mgread1200 141 Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 mariag, sorry missed your post, yes they do but i prefer the red lion at lower bagthorpe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted March 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 First official day of Spring today, apparently, and another lovely day, though it started with fog. At last, I heard my first Chiff Chaff at 12:30 today when I took Scooby for a walk down the river, not the first warbler though, as we had a Blackcap on the bird table at 7:00 this morning, I know that they winter in Southern England, but not in East Anglia, he was a fat old thing as well, lovely grey colour and very black head. To my astonishment our Nectarine tree has come into it's pretty pink blossom today, usually the Hawthorns are the first thing to blossom, but apart from one or two, not a lot happening there. Anybody seen anything else yet, apart from pubs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 err Tomorrow is the 21st....First day of Spring Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted March 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Thanks Fynger, nobody seems to get it right, I've been told a different day for a week, I've only just found out when Easter is this morning. Another arrival as of 8:00 am, a Willow Warbler has just been singing in one of the trees at the bottom of the garden, I can see him flitting about, but can't get a good sighting. He'll be impressed to find that the local council in their wisdom have cut down all the willows and his nesting site along the river. They call it coppicing to stop flooding, lying pillocks, I call it destruction so their members get a nice view of the river. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,676 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 firbeck, Check out the linconlshire bird club website, full of the latest sightings in this part of the world including all the birds that have come over the sea to our shores from the continent, there is also a comprehensive photo section which is a great help in identification. By the way, it's just been announced on Lincs FM radio that snow is expected in the region next week Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Typical !! Snow, just as I was ready to" cast a clout!! " I spent a lot of yesterday afternoon round at the in laws house , armed with my camera as their neighbour has a squirrel building a drey in their chimney (even though it has a cage type cowell over it ) I saw it in there on Wednesday but didn't have my camera with me. Typically I sat there watching for an hour in the afternoon and nothing materialised. I shall try again on Monday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I thought you might like this one from my back garden Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ube 38 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Well we couldnt have got off to a better start to spring.....6 of the lil bugga`s Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted March 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 I had an interesting experience yesterday. I was taking the dog for a walk when I bumped into our local Bocking and Blackwater Association wildlife ranger, complete with in-house sweat shirt, telescope on tripod, bins and camera. What a nutcase, he reminded me of a ginger haired Elvis Costello on acid, he was frantically running up and down the river bank in search of a little egret. He nearly passed out when I told him of my last few days observations, I now have to report in to their website, oh dear. Mind you he told me that the two predators that I had taken to be Sparrow Hawks this week were actually Goshawks and that my previously mentioned Buzzards had taken up residence down the river near Bocking Church. I did manage to get a dig at his association by telling him what species had dissapeared due to their incompetent management of the area, but it went over his head, still it looks like I've got a foothold in there so I'll see what happens, it could be of benefit, if I can bear it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,676 Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Hi firbeck, your new found ornithological friend would have a field day up here then, little egrets are in just about every ditch bottom and last year we even had a great egret and a glossy ibis, plenty of birds around now, over at Freiston shore yesterday were 200 plus dark belly Brents,15 plus Oyster catcher and 20 Avocets, (not the Nottstalgia one though) Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 Just seen a pair of Swallows I don't know whether I just havn't been looking properly or they are late this year. The warehouse where I used to work was always taken over by squadrons of the little buggers towards the end of March. I know I like my birds but these sods used to poo on all my engines , and guess who had to clean them before he could deliver them ?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 Saw a cute little mouse today, he was raiding our bunny's food! by the way wasn't it a lovely summer (yesterday) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted April 2, 2009 Report Share Posted April 2, 2009 Nuff Said ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted April 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Not a swallow in sight down here yet, which is unusual as they always take over the stables pretty early on and can usually be seen zooming up and down the river by now. The Robins have laid eggs in their nesting box and mr is racing about feeding madam who keeps peering out of the entrance, bless, unfortunately we have a mole attack in the flower bed below them, my usual trick is to stick a hosepipe down the hole and wash dog crap down the tunnel, the smell of a predator drives them away, but I daren't go too near to the nest. The pond has been a source of entertainment, the males have been croaking for a while now and hopping around the garden, our Jack Russell doesn't know what to make of it, he chases after them but just wants a good sniff and stands looking in the pond at