The Lincolnshire Bird Club

GOOD NEWS! The juv skinny Blackie is now growing well and three or four times the size it was I've taking pics of it most days last week.

June 24th: spotted dad Blackie getting plenty of food and going into the privet hedge and hoping the young un was hiding in there.

June 25th: skinny juv Blackie much bigger but still got no tail. Spotted a single Greenfinch.

June 26th: in Leeds all day.

June 28th: skinny juv Blackie getting by the day and now joined by a sibling and both being fed by dad with no sign of mum In back garden saw an adult Blue Tit feeding black sunflower seeds to one juv.

June 29th: Now skinny juv Blackie and sibling joined by another sibling, and still only dad feeding them, I can only assume that mum is with another young un that hasn't left the nest. Late evening spotted both adults feeding the three juvs

June 30th: Only seen two juvs being fed by dad, so not sure what's happened to the youngest and mum.
Other these taking up my time I've seen three W Pigs, a juv Spug being fed by dad, two Doves and very little else, but while cutting the grass noticed the nyger feeder almost empty so must have had some Goldfinches.
Lovely evening with wind getting up.

Regards

JTG

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Had a short break in Norfolk beginning July, so it's catch-up time.

July 14th: Adult male Blackie feeding four juvs in front garden all week
July 15th: Adult male Blackie feeding five Juvs in front garden. I was sat on the ledge of the window box throwing them dried mealworms, two of the juvs came to my feet and Dad was only feet from me, I daren't breathe in case they scarpered . Also noticed a Robin getting very close so held some m/worms in my hand in the hope it would land on my hand but after a while my hand was aching so went in. Also had c20 Jackdaw over.
July 16th: c50 Rooks.

July 23rd: At 21:45 went out back and perched on gate was a juv Wood Pigeon as I went to open it the bird never moved the cat did, luckily it didn't see the bird. I decided it would be better to use the french windows and leave the bird in peace. I wondered if it would be there next day or would there be a pile of feathers , never saw it again so ...

July 24th: During the evening while sat outside noticed a good number of gulls (mostly Black-headed) and Swifts/H Martins overhead, got me bins and yes the flying ants were aloft, but no where near as many as other years. And the frenzy didn't last as long.

Beginning of this week found a nest in the lilac of the area I refer to as the Triangle, not sure what is in it, as the nest is too high. Looks like a Blackie from it's bill. Still got a few Sparrows and one Goldfinch, a few Wood Pigeons and C Doves.

I'm ready for me tea

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

July 27th: Wood Pigeon - 2 juvs in front garden.

Aug 1st: On waking and opening curtain spotted 5 LT Tit's, 1 juv Blue Tit and 1 juv Great Tit in tree outside, didn't have specs on so cannot say if the LTT were adult or juvs. While having a breather mid-afternoon sat in chair at end of back garden looked up and c20 Swift/House Martin were high up, so got bins and could see the flying ants up, I'd seen them on path.

Did some more weeding then had another rest and was looking aloft and spotted an Hobby ducking and diving going west towards school. Had one a good few years ago. Well chuffed!

I had a text saying an Osprey had been seen over Ashby. Will have to keep an eye out it's nearly a year since one came over the garden.

The butterflies are going up in number

Aug 2nd: Spotted the male Blackie going into the triangle Lilac where the female as it turns out has been sitting on nest, this is the 6th brood this year for the Blackies, think we have two pair possibly three, no casualtys as far as I know.

ATB

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Aug 6th: LT Tit - 6 with five on one nut feeder. Blue Tit - 1, Blackie - 3 juvs.
Aug 10th: Goldfinch - 5 with one juv, Greenfinch - 1juv + 1 adult, Blackie - 3 juv and 1 adult, C Doves 2 juvs.

Aug 27th:

Robin, Dunnock, Greenfinch - 1 + 1juv.

Regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Aug 28th: House Spugs - 6
Aug 29th: Goldfinch - 1 adult + 4 juvs
Aug 30th: Robin - 1, Goldfinch - 2 adult + 4 juvs, Blackie 1pr + 3 juvs.

Sept 1st: Goldfinch - 7 adult + 4 juvs, Greenfinch - 1, Blue Tit - 1 juv, Great Tit - 1, Coal Tit - 1, Chaffinch - 1, Robin - 1, C Dove - 2 adult + 2 juvs, Blackie 1pr + 4 juvs, W Pigeon - 2, Spugs - 8.

