Apple preparation. This represents around one quarter of the apples that I put out each evening although this seems set to increase after today. |
Live well for less Waxwing style. |
First donation of apples from Sainsbury's received with thanks. |
Adult male Lesser Redpoll. |
A fine male Brambling wearing through into breeding plumage. |
When I got up to Haigh I decided to put up a couple of nets for a while but it wasn't long before the sun rose enough to shine on the nets and make them easy for the birds to see. In between net rounds I noticed a fox dozing in the sun on an ivy covered mound. Unfortunately I didn't have my DSLR gear with me or my travel zoom but I still grabbed a few shots with my compact camera that only has a 2x magnification zoom. The image crops haven't turned out too bad all things considered. Hopefully it uses this spot regularly and I will get another opportunity.
I packed up by 10:30 having caught 13 new birds and 8 retraps. Just before I set off I got a call from home and was told that there were hardly any apples left in the trees. I dashed home via Sainsbury's but they didn't have many discards this time so I bought their remaining stock of their basic range apples, just over 10 kg of them. When I got home there were plenty of Waxwings but they were feeding on cotoneaster horizontalis which grows up the side of our neighbours house and our garden fence. Others were feeding on pieces of apple that had fallen to the ground and a some were squabbling over the few remaining apples in the trees. I quickly halved most of the apples I had just bought and restocked the trees.
I do take the labels off and removed them after taking the photos. |
circa 90 Waxwings in tree across from the garden at 16:50 today. The biggest flock to date. |
Waxwing 10 (4)
Fieldfare 1
Blackbird 3 (3)
Goldfinch 8 (5)
Chaffinch 6 (6)
Siskin 10 (6)
Lesser Redpoll 1
Brambling 3 (1)
Greenfinch 4 (7)
Bullfinch (1)
Coal Tit 3 (3)Blue Tit 5 (10)
Great Tit 3 (1)
Long-tailed Tit (3)
Dunnock 2
Robin 1 (1)
Total 61 (50)
Despite the record number of Waxwings in the garden today one of the most interesting sightings over the past few days has been a juvenile Wood pigeon that I photographed yesterday. It has been reared through some very harsh conditions given the weather over the past few weeks and the egg must have been laid in late January or early February if not before.
Juvenile Woodpigeon. The nest this bird was reared in must have been constructed in January. It has done very well to survive the weather of the past few weeks. |
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