short eared owl - Thorpe Marshes

short eared owl - Thorpe Marshes

Sunday 27 January 2013

Big garden birdwatch and the patch in the Sun!

  Saturday:
   After me and George had finished our breakfast (weetabix, for those wondering) i topped the bird feeders up &  pulled the blinds  & began our hours bird watch for the RSPB.
 George excitedly pointed out a Blackbird and soon after a couple of Dunnocks arrived. Another female Blackbird soon appeared,as did a few Wood Pigeons and too a few Blue Tits. As the hour approached i was a little disappointed as a couple of Great Tits have been regularly visiting here but today were absent. But our local Robin did turn up and that was that.
 Now to the patch:
  It was a rather wet start this morning but as i got to the top of the Bridge the rain had already passed and the sun was shining.I scanned away to see that the wildfowl numbers were still large and decided to head there first. As i did i immediately heard the call of a Siskin .I looked up and there were 5 x Siskins sitting on the tree tops.A Greater Spotted Woodpecker flew over as i approached the Broad. I decided to do  a full count, which was as follows:
Gadwall x 137
Pochard x  27
Tufted x 43
Teal x 12.
 Also presumingly the same single Greylag and Canda Goose were on the water as last few visits.
On the shingle was 2 x Lapwings and a single Crow.
 I decided to next walk up Bunaglow Lane to try pick up some more year ticks. A huge tit flock flew into the bushes the other side of the Railway track but nothing exciting.Then a huge Finch flock gave me my first Chaffinch .Then i heard that piping call that always puts a smile 'on me old Boat' (as my cockney speaking dad would say) and i just simply stood still & waited for the magic to begin......  and there they were, 4x Bullfinches in all there glory. I watched as they made there way through the hedgerow and then out on top ,to lap up the sunshine & giving me around 10 minutes of super viewing -pukka!
3 of the 4 Bullfinches



male Bullfinch

 
  I picked up a few more Chaffinches and a Tit flocks as i made my way back to the van. A steak dinner awaited me at me in laws which topped off a super morning for me.
 Happy birding,
  Shaky


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