Sept 2nd: Goldfinch - 7 adult + 5 juvs, Spugs - 6, C Dove - 2 + 2 juvs, House Martin - 1 overhead, Blackie - 1pr + 4 juvs, W Pigeon - 2, Greenfinch - 3.

The Rowan is abso' heaving never seen so many on and the wild cherry is loaded. Had wondered about making some rowan jelly but having never had any don't want to waste them. Bit early to think about the Waxwings .

Regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Sept 3rd: Goldfinch - 5 adult + 7 juvs plus usual crowd.

Sept 20th:

Greenfinch - 8 (including 1 juv) on the conifer
Blue Tit - 4
Great Tit - 1
Dunnock - 1
C Dove - 1
Wood Pigeon - 1 adult + 1 juv
Spug - 1
Blackie - 2 juvs
Sprawk - 1 over
House Martin - 1 over

Sept 21st: Robin pecking at my home made fat balls, nothing else had touched them
Dunnock - 1 juv

Sept 22nd: female Blackie collecting nesting material.

Sept 24th: Great Tit - 2.
Sept 27th: Great Tit - 2, Bluey - 1

Greenfinch are here every day getting peanuts and black sunflower seeds, Blackies are getting the rowan berries and dried mealworms etc.

While I remember just passing on good wishes to those in America who are reading this and my other "My Garden" sections, thanks very much for taking the time it's really appreciated

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

It's time to get this up to date now I've recovered (it's taken two weeks) after my two weeks in D & G. Hoping to write report in next few days.

Right: Not much happened in October mainly because I didn't feel well enough to fill the feeders on many days so only got the regulars visiting.

Oct 7th: Great Tit - 2, C Dove - 4, Greenfinch - 5.

Oct 12th - 26th away. I did all my watching from the car, either in it or sat/stood against it and when I returned home I was shattered! Maybe it was the ten days of torrential rain that wore me out!

Nov 4th/5th: H Spugs - 6, Robin - 1, C Dove - 2, Blackie - 6, Goldfinch - 2, Blue Tit - 2, Great Tit - 1, W Pigeon - 2.

This week upwards of a dozen at any time have been taking the berries from both the rowan and wild cherry, at the rate they are taking them I don't hold much hope for the Fieldfare etc. While I've been here not seen much action from the Starlings.

Well that's got up to date and time for summat to eat.

Nearly forgot I just wrote a piece in reply to Colin Smale's CATS thread on Lincs Chat I think, have a peep you may find it informative and possibly funny .

Kind Regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Had an off day yesterday and didn't feel like going out or doing owt, while I was looking out back bedroom window spotted a bird soaring not too far up, got the old bins and checked to find it was a Buzzard then went downstairs and got new bins and watched it while it went over the house (could have fetched camera and got some decent shots but nah wanted to view it through bins) I could clearly see all its markings and it's head moving from side to side . Some of you will think I'm going over top seeing a Buzz but that bird cheered me up no end . So decided to fill some of the feeders and bird table.

Today the H Spugs are hammering away at the fat balls, but oddly the biggest feeder that hold about a dozen none of them were on it and the one that holds four there were nine birds pecking away . During day seen a Robin on the apex of bird table, 10 Goldfinch on the nyger, another dozen H Spugs in front garden having the fat balls and black sunflower seeds, one Chaffinch, C Doves - 5, two Common Gull over and two Jackdaw over.

Yesterday (10th): H Spugs - 15, Greenfinch -3, Dunnock - 1, Blue Tit - 2, Great Tit - 1, plus the doves, Blackies and Goldfinch.

Cheers

JTG

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Nov 24th: late afternoon while in back yard heard the familiar honks coming looked up and 26 pink feet quite low going north west in vee formation, enjoyed them. Already put sighting on Bird Sightings.

Past week the number of birds coming has increased as usual. The Spug's number about 20 but expect that to double in next week or so. The Blackie's are still hammering away at the berries but not quite as many birds still here, only seen about 4 but there is loads of fruit left, noticed the rowan only has almost inaccessible berries left and been watching the antics of Blackie's trying to get them.

