I’ve made it out a few times recently but I only got a little bit further than this at Stanwick Lakes the other day before the water was too deep for wellies.
It hasn’t felt much like spring to me, but some of the birds seem to believe it is. Great Tits are in full song (but they are nutters!) including one with a strange buzzy song – a single note which ends with a trill.
Reed Buntings and Chaffinches are singing these days – at least sometimes.
There are a lot of singing Song Thrushes – perhaps more than usual?
Cetti’s Warblers are sneezing and exploding in song in the reedbed and surrounding scrub.
One of the Oystercatchers is now shouting its head off even though all of the usual nest sites are a few feet under water.
A couple of Bramblings flew over on one of my recent visits (my first for 2014 and my 3rd-ever record here) and the large flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plovers show that it is still winter.
There are plenty of Goldeneye too, which shows that it is winter, but even on the coldest day the males are now throwing their heads back in display and it is only a couple of months until the females might be exploring nest holes in trees (or nestboxes) in northern Scotland or Scandinavia.
I heard a couple of strange bird calls. The first caught my attention coming from a thick hedgerow. There were Chaffinches, Goldfinches and a Greenfinch when the flock flew off, and the noise might have been made by one of them, but it might also have come from my first Redpoll of the year which I wouldn’t have seen had I not heard something different. It may well have been a strange Chaffinch call, and nothing to do with the Redpoll, but it led to me seeing one of my favourite finches.
The other call was a twittering song which sounded familiar but perplexed me momentarily as it was the first time I had heard it for months and it was in a part of my walk where I wouldn’t have expected it. When I realised what it was, a chill went through me that wasn’t caused by the wind. It was that evil bird, that nasty bird – the Linnet!. This one seemed to want to breed – so there might be even more of the little devils soon. It’s a thought that is scary enough to freeze the soul, even on a warm day (which this wasn’t).
I hope you haven’t had too many scary encounters with Linnets – how is your birding going? Signs of spring?
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yes mark birds are starting singing in a morning and black birds chaffinch goldfinches sparrows all at it plus have mates
Bird song in middle of Sandy too. Very lovely. Why the evil Linnet, please?
Elisabeth -linnets are just nasty little birds. all twittery and with unpleasant thoughts- you can tell just by looking at them!
I wonder what those nice Linnets would say about you if they could talk. I saw Great Crested Grebes pairing up last Friday at Marbury Park and daffodils are starting to sprout up all along the walk to school.
Findlay – those evil linnets would say nasty things about me. Take my word for it – they aren’t nice.
Lots of exhausted Auks being washed up on Chesil beach mostly dead,the clever Divers,Grebes all 5 types and Mergansers the other side of road in calm Portland Harbour,calm in comparison anyway.
Dennis – I envy you Dennis!
Tough on Linnets ! They can’t help twittering almost as much as you, Mark, and for me they are THE indicator of rough habitat – the ever decreasing thistly bits that still hang onto some wildlife amongst the concrete, farming and even nature conservation ! (let alone forestry)
roderick – evil chinless wonders!
When I was very young and didn’t know any better, I poached a linnet’s egg and kept it in a tin for ages! Probably the reason they’re such psychopaths!
Mark,wife says as Linnets have some red on head and breast(think that is what she said but I am colour blind on red)you should like Linnets as they are Labours colours.
Do feel privileged as in a circle within easy reach we have all rspb levels reserves,N E Shapwick,Somerset Wildlife reserves Catcott,West Hayes,Weymouth rspb reserves,Portland,Hampshires Blashford Lakes and Wilts Langford Lakes.How lucky to have all that more or less free except for small sub each year and one place I think asks for small donation.Many thanks to them all including rspb who do a great job at all the reserves in this area.
Oh yes I appreciate rspb and praise them and only one or two things I think they get wrong,that is not bad for a large organisation.
Signs of spring? Golden Eagle switch-back/zoom display last week at the Kyle of Durness – most impressive – and some Tysties in summer plumage during WeBS task.
Mistle thrush in full song atop the highest tree by my B&B in Suffolk yesterday.
Evil Linnet photo here – http://t.co/pApqOHa8iq
I see what you mean about the Linnet, their eyes are very close together too close, I saw a flock of about 35 and was forced to walk away at speed. I understand they’re very handy at pick pocketing too!
A pair of collared doves nest building in the holly bush last month.
Far too many of these linnets around – I must have seen at least two in my lifetime. I blame the Environment Agency.