NICE START TO THE MONTH.

On walking through the station at 7am this morning, I noticed the Peregrine had returned to its roost overnight. (I know exactly where to look, from a distance these days, and can virtually make out if the bird is on its spot, from the office, about 1/2 mile away).

Took the shot above with the teleconverter in place. Click to enlarge.

Anna and I were fortunate enough to see a lovely male Sparrowhawk with his bright-orange breast hunting around the Lime trees at the rear of the house when we returned from the farmers market also.

Unfortunately, the camera was upstairs at the time, and we were discussing other matters such as "Unions" and "Striking" etc... (Don't ask).

Hey ho!

Oh.

Did I mention our female Great Spotted Woodpecker returned to the feeding post in the garden this morning too? (I didn't want to boast or owt!)

I did get a few photographs of her, but until I get back into the garden hide (which Anna is already tentatively beginning to suggest I remove, for the sake of the grass!!!), I'll not upload any more, just yet.

Like I said.

A nice start to March.

FEMALE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER ON POST!

This morning is the first time I've seen the hen on the post - previously it had always been the bolder male.

Good news - though I was gutted I wasn't in my hide, not 8' away from the woodpecker, instead I was watching from behind double glazing again, about 80' away.

I'll hope to get some great shots when I do get back into the hide!

As normal, click either image to enlarge.

MALE WOODPECKER ON FEEDING POST. AT LAST.

Click on any image to enlarge.

Forgive the background to these shots won't you? (I can't help it if the recreation ground behind our house was condemned afer the summer floods, can I? Atually, I know a little more about this recreation ground than the powers that be would like, but I can't let on here....)

I took these photographs not from the hide, 12' away from the post, but from inside the house, 80' from the post, through double glazing, in a blue funk, so to speak.

Note the lil' beggar's clawed feet - two claws facing forward, and two back, unlike most birds with three forward and one back, which is also unlike the swift - all four forward! Note also the pronged tail, comprising of VERY stiff tail feathers, which it'll use as a support - to brace itself against the trunk or branch of the tree its on.

I know the male has visited the feeding post I erected months ago, but possibly only once or twice.

I wish I was in the hide to take these, but I now have new resolve to take a big mug of tea into the hide, and wait for this very nice bird to make a guest of honour appearance once more!

BOTH WOODPECKERS AT THE SAME TIME...

I don't want to boast or owt, but....

Thought I'd pop 4 photographs (taken this afternoon) of both of our woodpeckers feeding in a nearby Lime tree (the one adjacent to ours).

They're not great photographs - taken from distance again - I'm having trouble getting near these beautiful birds.

The last photo is of the male, the penultimate of the female, and the two before, of both - see if you can spot them amongst all the branches! Click any image to enlarge.

CHIFFCHAFF (2) AND FEMALE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER (+RAT)

Click to enlarge any of these images

(The Woodpecker is starling-size and the Chiffchaff is the size of a Blue Tit)

More of the same I'm afraid, though with a promise of better to come...

We had our first glimpse of the sun in a week this morning (looks like quite a nice day actually), so I took the opportunity to try and get a couple of better photographs of our overwintering Chiffchaff, and one of the woodpeckers if possible.

Think I managed it (well, they're improving, anyway), but I'm off to buy a cheap camouflage tent that I can use as a hide in the garden today (or this weekend), so you can expect MUCH better photographs soon.

On the subject of much better photographs etc..., I ran a test last night, using my camera as a video camera. I actually found it very simple, and pretty good quality actually.

I will endeavour to post some very short (no more than 60 sconds) videos on BG and my Youtube channel very soon. (Not just of the inside of the nest box).

I'm VERY excited by this, ESPECIALLY as I briefly saw next doors' rat on our compost heap this morning...!

THREE WOODPECKERS

Because of yesterday's exciting news about the male Great Spotted Woodpecker's discovery of the woodpecker post in the garden, I got out there early this morning (after work) and replenished the old suet and nuts (they'd been there for weeks after all).

So.... now our woodpecker post is covered in fresh suet and nuts - waiting to be discovered again.

As we had our morning barrel of coffee in the garden, Anna and I saw THREE woodpeckers on the Lime tree.

The female Great Spotted Woodpecker arrived first. Then a male Green Woodpecker, finally followed by our intrepid discoverer, the male Great Spotted Woodpecker.

You know how to distinguish between Great Spotted Woodpecker sexes (male has red on back of his crown), so what about Green Woodpeckers.

Well, both sexes of Green Woodpeckers have black "moustaches". The female's moustache is all black (I knew a Greek woman like that once!) whereas the male's moustache is black, filled with red.

Look really carefully at the photo of our Green visitor, and you may jussst be able to make out a little red in his black moustache....

Unfortunately NONE of them investigated the post (not that I expected the Green Woodpecker to do so), and the light was so bad again this morning, that the two photographs I got, of the Green male and the Spotted female are simply apalling.