night listening to the racket. There's so much frogspawn in there now that the water levels risen, lets hope that our resident pike doesn't eat all the tadpoles, he didn't manage it last year. The white marked blackbird seems to be making a nest on top of the Robin box, I don't know what they think of that, both he and Mr Robin keep landing on the chairs outside the window and staring at me, I'd better give them some wireworms, we've actually managed to breed some of our own this year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,676 Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Peregrine chicks have hatched on Lincoln Cathedral, Hirundines started coming over the east coast about 5 weeks ago, pheasants and partridge have eggs at the moment and the skylarks have started running across the ground before taking off so I assume they're either protecting nest sites or they have eggs, great crested and little grebes have started to build nests now as have a lot of other waterside birds, Avocets and dark belly brents are landing in large numbers now on the salt marshes out here and just a few blue bells are starting to show but only in odd patches at the moment Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 I noticed when over your way for 'The Reds' a couple of weeks back Rog, that the Rooks were building really high this year, my mum (A country girl herself) said it was a sure sign of a good summer !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted April 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Sounds quite exciting in Lincs. Thats something I forgot about, we've got blubells flowering in the garden, the thing is, I don't know where the hell they've come from, not seen them before and I haven't planted any, they're the traditional English type as well, I daren't take a picture as they are under the Robins nest that we are treading carefully around at the moment as they abandoned the same nest last year leaving their eggs in place. Robins can be resilient though. A few years ago I blasted all the crap off my garage roof and path at my previous house, not realising that the robins had made a nest in the hedge next to all my activity, just outside the back door. I suddenly became aware of this poor, soaked little bird frantically trying to protect her chicks. Poor little thing, I felt terrible about it, then the cats moved in so I ended up putting wire mesh round them, our Scooby Doo seemed to empathise with them and acted as guard at all times, Jack Russell allied with Robins against cats seemed to work a treat, they raised 4 chicks that year, they would hop around his nose and he couldn't care less, he knows the difference between his enemies and his friends. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted April 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 I've just taken the risk, here's our little pal peeping out of her nest:- Here's the froggies in the pond still apparently going at it:- Here's the bluebell, but it seems to have opened out today, it doesn't look very much like the English variety anymore.:- Flash wasn't used in order to protect the innocent. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Just been and fetched our Charlotte from school and these three were over my house as I got close, it was one of those horrible moments when your legs seem to be going faster but the whole world feels like glue and you just can't get there to grab your camera ,!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 spotted today over basford gasworks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 sorry beefsteak! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted April 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 No he's not!!! Nice one Beefsteak, I bet all your local cats had dissapeared when they were flying about. I don't understand why they are so rare around here, I saw a pair down the road a few weeks ago and was told they live locally, but considering the amount of countryside around here, particularly large areas of woodland up the road I'm surprised we don't see more. I reckon it must have something to do with the fact that most of the farming is arable, especially that stinking oil seed rape. Thinking about it, there are a lot of sheep about where they are supposed to be living so that must be the reason. I took the dog for a very long walk along the river last night and conditions were perfect, warm and sunny, but I still never saw a single swallow, where are they. I've just looked up to see we have been invaded by long tailed tits, I gather from the RSPB Garden Watch results that they have entered the top ten of common birds for the first time, nice to see something doing well as our sparrows have vanished. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poohbear 1,360 Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 I noticed when over your way for 'The Reds' a couple of weeks back Rog, that the Rooks were building really high this year, my mum (A country girl herself) said it was a sure sign of a good summer !! With great respect to your Mother...how do the rooks know what weather is coming??? Is this like the abundance of holly berries denote a hard winter...how does the bush know?? Or is it because the plant has had a good summer which prompts an abundance of berries.Good old wives tales...some very accurate...others pure folklore. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
denshaw 2,878 Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 There's a lot to be said for old wives tales, one that used to be said at Bestwood was Red sky at night, Padstows alight. !laughing! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 With great respect to your Mother...how do the rooks know what weather is coming??? The same way the Swallows know to fly south in the Autumn, and then find their way back the following Spring. The same way the Salmon know where their exact spawning grounds are , from the far side of the world The same way a Pidgeon can find it's way to it's own loft from 500 miles away. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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