The Goldfinch gang has been drastically reduced cos I need some niger, only seen 2 of late. The Greenfinch are having the black sunflower seeds and some peanuts. But the Spug's much prefer the fat balls than the peanuts and sunflower seeds but still eat them. Not had any W Pigeon of late, but still getting the C Dove. Had 2 Magpie. Monday had 5 Common Gull coming to the garage roof for scraps. Not seen Robin or Chaffinch this week.

Nov 26th: Next door a female Sprawk carried off a carcass not sure what it was but C Dove is her favourite.

That's all folks!

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

What to do while the car is having its MOT
Just watch the garden - and hat a day it has been and there is still a couple of hours of daylight left yet

goldfinch 34 eating me out of house and home with the amount of nyger seed they are getting through
lesser redpoll (my first of this winter). Iwill need a second mortgage if they eat the same amount of nyger seed as they did last winter
chaffinch 16
redwing 2
brambling 1
coal tit 4
greenfinch 4
magpie 3
great tit 8
blue tit 8
wood pigeon 8
collared dove 3
carrion crow 10 over
black headed gull 4 over
blackbird 12
robin 3
and a persistant squirrell

Nov 30th:

While getting breakfast ready happened to look out the kitchen window and saw a shape in the tree, went for bins and it wasn't a cat it was the female Sprawk looking for a meal, thankfully the leaves were almost all off plus the Sun was shining. Fetched the P510 and tripod and at first took a few pics without it but my hands shake a bit these days, so set it up on tripod. Decided breakfast could wait! While watching through bins I could clearly see Blue and great Tit within feet of it, think they may have been playing "chicken" with it, also Blackies and Chaffinch were directly behind it, maybe it was hoping a Collared Dove would appear . In total I took seven short videos totalling thirty minutes and shot forty pics off, found it interesting to watch it preen and scan the area. After fifty-five minutes it went to the top of conifer next to it to get better view. It suddenly flew towards me and up over the roof and back through next doors garden and back into the street empty-handed.

Dec 4th:

Spotted something not seen before two Wood Pigeon hanging upside down getting the berries, agile blighters aren't they for their size. Also a single Dunnock.

Dec 8th: Blue Tit - 3

Dec 11th:

Once again getting breakfast ready spotted what I thought was a very small bird in the fat ball feeder, got bins and to my surprise it was Wood Mouse, the feeder is about six feet off ground, must have been Supermouse The feeder only had three balls in and the mouse had got right in and well out of sight and was tucking in, so got the P510 out and took some shots but the light was poor. Waited a while then went to the feeder hoping it didn't scarper, it didn't it froze, and I got a few decent pics and a video, I said thanks and it carried on eating as I walked away. Well chuffed it made my day. Also had c20 Starling, 5 Blackie, 12 Goldfinch, 11 Spugs, 4 C Dove, 1 W Pigeon, 1 Dunnock, 3 Greenfinch, 2 of each Blue & Great Tits.

Dec 20th:

Spugs - c20, Blackie - 4, Blue Tit - 2, Starling - 6, W Pigeon - 1, Common Gull - 13 over, Goldfinch - 8.

HAPPY XMAS TO ONE AND ALL

Kind regards

Max aka John

PS: well done Chris on an excellent garden list

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

29th Dec:

Common Gull - c30 in neighbours garden probably feasting on leftover turkey couple of gardens away.
Dunnock - 2
Robin - 1
Chaffinch - 6
Greenfinch - 3
Goldfinch - 6
Starling - 12
Spugs - 6
Blackie - 2
Blue tit - 1
W Pigeon - 2
C Dove - 2
Magpie - 1

Jan 4th 2014

Magpie - 1
Goldfinch - 10
Greenfinch - 3

Jan 8th:

Male Sprawk dropped by for tea and got it's reward and flew off towards old school tree
Wood Pigeon - 14 over
Gulls - 25 over
Starling - 20 over
Greenfinch - 5
Spugs - 20 in front garden
Goldfinch - 3
C Dove - 2
Magpie - 1
Blue Tit - 2
Blackie - 2

Jan 10th:

Pink - Feet - c60 over north-west ( put it on Bird Sightings) at 10:00 as I was going to dentist.