It was like shooting at silhouettes, at night, with a silly film and shutter speed, at some distance, to a small target above my head! I'm amazed I got anything!

All we want is a little sun, and I'll give you some lovely pictures of our Woodpecker visitors!

Just some sunnnn......

Click any of the two images above to enlarge. (If you really want)!

The first is of the female Great Spotted Woodpecker, the second of the male Green Woodpecker.

Just some sunnnn.... purlease.....!

FENCE-POST WOODPECKERS & FENCE-POST JUMPERS

Fence-post jumpers above.

Fence-post woodpeckers below...

GREAT NEWS!
After 8 weeks or so, our "woodpecker-attracting fence-post" has finally come good!
No pictures (YET) I'm afraid, but about 30 minutes ago, Anna and I were treated to the brief sight of a Male Great Spotted Woopecker, on our suety-nutty 8'post. BRILLIANT!
The female was in the Lime tree at the same time also.

The only reason I didn't get a photo, was because within about 30 seconds after he hopped along the gate, checked out the band of red paint (to attract them) and got on the feeder proper, along came one of the 6 or so (thats all) daily cars along the service road, t'other side of the fence. Talk about bad timing!

Actually, I did get a shot, but it is so bad - I'll not post it unless I have to (ie they never return - and I cannot see that happening).

So - eight weeks of NOTHING - then two at once, and over so soon, because of one dozy car.
Grrrrrr!

I will top up the post with suet and nuts and remain vigilant, with camera poised....
They'll be back. I promise...!


As for the Fence-post jumpers.
Well, you know what those are.
I had a little exploration of my old green t-shirt which was left on the ground by the back wall of the house over the autumn and winter.
Lovely to find (at least) 3 Fence-Post jumper "lairs", and I took the opportunity to snap a few photographs of my favourite spiders...
Click to enlarge any of the above images...

FEMALE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER

Well, I went out nice and early to see if the Peregrine was still in town.

It wasn't, of course!

Had to make do with getting a pretty poor shot (again) of our visiting Great (NOT GreatER, as some peole insist on calling it) Spotted Woodpecker.

I'm determined to get a better shot of this beautiful bird - I'm getting there slowly....

Click to enlarge

MALE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER ON LIME TREE

Apologies for the image quality on this one.

You'll just have to take my word for it that this was a male, and had a red band on the rear of its crown...

Click to enlarge.

NB. And a couple of days later, here is the female (take my word for it, this bird had NO red flash on the back of her crown - meaning a hen bird).

A FRUSTRATING DAY...

My last day off for some time today. So I've been catching up on must do things.
'Twas a beautiful day until lunch time - but since then the wind has really got up, and brought in "heavy horizontal showers".

All the shots of the squirl below, and the three shots of various birds above were taken from inside the house, through dirty (shame), rain-spattered double glazing - so they are hardly great quality, and not likely to find a spot in the "New Warren".

I missed the opportunity to photograph a small rat that obviously is one of a few? nesting under next doors' shed, wander across their patio (they would have a FIT if they knew!), and I missed ANOTHER opportunity to film (video) inside the nestbox, as the male Blue Tit (I think) moved the camera a little.

On the plus side, a male Great Spotted Woodpecker (the one I set up the feeding post for), returned to the Lime Tree at the end of the garden. Bad news being I did get a shot - but one of the worst photographs I've ever taken I think. You'll see it above.
Even worse than that - the Woodpecker in the photograph is sitting about 12 foot RIGHT ABOVE its suety, nutty post - it obviously didn't see it as food.... I hope it will one day - I think it will...

The birds in and around the garden were going mental in these on/off showers.
It was very nice to see a couple of Goldfinches alight on the feeder again, and also good to watch the Redwing feeding just over the fence.

I'm going to have to set-up another makeshift hide in a month or so (we chucked the old one in the dump at the weekend), to try and get some really nice, close-up shots...

MORE GARDEN BIRDS

We've had some cold, frosty and foggy nights in the last week or so. I hear the weather is set to get warmer and wetter now.
Just in the last three days we've noticed a significant increase and regularity of birds visiting the garden, and feeder(s).

Both Blue Tits are picking sunflower hearts from the posh feeder, as is a very boldly-coloured Great Tit, and at least two pairs of Greenfnches.
A Robin and a Dunnock also - quite unusual for them to feed from a feeder, and the ubiquitous House Sparrows.
The starlings are in their glorious winter plumage now, and the Woodpigeons are still picking up dregs from the feeding of the smaller birds on the feeeder...
The Blackbirds are still "pit-stopping" with us on the way to next doors' berry bush and I've noticed a few Chaffinches occasionally with us too.

Yesterday, we noticed one solitary Goldfinch on the Lime Tree at the end of the garden, but today literally five minutes ago, AT LONG LAST, a Goldfinch took from the feeder.
We've had the odd visit in the last 5 months, but thats been about it - nothing really to speak of regarding Goldfinches since we flew out to Kephalonia at the back end of July!!!

