The Warblers have Arrived
This week's lockdown listing has consisted mainly of garden birding.
I have been out on a couple of short walks in the fields behind my house though. These brought a couple of new lockdown ticks in the form of Red-legged Partridge, Jay, Green Woodpecker and my first Willow Warbler of the year, singing from the plantation along the Ivanhoe Way. This is such an evocative sign of spring.
As soon as I got back from my walk, I opened my bedroom window and saw a phyllosc. warbler in the garden. It had a long primary projection and pink legs, then sure enough it sang. Willow Warbler. A fantastic record for the garden and not one we get often. #41.
I had to wait until Thursday for my next addition. A Mistle Thrush flew over with nest material and a very distant Pheasant finally barked loud enough from the fields to be heard from the house.
Yesterday started with another two Mistle Thrushes. Why is it that as soon as you first see a bird they're suddenly everywhere?! But the day itself was set to be a warbler day. Chiffchaff and a singing Blackcap both in the garden took me to #45 in my lockdown garden list and completes the set of reasonably reliable warblers I could expect to get in my garden this year. Now it's down to the Lesser Whitethroat that I had 10 years ago to make a reappearance...
I'm really pleased by 45 - it's nearing the total number of birds I've recorded in my garden in the entire time I've lived here. However, it's dwarfed somewhat by Stanford Birder who's currently sat on 71! I'm hoping I can get to 50 soon. That feels like a big milestone but should definitely be possible; the hirundines and Swift will come eventually and I reliably see Rook & Kestrel just 200m away - surely they'll have to wander eventually?
I have been out on a couple of short walks in the fields behind my house though. These brought a couple of new lockdown ticks in the form of Red-legged Partridge, Jay, Green Woodpecker and my first Willow Warbler of the year, singing from the plantation along the Ivanhoe Way. This is such an evocative sign of spring.
As soon as I got back from my walk, I opened my bedroom window and saw a phyllosc. warbler in the garden. It had a long primary projection and pink legs, then sure enough it sang. Willow Warbler. A fantastic record for the garden and not one we get often. #41.
I had to wait until Thursday for my next addition. A Mistle Thrush flew over with nest material and a very distant Pheasant finally barked loud enough from the fields to be heard from the house.
Yesterday started with another two Mistle Thrushes. Why is it that as soon as you first see a bird they're suddenly everywhere?! But the day itself was set to be a warbler day. Chiffchaff and a singing Blackcap both in the garden took me to #45 in my lockdown garden list and completes the set of reasonably reliable warblers I could expect to get in my garden this year. Now it's down to the Lesser Whitethroat that I had 10 years ago to make a reappearance...
I'm really pleased by 45 - it's nearing the total number of birds I've recorded in my garden in the entire time I've lived here. However, it's dwarfed somewhat by Stanford Birder who's currently sat on 71! I'm hoping I can get to 50 soon. That feels like a big milestone but should definitely be possible; the hirundines and Swift will come eventually and I reliably see Rook & Kestrel just 200m away - surely they'll have to wander eventually?
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