Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

[denfinella]

During lockdown I've been paying more attention to local birdlife on my local wanders. The variety of birds in south Edinburgh has far surpassed expectations, and I'm keeping a list here of all the species I've seen in the last few weeks.

I'll keep my list (which currently numbers 60 species) updated as the weeks progress, with photos where possible (there's a limit of 40 per post, so not all birds have photos). All the birds on the list have been spotted from my front door, except those with a * which have been on walks within 5-mile radius. If there are any errors, please comment! Some of the list is a bit non-specific (e.g. thrush) as I'm still getting up to speed on the differences between similar-looking birds.

1. Blue tit

2. Coal tit

3. Great tit

4. Long tailed tit

5. Marsh tit (possibly willow tit)

6. Chaffinch

7. Goldfinch

8. Bullfinch

9. Greenfinch
10. Yellowhammer*

11. House sparrow
12. Chiffchaff

13. Willow warbler

14. Blackcap

15. Redstart*

16. Dipper

17. Grey wagtail

18. Pied wagtail

19. Treecreeper*

20. Robin

21. Dunnock

22. Wren
23. Goldcrest

24. Starling

25. Song (?) thrush

26. Swallow*
27. Blackbird

28. Magpie
29. Lapwing*

30. Jackdaw

31. Carrion crow

32. Pheasant
33. Cuckoo*
34. Woodpigeon

35. Feral pigeon

36. Coot

37. Moorhen
38. Mallard
39. Tufted duck

40. Goosander*
41. Teal*
42. Eider*
43. Shelduck*

44. Little grebe

45. Curlew*
46. Canada goose*

47. Greylag goose

48. White goose*
49. Weird goose

50. Mute swan

51. Grey heron*

52. Oystercatcher*
53. Common tern*
54. Herring gull
55. Lesser black backed gull
56. Great black backed gull
57. Black headed gull
58. Buzzard*

59. Brown chicken

60. Crested chicken*

[jmarkb]

Great! You are right about the Carrion Crow. Sparrows are most likely House Sparrows, but Tree Sparrow not impossible!

We're doing the same in south Edinburgh - our list so far is:

Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock, Carrion Crow, Hooded Crow x Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Magpie, Buzzard, Kestrel, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Herring Gull, Lesser black-backed Gull, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Pheasant, Canada Goose, House Sparrow, Skylark, Chaffinch, Starling, Wren, Cormorant, Goldeneye, Grey Heron.

[denfinella]

Thanks jmarkb! We are also in south Edinburgh, so perhaps unsurprisingly our lists look quite similar, though you've got a few gems...

Perhaps we have walked past you!

[CharlesT]

On my walk today- Kestrel, pair of Red Kites and a Buzzard. I do live adjacent to farmland.

[jmarkb]

Thanks jmarkb! We are also in south Edinburgh, so perhaps unsurprisingly our lists look quite similar, though you've got a few gems...

Perhaps we have walked past you!

Maybe we have!

On today's walk we added Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail and Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler (probably Chiffchaff, but it didn't make a sound, so hard to tell!).

[RiverSong]

Nice to know there are so many small birds in your garden and i enjoyed looking at your photos of them. Twenty years ago i used to get almost the same variety in my garden but they have been gradually decimated by the magpies who have now taken over. I put food out every winter and the small birds have made a return of sorts, but now they are being edged out the way by the crows who have worked out a way of getting to the bird feeder, also the pigeons who have learned to sit underneath the feeder and wait for the seeds to fall down

[denfinella]

On my walk today- Kestrel, pair of Red Kites and a Buzzard. I do live adjacent to farmland.

Still no birds of prey for us yet.

