Snow is here early

First snow of winter arrived early Saturday with 2/3 inches, windy as well which means teperatures are well down. Regular visiters remain the same to the garden although a flock of about 15 starlings have become very regular now. Around the house flocks of mainly fieldfare and odd redwing are still feeding on the hawthorn berries although they are fast disappearing. Overhead a couple of ravens are heard on and off during the day and 12 lesser black backed gulls passed through on Sat morning. It was great to also chalk up a woodcock on the walk back from the pub.

Couple of new visitors

Still doing lots of jobs around the house and garden which means I can keep an eye out for any new visitors. This weekend I chalked up a small flock of redwing flying and calling. The huge numbers of fieldfare seem to have dispersed although there remain a few smaller flocks around. A new visitor to the feeders this weekend was a coal tit which is great to see. Goldfinch numbers seem to be very high including one rather sick bird that remained feeding on the nyger even when I was standing right next to it. It looked a bit wet or waxy and I think may have had the disease that alot of finches seem to be going down with. It had disappeared by this morning so I suspect it did not make it through the night. The cotoneaster in the garden has worked attracting in a mistle thrush so here's hoping some of the waxwing fall for it as well!!

Winter is on its way - maybe!

Having said goodbye to the last Gunnerside swallow on the 10th Oct it is now the tern of the winter visitors to show their faces. Most noticeable have been the huge flocks of fieldfare all around the village. Conservatively I would estimate 1000+ birds particularly in the fields and bushes to the west of the village. In amoungst were quite large numbers of starling (100/200)and the odd mistle thrush. I would have expected a few redwing but did not actually ID any. With our cottoneaster laden with berries it wasn't long before a few brave fieldfares even made it in to the garden although to be honest the hawthorn bushes are so full of berries I am surprised they bothered. I noticed last night that there are lots of waxwing reports coming in so here's hoping a few hitch a ride with these thrush flocks and pay a visit "up dale"!
Other birds yesterday included a very vocal raven playing around over the house, an early morning (5.30am) tawny owl "Kirricking" very loudly through the bedroom window and some noisy red grouse which appear to have so far avoided the guns up on the pasture. On the feeders we have all the usual suspects blue and great tits, starling, greenfinch, chaffinch, goldfinch by the dozen or more, wren, pheasant, blackbird, dunnock and a friendly robin which had to be rescued from the garage after he tried to raid the bird food stocks!!
The meadow pipits and pied wags that were all around the house up to 2 weeks ago now seem to have disappeared off to warmer clims - not surprising since we had quite a sharp frost Sunday and Monday am.

Last few swallows

Couple of new birds appeared in the garden this weekend and particularly good news was the first house sparrow - so hopefully the sparrow terrace may get occupied next spring. The other newcomer was Mistle thrush with at least 3 visiting the garden all weekend. Overhead there were just 3 swallows flying around the house. I guess they may all be gone by next week unless it warms up a bit and the insects stay out.

Took a trip to Spurn Point on Monday and it was quite brilliant. Weather was great and birds even better. Chalked Great Grey Shrike, Yellow Browed Warbler, great views of merlin and a good selection of migrants including 5 winchat - FAB well worth the very early start and long walk along the spit.

Week 3

Start of 3rd week in new house and bird numbers in the garden continue to grow. We now seem to have 8 bluetits visiting the feeders, a pair of robin, dunnock and great tit and many goldfinch and chaffinch. A newcomer at weekend were a pair of greenfinch plus very vocal tawny and little owls at night. Still overhead were a count of 6 swallows but no sign of house martins anymore. As an aside there are still large numbers of swallows down dale from Reeth. Also overhead some quite large groups of thrushes. The local pheasant population also seem to have found the food in the garden which will no doubt please the Game Keepers but may prove rather expensive for us on food!

Just some very poor photographic proof that the birds have started to show themselves!

Birds start appearing

Last week we set the bird feeders up but to be honest for the first weekend nothing appeared. Things have warmed up as the week progressed however and now we seem to have a regular crew of feeders at the station. New comers this week include blue and great tit, dunnock, robin and chaffinch. Everything seems to be far more wary than the birds around the village and wonder if it is just that they are less used to feeders or taht the garden is far more open and they are more vulnerable to attack? Talking of which, from the garden we are getting regular sighting of both kestrel and sparrowhawk down by the river. Still plenty of house martins around but numbers of swallow are falling away quickly as temps drop down to about 5/6 degrees over night.
Best thing so far was putting up our nest boxes (yes I know its a bit late!! or early!!) Box had only been up 1 hour when one of our newly arrived blue tits popped straight inside for a look - a winter roost sight perhaps? Several other new birds seen from garden including 2 cormorant which as a local fly fisher was not such a welcome sight!! They did seem to be moving fairly quickly east so hopefully they are on Teeside by now.