After 8 species seen on my garden feeders (robin, blackbird, blue tit, great tit, starling, wood pigeon, house sparrow and goldfinch) I headed over to a very muddy local country park at Stanton Fitzwarren, to see if I could add a few more species. It is my local hotspot for nuthatches and marsh tits, and these were soon seen as I stood away from the bird table after stopping to top it up with bird seed. Two of each of these were seen, together with coal tit . On the water were mallard, coot and mute swans.
marsh tit
black headed gull
nuthatch
robin
blue tit
coal tit
As I left the country park, it began to rain and this became heavier as I got home.Later, through the window, during a delicious roast lamb dinner at my sister's house in Faringdon, I spotted a red kite circling over their garden ready to swoop on the lamb bone put out ready, although it did not actually come down while I was there.
After stopping back home to change, I drove over to Lower Moor Farm in the Water Parks, where I was hopeful of seeing bullfinches and possibly a reed bunting.
A lot of water was laying around on the entrance to the nature reserve and I was glad of the wellies again. It is only a short walk to the hide from the car park, and I sat down at the window overlooking the feeders, with the lake on my right. A male bullfinch was sitting in a nearby bush whilst numerous blue tits and great tits feasted on the peanuts in a hanging feeder.
During my visit there, I also saw dunnock, magpie, male reed bunting, long tailed tits and male and female chaffinches. As the light began to fade, the bird table became a frenzy of activity, with three bullfinches, 2 male and 1 female all joining in
A nice start to the new year.
male bullfinch
great tit
view across lake in the late afternoon sun
reed bunting
long tailed tit
long tailed tits
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