are which are easily visible with the naked eye. One heading east on Friday was on the far side of the Peak District, almost to the north of Sheffield. One this morning out of the front of the house was over the centre of Liverpool, bound for Dublin from Doha.

I havent recorded any totally new species from the garden since the start of these COVID-19 blogs, but always interesting to see what is going on out there, as the birds carry on oblivious to events in our lives. House Sparrows are always the main attraction here, the hedge being their motorway through the estate. A flock of up to about 70 was present from late summer through the winter, with numbers dropping recently, presumably as birds have dispersed around our estate and an adjacent one over the brook. Up to around 35 have been present at any one time this week. There is always a lot of movement throughout the day, individual Sparrows dropping in to the hedge from height as they fly over the brook from a neighbouring estate.

A singing Greenfinch has been on regular flights all week. A species I still havent seen down in the garden despite being a regular fly-over.

A Dunnock has been in song along the hedge, occasionally from a roof-top or the Sycamore. There were two displaying in the hedge a couple of days ago.

A few Starlings feed in the garden, up to three present at a time. Regular fly-overs move around the estate and a flock of about 30 went east at dusk on evening this week.

Woodpigeon, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin and Blackbird are the other species to have fed in the garden this week. Fly-overs have included Ring-Necked Parakeet, Oystercatcher, Buzzard and a single Lapwing on two occasions. Up to 14 Jackdaw get up from the church, along with Rook on occasion. The Rooks have been vocal at their two nests this week, the sound carrying well with reduced background noise from flights or road traffic. A Sparrowhawk was displaying distantly, flapping to a great height. A pre-work cup of tea outside has produced Meadow Pipit moving north on a couple of mornings. Thirty four species so far, but its not the number that is important. Carry on birding and keep safe folks!

-- Edited by dave broome on Saturday 28th of March 2020 09:14:36 PM