~~~ HAPPY NEW YEAR~~~

*** I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my fellow bloggers for taking the time to read and leave comments over the past year. I may not always leave a comment on what I call my "Blogging Friends" blogs but they always make good reading,
 There are times when if it wasn't for blogs  we wouldn't know what wildlife is around,  thus giving us the chance of  going 
seeing it.
I know there are some of us who try to see certain birds/wildlife, occasionally finding something unusual.
Some of us like to keep records of what we see throughout the year, and compare them to the previous years. It is bloggers like this who know how our wildlife is changing, not only on their patch but possibly in general.
Some of us who are mainly into photography, and post some wonderful pictures.
Some of us do all three.
 SO, no matter which of the above we fall under, I hope we all enjoy being out and about and enjoying the natural world.

Once again I would like to take this  moment in time to wish you all a ** HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR **

** Garden Birdwatch **

No trips out for a little while so today I spent a short while doing a bit of garden birdwatching from the kitchen window.
As usual the Jays are coming and stealing the peanuts, and just recently a couple of Magpie's have been dropping in looking for anything that is going.
I now have a male Blackcap feeding on a fat cake every day, and today I have my first female Blackcap. There is a party of between 9 and 14 Long Tailed Tits visiting now and again, and when they do visit they all head for the fat balls, it is a wonderful sight seeing most of them trying to squeeze onto the feeder, but they soon dash into the tree when the Great Spotted Woodpecker arrives, today it is the male.

My total bird species seen feeding in the garden today is as follows:
Jay (2)
Magpie (2)
W/Pigeon (3)
C/Dove (8)
Blackbird (2m,1f)
Starling (c
House Sparrow.
Chaffinch ( c11)
Goldfinch (8)
Greenfinch (3)
Robin (1)
Dunnock (2)
Blue Tit (9)

** Waxwings At Hamstreet.**

I took a trip to Hamstreet today to see if I could see the Waxwings that was reported yesterday. It wasn't a early trip, we didn't arrive until just before 2pm. I wasn't sure as to where to go at first then I found out from another birder. We had to get back onto the A2070 head towards Brenzett. then about 100 yards passed the Hamstreet turning on the right is a lay by on the right hand side of the road. We parked up and no sooner had I got out of the car when 2 small flocks of Waxwings was showing, one on each side of the road, then they joined up and settled in the top of one of the tree's, they stayed for a while before flying back across the  road in small groups to feed. It was like that all the time we was there, even when we left at about 3-3.30 they was still present, but they had now been joined by a few Fieldfare and Redwing. At one point I had Waxwing, Fieldfare, and Redwing in by bins all at the same time. Because of the time of the day, the light changed the colour of the birds and background nearly all the time.
I was hoping to get some half decent shots of them but not being able to wear gloves when I take photo's I find it difficult at times, cold weather and arthritis of the fingers do not go together. I did take a few shots for a record of the trip which I have posted below. I just wish they had baan just a little bit closer.

 

 

 

** Halling Bird Walk.**

A nice dry day, very cold and sunny made my mind up for me to go out for a wander around . I
I made my way to the river, must as usual I stopped to feed Bailey and Bob, the horses, today it was carrots. There was various species flying about but nothing out of the norm.
The tide was virtually low when I got there. There was a some species on the river and mud banks. They was as following: Lapwing(5)  Redshank(2)  Cormorant(5)  Little Grebe(5, record for me)Grey Heron(1)  Moorhen(4)  Mallard(11)  Mute Swan(2)  G/B/B/Gull(1)  Herring, Black Headed, and Common Gulls(good numbers)

From here I checked out the Halling Common in the hope of finding some winter thrushes. There are berries all over the place, but nothing. There was no need to worry about getting muddy today as with many places the thick sloppy  mud where the cows have wander through at some time was now frozen. I stopped and started all the way, scanning here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. As I neard the bottom of Marsh Rd 2 Green Woodpeckers flew low across the common.
It wasn't until I started to walk up the rd when I saw some winter thrushes. Scattered here and there was a few Redwing mixed in with a small flock of Fieldfare, Than had made my day, knowing that they are back in the area., What's next... Waxwings???? wishful thinking on my part, although your never know, they have to feed somewhere.
Half way up Marsh Rd on the right in a fieldwhere the cattle sometimes feed,well it is now very wet so it is ideal for birds to feed. I stopped to scan it to see if I could add to the days list and I did manage a few, they was as follows: Greylag Geese(2)  Moorhen(2)  mallard(3)  Lapwing(9)  Pheasant (2 at the back of the field)  Pied Wagtail(1).

Back at home after a nice hot drink  I then did a bit of window birding and I didn't have to wait long for the Jay to make a appearance. Most of the usual species was seen. There was another couple of good birds that came to feed, one was the female Brambling, and the other was a male Blackcap.
The Blackcap's normally stay for the winter once they arrive, so hopefully plenty of time to try and get a shot of it.
My home sightings for today was counted as the largest  number seen on one occasion.
Jay(2)  Magpie(1)  Blue Tit(5) Great Tit(1)  Long Tailed Tit(6)  Robin(1)  Dunnock(2)  Blackcap(1)  House Sparrow(18) Greenfinch(4)  Goldfinch(9)  Chaffinch(7)  Brambling(1)  Blackbird(3)  Starling(11)  Collared Dove(8)  Wood Pigeon(1) 


Total species seen: Blackbird, Blackcap, B/H/Gull, Blue Tit, Brambling, C/Crow, Chaffinch,C/Dove, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Fieldfare, Goldfinch, G/B/B/Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Green Woodpecker, Grey Heron, Greylag Geese, Herring Gull, H/Sparrow, Jay, Lapwing, Little Grebe, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Pheasant, Pied Wagtail, Redshank, Redwing, Robin, Starling, W/Pigeon,

(Wednesday 5th Dec) ** Long Time No Post.**

I have not been posting recently due to personal  reasons. I still haven't been out and about, although I should try and get down to the river and maybe the common too, who knows there might be a few Waxwings about, well they do seem to be turning up in various places lately.
For the last week I have been birding on and off from the kitchen window, and I have had a few surprises. The second being a Coal Tit that continually fed on the feeders for 3 days, then it moved on to pastures new and didn't return. Then I had a bird on the hanging seed tray which I might see if I am lucky in the  winter and that was a female Brambling. I watched it feeding for about 5-10 minutes then that was it.
Now you might be thinking where is number 1 well this is it. I have lived here for 11 years and only seen this bird on the Halling Common and occasionally in the park. I have longed to have one come to my garden and now it has. I made a old wire peanut holder to hold crushed nuts in, and wedged it into a bush outside one of the windows, and somehow it this bird found it, I am talking about a Jay. I couldn't believe it, I have never seen one so close up, we are talking about 15-20 feet away. Now I am getting through a lot more peanuts ,I have now started to bury some in the lawn.
A day or so after a old saying came to mind "You wait ages for a bus then 2 come along together". Yes that is right, the Jay brought a mate along with it, so now I have got 2 Jays feeding. I am going to have to start spreading them even more scatteredon the garden so that they will have to search for them. On one occasion one of the Jays took some of the nuts andwandered arounf the lawn pushing them in, then today a magpie drop in, wandering around the garden and I actually saw it pulling out some grass and coming up with a peanut one that a Jay must have buried.
The Jays are still coming and going, I think they are here to stay, at least for the time being.
I suppose to them this is their local fast food take away.
I attempted to get some shots of them but they didn't come out to good, I was shooting through doubled glazing, with a highish ISO. I have posted 3 below.