Jan 16th

Blue Tit - 4
Great Tit - 2
Wood Pigeon - 4
C Dove - 4
Greenfinch - 3
Goldfinch - 12
Spugs - c20
Blackie - 1pr
Dunnock - 1
Chaffinch - 4
Starling - 12
Common Gull - 3 over
Chinook chopper - 1 going north-east

Rarely go out so seeing more. Not been birdwatching since hols in October other than keeping eye out on visits to Leeds which seem to be quite often of late. Will have to get out or I'll be turning into an hermit

Kind regards

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

Time for an update. Still not been anywhere other than Leeds. Not been too good of late and neither has the weather.

Jan 19th:

I cannot remember the last time if at all I saw two Robin in the garden, well this day I did, they landed in the lilac just outside kitchen window, that made my day! Also saw the following: Blue Tit - 4, Great Tit - 2, Goldfinch - 20, LT Tit - 2, H Spugs - 18, Greenfinch - 4, Blackie - 1pr, Jackdaw - 1, Wren - 1, Chaffinch - 5, Starling, Common Gull - 11, Magpie - 1, Wood Pigeon - 2 and C Dove - 4.

Jan 23rd: Greenfinch - 17 that's the most for a couple of year.
Jan 25th: Sprawk - 1 female left empty taloned , Robin - 1, Dunnock - 1, Coal Tit - 1 plus usual gang.
Jan 29th: Sprawk - 1 female passed through back garden and again left with nowt, Dunnock - 2, Robin - 2, Greenfinch - 3 Blackie - 1pr.
Jan 31st: Magpie - 1, Robin - 1, Dunnock - 1, C Dove - 4, W Pigeon - 1, Goldfinch - 12, H Spugs - c20, Starling - 11, Chaffinch - 4, Greenfinch -5.

Feb 4th: : Blackie _ 4, Great Tit & Blue Tit - 4 of each plus usual gang.
Feb 5th: Common Gull - 12 ( I put out the fatty parts of my gammon joint they took it off garage roof), Chaffinch - 9, Goldfinch - 16, Blackie - 4, H Spugs - 15, Great Tit & Blue Tit - 3 of each, Robin - 1, Greenfinch - 5, C Dove - 5, W Pigeon - 2, Crow - 1 ( managed to get some fat before the gulls ).

Been enjoying the birds of late especially the gulls when they spot me putting the scraps out, they start kicking up a racket and as soon as I go in it's every gull for itself and they sweep down and try to land, which isn't easy cos it isn't a flat roof but they manage it.

That's all for now.

Cheers

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

How do all/

Feb 10th: Blue and Great Tit - 2 of each.

Feb 28th: female Blackie building nest in the ivy in front garden, very close to where one had a nest last year early on.

March 2nd: Magpie - 1, Rook - 1, Common Gull - 3, Spugs - 12, C Dove - 3, Golds - 3, Great Tit - 2, Blue Tit - 2, Greenf - 2.

March 4th: LT Tit - 2, Dunnock - 2, Magpie, Blackie, Blue Tit - 2, W Pigeon - 1, Jackdaw - 4, Common Gull - 3, Golds - 3, Greens - 3, Spugs - 11, Stars - 7, C.Dove - 2.

March 5th: Blue. Great & LT Tit - 2 of each, Magpie - 2.

Seriously thinking of getting some bird boxes even though there is plenty of hedges/trees for the birds to nest, one of my mates said that tits don't nest there they want holes etc. Had thought of getting toolkit out and making them my self but.............. will check out somewhere or other. Wonder if any members make them? .

Today was up at 06:00 so got to see more action than at my usual time, I'd put some bread on garage roof last weekend and was contemplating taking it off and binning it, well this morning what was left was sorted by four Jackdaw and a Wood Pigeon .

Don't usually get sunflower hearts preferring black sunflower seeds, but yesterday got a small bag of the former, to see how the birds take to them. The spugs by far prefer fat balls, which I get from Instore for £4.99 for 50 and they love them

Time for a cuppa, bye all.

Regards

JTG

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

March 13th: There were 3 eggs in the Blackbird's nest in front garden.
March 18th: Male Blackie taking food to nest.
[b]March 19th: Joined the BTO Nesting Survey.
March 23rd:[/b] Female Sprawk landed in tree in front garden only a few feet from the lounge window.
March 24th/25th: Spotted at least one juv Blackie in nest, with dad coming regular with food
March 26th: Wren and Dunnock plus usual gang.

Cheers

John

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol