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Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby jmarkb » Sun May 10, 2020 6:09 pm

Odd colouring, but if was right size and shape for a wren, there's not much in the way of other options.
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby jmarkb » Sun May 10, 2020 6:46 pm

Mal Grey wrote:I love the scream of the swifts, something just utterly associated with summer. Seen 3 so far this year, pretty early for me, but then again this year is somewhat different as I've been able to watch a wonderful spring blossom in front of my eyes. A lovely feeling that balances the dread and awfulness.


Yes, I love the swifts too. Don't get to see a wide variety of other bird life from our windows (gulls, magpies, pigeons and tits just about covers it) so the swifts are welcome visitors. Their numbers do seem to have declined somewhat, sadly.

It's been a very interesting experience to note all the little changes that spring has brought to the local area, which I would have normally not noticed. Every week there are some new flowers in bloom.
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby denfinella » Sat May 16, 2020 7:27 pm

jmarkb wrote:Odd colouring, but if was right size and shape for a wren, there's not much in the way of other options.


Thanks. I asked a non-WH friend and they thought the same.

jmarkb wrote:It's been a very interesting experience to note all the little changes that spring has brought to the local area, which I would have normally not noticed. Every week there are some new flowers in bloom.


Yes, it has! The transformation of our local woodland from quite an earthy, brown, sparse area to a lush, green, crowded (even oppressive) space has been quite amazing.

The usual running water suspects were out in full force this morning, including a dipper and several grey wagtails - including a grey wagtail no more than a minute's walk from the front of our house:

Grey wagtail.JPG


Also managed to get a shot of a sparrow in enough detail that we could identify what type it was (unsurprisingly, a house sparrow). And a few other birds which we hadn't previously got a picture of - now added to the first post.
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby prog99 » Sat May 16, 2020 10:25 pm

From the sounds of things you are on the same side of town as us. Theres often a kestrel hunting in the waste ground opposite ikea.
We also got a visit from a large flock of starlings this morning. Not seen so many in years.
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby denfinella » Fri May 22, 2020 7:44 pm

prog99 wrote:From the sounds of things you are on the same side of town as us. Theres often a kestrel hunting in the waste ground opposite ikea.
We also got a visit from a large flock of starlings this morning. Not seen so many in years.


A bit far out for us (we have got up that way on one occasion). We haven't seen a single bird of prey yet.

IMG_6694.JPG


Here's an interesting one from Wednesday. Smaller than a blackbird and slimmer. After discussion with a friend we think it might just be a juvenile starling though - anyone want to offer an alternative?
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby CharlesT » Fri May 22, 2020 10:45 pm

Yes. Juvenile Starling.
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby prog99 » Sat May 23, 2020 9:51 am

denfinella wrote:
prog99 wrote:From the sounds of things you are on the same side of town as us. Theres often a kestrel hunting in the waste ground opposite ikea.
We also got a visit from a large flock of starlings this morning. Not seen so many in years.


A bit far out for us (we have got up that way on one occasion). We haven't seen a single bird of prey yet.

Lovely birds, so impressive to watch them hover. You can see them on Arthurs Seat too.

I've seen a peregrine once a few years ago chilling out on our garage roof and the occasional owl but not recently.
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby denfinella » Sun May 24, 2020 6:47 pm

CharlesT wrote:Yes. Juvenile Starling.


Thanks Charles!
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby denfinella » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:30 pm

Now our horizons have expanded to 5 miles away from home, we managed to add a few new species to the list over the weekend: yellowhammer, lapwing, buzzard (a bird of prey at last!), Canada goose, oystercatcher and crested chicken. I've added photos of most of these to the first post, and we're now up to 52 species (ish) since the beginning of lockdown.

If anyone fancies a challenge, here are a couple of tricky ones from the weekend:

1. Finally the legs are visible, so we're going for chiffchaff?
Chiffchaff.JPG


2. Could be anything! Any guesses?
Guess.JPG
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby CharlesT » Mon Jun 01, 2020 5:07 pm

Agree Chiffchaff for no. 1, in as far as it is visible. No 2 will say Willow Warbler.
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby denfinella » Tue Jun 09, 2020 3:39 pm

Thanks Charles.

Our first trip to Craiglockhart Hill(s) for an hour or two yesterday. They don't look like much on the local OS maps, but there's quite a nice variety of habitats, views... and wildlife. Worth the trip if you're a local.

Vole:
Vole.JPG


Cygnets:
Cygnets.JPG


Little grebe:
Little grebe.JPG


Dunnock:
Dunnock.JPG
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby petectid » Wed Jun 10, 2020 9:25 am

denfinella wrote:Now our horizons have expanded to 5 miles away from home, we managed to add a few new species to the list over the weekend: yellowhammer, lapwing, buzzard (a bird of prey at last!), Canada goose, oystercatcher and crested chicken. I've added photos of most of these to the first post, and we're now up to 52 species (ish) since the beginning of lockdown.

If anyone fancies a challenge, here are a couple of tricky ones from the weekend:

1. Finally the legs are visible, so we're going for chiffchaff?
$matches[2]


2. Could be anything! Any guesses?
Guess.JPG


Bird 1. Quite well hidden but I would say it is possibly a female Blackcap though not a great deal to go on and the legs feel a little thick set.

Bird 2. This is easier, a female House Sparrow, not a warbler as suggested, look at the bill short thick based stout typical of the Sparrows and Finches
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby denfinella » Mon Jun 22, 2020 3:05 pm

Thanks for the continued ID's and corrections!

A couple of new ones from around Penicuik on Saturday:

A redstart:
Redstart.JPG


I think this is a marsh tit or willow tit (the photo isn't great, but we watched it for a while and I'm fairly sure it wasn't a great / blue / coal tit):
Marsh tit.JPG
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby denfinella » Mon Jun 29, 2020 10:15 pm

Cuckoo, shelduck, teal, curlew, eider and common tern all get added to the list after a couple of trips at the weekend to the Pentlands and to Levenhall Links.

Can anyone shed light on this one? (Could just be a strange looking pied wagtail?)

1.JPG
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Re: Denfinella's lockdown birdlife diary

Postby StevieC » Tue Jun 30, 2020 11:33 am

Looks like a grey wagtail to me...
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