Harassed Buzzard

Sat eating breakfast this morning watching a buzzard being mobbed by a pair of crows. It seems clear that the buzzards are about to nest for a second time in this area which is great news.
There are always plenty of crows around and so the buzzards are unlikely to have a peaceful time of it.

Fieldfare Roost

The small copse behind the house has become a roost for the local migrant population of fieldfares. It is difficult to count the occupants, but I would estimate that there are upwards of fifty individual birds. What is strange about this is that the birds are not often to be seen in the neighbourhood during daylight hours.
It is quite something to see the birds arriving, usually in two's or three's, they appear as if from nowhere and suddenly drop vertically from the sky. Occasionally they have been disturbed and will rise in small groups and fly around before returning. I presume that it is the local tawny owls causing this apprehension amongst the thrushes. They depart the roost at first light and often unseen.

Black Mountains

Three days spent in the Black Mountains revealed that red kites have truly colonised this area. In addition, there were numerous buzzards to be seen and a goshawk flying below the Grwyne Fawr reservoir. The only other bird of note spotted was a stonechat perched typically on a clump of gorse. I thought it surprisingly early for this bird to be on its territory. There was no evidence of whinchat as yet.
The attempts to impact upon the wetland area around Waun Fach is somewhat worrying. The area often used by nesting golden plover is currently covers by large white builders' sacks and piles of timber. It seems unlikely that the work will be complete in time for the breeding season. What a loss that would be if these beautiful birds were driven off the hills here.

Nest building Magpies

Saw a magpie carrying large sticks today. They are nesting in the tall hedge beyond the garden boundary. This is no particularly early for them in this area.
There are at least three pairs of skylark establishing territories on the fields in front of the house. I have also seen small groups of yellow hammers feeding on the fields and they traditional nest deep in the hedgerows here.

First Skylark

Following the frostiest start of the winter, the sun came out and the white world was enhanced by the song of a skylark. This was the first time this year that I have heard a skylark singing above the fields in front of the house. It was a real thrill to hear the sound of summer on such a cold day. It is also food to know that the skylarks will be nesting within the wheat fields surrounding us.

Greenfinch territorial display

Although greenfinches have been calling with their long nasal note for some weeks now, I did not expect to see as yet, the territorial display with its distinctive call note. This really does suggest that the birds are becoming serious about breeding even though there is no cover whatsoever in the tall hedges that usually provide them with nest sites. The mild weather is clearly inducing them to breed but I fear that the consequences will be disastrous as their nests will be totally open to predation particularly by the numerous magpies that inhabit the area.

Harbinger of Spring

Heard a chaffinch singing this morning on the Downs. This is the first one to sing in this area this year and for me it is always the harbinger of spring. It was not singing its full song though it was surprisingly close to a full song for this time of year. We now have a morning chorus of robin, song thrush, greenfinch and chaffinch.

Redwings and dead Bustard

I spent Sunday morning travelling to and from Somerset (West country). Speaking to a friend down there, he pointed out a flock of redwings and stated that he had not seen a fieldfare this year. What is odd about that is that here in Kent, I have seen lots of fieldfares but not a single redwing. The only other birds I saw were a sodden covey of partridges. Otherwise, I may have seen a dead bustard by the side of the road near Stonehenge.