What's flying near you?

The Jays are back - eating the acorns (good) and the apples (bad).

Yes it's been a good year for acorns. The oaks round here are loaded. I doubt we'll see 5 queuing up for the bird feeder this year.

I've seen quite a few wood-pigeons recently just moping on the grass verges or hedges and not flying away when approached. Also quite a few feather patches where one has obviously been killed. I assume it could well be the bird flu that is going around - hopefully a lot more with catch it before spring.

I ran out of bird food about a week ago and the local garage didn't have any in until today. When I put some out, there were over 20 birds visited the table in the first 10 minutes (the robin before I had got a few feet away). So they are obviously monitoring it regularly.

Plenty of active woodpigeons here, if you'd like me to send you some.
The birdfeeders are under constant attack here - mostly tits, robins and dunnocks although the Lesser spotted Woodpecker snaffles most of the peanuts. A blackbird tried to have something to eat and the woodpecker scared her off - he's a bully.

It must be the cold weather bringing out the birds both for food and water. Our waterfall is in great demand when everything else is frozen, although I can't fathom why anything would want a bath in -5°. ATM we have 4 if not 5 robins vying for supremacy over two feeding stations, some of the aerial combats are quite spectacular. I shall be glad when they decide to pair up.

Mr cock pheasant under the apple tree          with the sheep in the background

There were two pairs of Bullfinches in the apple tree today. One pair on one branch and the other pair on another branch. Perfect symmetry, until...................
Mr BF swaggered over to Lady BF and gave her a nudge with his beak. She looked at him, in disgust and took a few sidesteps away from him. Mr BF seemed to think this meant "Follow me" because again, he sidled over and nudged her - and again she looked appalled and moved away.
Three times he tried it on, and three times she moved away. Eventually he got the message and flew over to the other female BF. She looked him up and down, decided she didn't fancy him and flew away!
In my mind, Mr BF was the sort of bloke that has had a few too many in the pub and fancies his chances with any girl within range. He'd probably have a heavy gold chain around his neck and wear white socks.

Wheelie bins, cardboard boxes, newspapers,patio furniture!

The last couple of days there have been a group of long tailed tits in our apple trees. They seem to be very sociable birds going about in a flock. They don't seem to stop around for very long though seeming to be always moving on.
Also, when returning from a late walk tonight, we saw a barn owl flying low down along the lane before dropping briefly then flying off over the hedge.
This morning I saw a large male pheasant in the field next door. It was just standing there as if pondering the meaning of life.
There was a queen wasp buzzing round our conservatory this afternoon. The mild winter may have woke it up a bit too early.

The long tailed tits always amuse me. They come in groups and take it in turns on the bird feeders. Their tails are so long that they have to angle them every which way to get to the nuts and fat balls. They also don't have a neck but look as if they've flown into too many windows which has pushed their heads down onto their shoulders.
Once spring comes they'll disappear into the trees and not be seen again near the house until next winter.

I'm certainly no ornathologist but a bird of prey, probably a sparowhawk methinks seems to have created it's own territory in the area I walk Kato. His territory seems to stretch for about 400 metres one way and maybe 100 metres the other way? I have no idea whether this is normal for this species,but he or she is certainly a joy to watch and I have nearly walked into a lampost or tree a few times watching it hover!