Year list level with 2014 - #134

A mad dash to the line this year with no less than 4 year ticks in a couple of days!
Topped off today with COMMON GULL flying around Brimham Rocks today
Here's a pic of a pair of BULLFINCHES in Jen & Jons garden

Mr & Mrs on the niger seed

Water rail at Staveley

A family trip to a lovely nature reserve on a chilly morning produced GOLDENEYE, TREE SPARROW, YELLOWHAMMER, LAPWING, COAL TIT and crippling views of a WATER RAIL

Water rail at Staverley

Denz & Harry enjoying a stroll

Dening Foster selfie! 

Tree sparrow on the feeder

Goldeneye on the lake 

Waxwing Ahoy!

Making the most of a trip up north to see the family, a trip out early morning in minus 3 degrees, a single WAXWING appeared in Starbeck in the morning light

Waxwing in the morning light 

Crippling views of the Waxwing

Solitary bird

A Festive scene

Christmas Kingfisher

A walk with Anna & Harry along the canal after lunch with the Bowras produced a lovely little KINGFISHER!

Kingfisher on the canal in Berko 

Heartwood Forest

A trip out for a walk (and a cheeky look for SEO's!) at Heartwood near St Albans
Bit early for the owls ....

New carving since last year

Harry peeming!!

Northchurch stroll

A family stroll along the canal through Northchurch, quite as few REDWING and a KESTREL (see below !)
Harry's first word was BIRD! (of course)

Foster & Son checking out a Kestrel

Cowroast on the canal

Lifer #298 in Norfolk

A trip to Norfolk with Rob presented a roller coaster type of weekend - certainly as far as the weather goes.

Friday night saw winds never experienced in a tent - I had to dive into the car for a few hours sleep - whereas Rob just didn't sleep!
Not as many species as we usually see - maybe the weather had blown all life off the east coast!
A trip to the coast (Cley Beach) produced quite a number of sea birds flying through - but we were scope less and quite frankly it was horrid weather so we saw a number a GANNET fly through and a few BRENT GEESE.
However a few twitch able things around - one being the best sight of the weekend - a RED BREASTED FLYCATCHER (Lifer #298) around Salthouse - also a WILLOW WARBLER.

Red Breasted Flycatcher picking off the insects

Spoonbill at Wells

Reed Bunting in Norfolk

Juvenile Gannett at Cley

Chinese Water Deer in Norfolk

Brent Geese at Cley

Kestrel at Wells next to the sea

Northern Wheater 

Willow Warbler by the RBF

Burnham Overy produced a few species - such as SPOONBILL, REDSHANK and I'm relatively positive a CUCKOO flying over the fields.
A lot of long walks for relatively small return on tired bodies!
We didn't entertain Titchwell or Cley reserve as we were too tired and the bird species at these reserves looked to be covered.
I dropped Rob off at Heathrow for his bus on Sunday PM and then headed to Otmoor in search of the long staying Purple Heron. No luck after 4 hours looking - but had a good chat and a laugh with Phil & Emma from Birmingham. I hope we get a chance to bird together again it was fun!

Night camera highlights

Now there are two cameras surveying the top 'runway' between the bird hide and the patio - and so far there has been some good night time action!
There has been:

• FOX
• HEDGEHOG
• MOUSE
• FROG
• CAT
• ROB (!)

I hope to put some stills on the blog to show the action

Granville Rd blackbird

A juvenile BLACKBIRD 'on the turn' in the garden

A blackbird in the garden in an unusual plumage 

And a normal one

More hedgehog action

In the day time in the open?
What is this heddgy thinking???

Rather sleepy hedgehog

There is a hedgehog house I built very close by!!!

Black cap at Granville

I heard this little beauty from the bedroom window - clicking away!
Either a female or juvenile BLACK CAP in the garden

Blackcap viewed from the bedroom window

 

Green woodpecker over Granville

Chilling in bed Saturday morning with the family , I hear the yaffle of a woodpecker. Jumped out of bed and saw said GREENWOODPECKER (N) fly across the back of the garden.
First sighting of a greeny in the garden - heard them obv!
Granville garden #21 for 2016.
#39 for Granville garden life list.

Wildlife at Granville

Looking out of Harrys window this morning, I saw a GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER right at the back of the garden - not seen one for a while in the garden which was nice. I could hear a green woodpecker but not seen in the garden.

GSW returns!

Then the woodpecker flew off (as did the robin on the feeder) - and it was due to a RED FOX that walked from the hide end of the garden down the steps and into the main garden. A lovely little juvenile.

Red fox exploring the garden

It walked down to the decking before heading back up

Hedgehog at Granville!

Chilling up by the waterfall on my hammock, out of the corner of my eye I see a HEDGEHOG scurry across behind the working area and head for behind the greenhouse !!
The little beauty almost walked onto my foot as I stood watching.
Another hedgehog house required me thinks.
Great to see !! First EVER hedgehog sighting at Granville.

Birds and the insects at Granville

Some shots of the fauna at Granville during spring

Hummingbird moth 

A Skipper (TBC)

Juvenile Long Tailed Tit

Juvenile Greenfinch feeding

Granville garden nursery

Great to see so many juvenile birdies in the garden - looks like and successful breeding season for some - including BLUE TIT, CHAFFINCH, BLACKBIRD and GOLDFINCH
A selection of some species from the bedroom hide
Granville Garden year list @ 20

Juvenile Chaffinch being fed

Juvenile Blackbird

Goldfinch feeding

Juvenile Bluetit

Jackdaw