Nice to know there are so many small birds in your garden and i enjoyed looking at your photos of them. Twenty years ago i used to get almost the same variety in my garden but they have been gradually decimated by the magpies who have now taken over. I put food out every winter and the small birds have made a return of sorts, but now they are being edged out the way by the crows who have worked out a way of getting to the bird feeder, also the pigeons who have learned to sit underneath the feeder and wait for the seeds to fall down

The list above is from our exercise walks (we don't have a garden). I do remember the problem with pigeons waiting underneath bird feeders from when I was a child though!

On today's walk we added Little Grebe, Grey Wagtail and Chiffchaff/Willow Warbler (probably Chiffchaff, but it didn't make a sound, so hard to tell!).

Yes, we're struggling with the chiffchaff ID too. What are people's thoughts on the below? I know the photo is pretty rubbish.

Aside from the possible chiffchaff, there were three further additions to the list today - blackcap, goldcrest and "weird goose" - which I've added to the list above along with photos.

[jmarkb]

Yes, we're struggling with the chiffchaff ID too. What are people's thoughts on the below?

The main (and not 100% reliable) visual distinction is leg colour (Chiffchaff dark, Willow Warbler light) - but I can't make out the legs in your shot!

there were two further additions to the list today - blackcap and goldcrest

Good spots!

Still no birds of prey for us yet.

Not sure exactly where you are, but Braid Hills/Blackford Hill is where we quite regularly see Buzzard and Kestrel.
Where was your Dipper?

[denfinella]

The main (and not 100% reliable) visual distinction is leg colour (Chiffchaff dark, Willow Warbler light) - but I can't make out the legs in your shot!

Thanks anyway! Hopefully we'll both be able to get better sightings in the days / weeks / months / years ahead

Not sure exactly where you are, but Braid Hills/Blackford Hill is where we quite regularly see Buzzard and Kestrel. Where was your Dipper?

Yep, we've been up there a couple of times, but no luck yet. The dipper was by Burdiehouse Burn, but we've only seen it once - unlike the grey wagtail, which we've seen almost every time. I also think I've heard a woodpecker on a couple of occasions in the same area.

[jmarkb]

I also think I've heard a woodpecker on a couple of occasions in the same area.

Sounds like a good place - a bit out of the way for us, but we might make it eventually! We've heard one in the woods behind Buckstone, but we didn't see it.

[CharlesT]

Weeding my garden today with a very industrious male blackbird at my elbow. Many beakfuls gathered. This is a chiffchaff from my garden a while ago.

[Avocetboy]

We live in Lincolnshire, Boston, near the banks of the tidal River Witham and about 3 miles from where it exits into The Wash. Some great birds about at the moment and making the most of the opportunity and weather to walk / run, MTB all the local footpaths from my door. Current list includes a pair of Avocets (every day, in the same place and always together), Curlews, Egrets, Heron, Snipe, Redshanks and Oystercatchers. Kestrels, Buzzards and a Barn Owl. Kingfisher. Reed Buntings, Great Crested Grebe and Brent and Canada Geese.

Lucky to have so much on my doorstep

[Avocetboy]

We live in Lincolnshire, Boston, near the banks of the tidal River Witham and about 3 miles from where it exits into The Wash. Some great birds about at the moment and making the most of the opportunity and weather to walk / run, MTB all the local footpaths from my door. Current list includes a pair of Avocets (every day, in the same place and always together), Curlews, Egrets, Heron, Snipe, Redshanks and Oystercatchers. Kestrels, Buzzards and a Barn Owl. Kingfisher. Reed Buntings, Great Crested Grebe and Brent and Canada Geese.

Lucky to have so much on my doorstep

Edit 14th April

Black Headed Gull, Pheasant, Carrion Crow, Shell duck, Cormorant, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove

[Mal Grey]

Impressive list! Some nice shots too.

[denfinella]

Thanks for the pics / lists everyone! I've a couple more (poor) shots from today's wander which hopefully you can help identify - probably nothing too exciting though.

1. One of those unidentifiable small brown birds...

2. Possibly a greylag goose crossed with something else?

Lovely sunny day (again!).