We really hope this is not a one-off fleeting visit - and we get our Goldfinches back to stay. With my new camera, I should be able to get some really nice photographs of them, given time.

Oh. One last point. We've both noted now that the Blue Tits are definitely checking out the new nestcam box. Maybe they've visited the box (externally) every day for the past week or so - hard to tell really.
I'm VERY confident we'll have nesting birds come March or April.
REALLY good news....

I'm sitting here overlooking the garden now - and there are SIX species of birds at present, below me, including one of the Tits on the roof of the nest box.
Something I've not seen in this garden before - six species together! Things ARE finally looking up!
Just waiting for the woodpecker to visit its feeder now...

GARDEN BIRDS

Just a few notes on the few garden birds we have at present.
Our feeding station is, in my opinion, complete. Four small shop-bought fat balls, a peanut net, the suety, nutty, woodpecker post and the old faithful, the expensive niger and sunflower heart feeder, for the "Fortnum and Mason shoppers" of the avian world.

Not much to report though really.

Still no Goldfinches - I haven't really heard them overhead since the "summer" either - though every time I pop out of the office, I hear and see them. I do hope they'll be back.

The expensive feeder is still attracting fleeting visits from the odd Great Tit, and two Blue Tits (I hope these are the two that will take to roosting and then nesting in the nestbox (with camera) in a few months time.

The Woodpecker post still hasn't fulfilled its raison d'etre. I've taken to sprinkling a few mixed seeds on the gate post adjacent to it, and this has brought in half a dozen plump Woodpigeons, but nowt else yet.

We have two Dunnocks that peck about on the compost heap under the feeders, after something ( a Tit, usually) has pecked at the feeders, but we need those messy feeders, the Goldfinches, to return, to cover the ground in discarded seed bits, to really satisfy those little "Hedge Sparrows".

We are often used as a landing stage for a couple of Blackbirds (mainly the hen) to launch a raid on next doors' berry bush - something we are sorely missing.

I've also noted one Robin recently, not staying long, but appearing with more regularity these days.

The Large Lime tree behind the fence generally has something in it, whether its the regular, dozen-strong winter flock of Long-Tailed Tits, a couple of Carrion Crows, a Pigeon or two, a Mistle Thrush or one of the Tits - but I haven't seen the once-regular Great Spotted Woodpecker in that tree for some time now - or for that matter, heard it either.

Finally, we have the obligatory half a dozen or so House Sparrows that fly in occasionally, for a quick raid, and of course the odd Cormorant, Kite, Black-Headed Gull that flies overhead.

Not great really, but with the addition of a makeshift bird bath ( a tray), and the onset last week, of much colder weather - I'm expecting our feathered visitors to increase substantially over the next month or two.
I write this today, as this morning, we've had pretty well ALL of the above visit - something I haven't seen for some time - so I presume things are looking up?

Oh. One more thing. Since installing the nestcam, no Tit has taken to roosting in the box overnight yet - in fact I haven't even seen one investigate the new box yet. Patience is a virtue you know....

NB. STOP PRESS. 11:00am 16/12/07. We've just seen (witnessed) the first visit to our new nestcam by a pair of Blue Tits!!!! The garden this morning has been very busy in terms of bird activity - a starling or two on the fat balls, Blackbirds, House Sparrows, Dunnocks, Chaffinches and Tits in the garden, and now, finally, the first (that we've witnessed anyway) inspection of the new nestcam box.

One of the pair decided to check out the boiler flue (its off I should point out at this stage), whilst the other perched on the roof of the box, looked inside, flew inside, stayed there for a few seconds, left and perched on the roof again, and then repeated the process.

REALLY good news! I'm MUCH more confident now, that we may have a rooster when the really cold weather sets in, and a nest in the spring - all caught on video! Unfortunately I did NOT manage to capture the visit today on the nestcam - the whole inspection was over in about 8 seconds - too quick for me I'm afraid...

Next time...

G.S. WOODPECKER

Today I was fortunate enough to hear a Woodpecker calling nearby, and was then treated to a wonderful, long view of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker (not a "Greater" spotted Woodpecker as lots of people call it, due probably to the name of the other spotted woodpecker in the UK, the "Lesser" Spotted Woodpecker). After hearing it and keeping my eyes peeled, it flew over my head and began feeding on the large tree at the end of our garden.
One can tell the sex of the (blackbird-sized) GSW by looking at its head. All juveniles (both sexes) have a scraggy red crown for a short time. The adult females will lose all the red plumage and exhibit a totally black 'cap', whereas the adult male will show a bright red stripe on its nape, (as in the photo). The bird I saw was a beautiful adult male, very vocal and not at all bothered by the two huge woodpigeons it fed right between. NB. Should you want to 'attract' woodpeckers to you, on a woodland walk, listen carefully for any calling, then take two flints and tap them together loudly and every so often. Most male (and some female) woodpeckers find this 'intruder noise' intriguing, and will come and check you out! Just do NOT wear a tuxedo and a red scarf whilst doing this, or you might get more than you bargained for...