Posts about sightings in your garden during the coronavirus lockdown period.
34 Comments
Peter 30th April 2020
The fourth day with seven eggs in the blue tit nest and she does seem to have started brooding now. It’s interesting how many different ways she has of arranging the 7 seven eggs in the nest … a circle of six and one in the middle; two rows of two and one row of three; two rows of three and one below; two rows of three and one above.
Thrilled to get some footage from the wildlife camera of hedgehogs in the garden recently. I have not seen any evidence of them in our garden for the last couple of years, so it’s wonderful to have them back. It looks like there are possibly two quite large individuals, and that they are residing in next doors garden, but regularly travelling into our garden and the next one via the “hedgehog holes” we have made in our fences, and also visiting the feeding stations which both our neighbours have constructed. A real treat to see them again.
Ed: check out Jean & Nick’s hedgehog video in our gallery – http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-videos/
SECOS 27th April 2020
The first Sunday in May is dedicated as International Dawn Chorus Day.
For a truly uplifting experience, I would highly recommend setting an alarm clock and taking a seat in your garden just before it begins getting light. If getting out of bed early is not for you or you do not have access to a garden, simply open the bedroom window and let the bird song from the streets wash over you.
Often it is the robin that can be heard first. This species can even be heard singing in the dark, triggered by the presence of artificial lighting. Sometimes people mistakenly think they can hear the song of a nightingale. Both species have a wonderful warbling song with dips and trills that speak of all the promise of Spring. However, the nightingale is now a rare species in the UK; the robin is a common and endearing early-morning sound in your neighbourhood.
SECOS 27th April 2020
Mick and Mary Potts report that a Great Spotted Woodpeck is a regular visitor to their garden log feeder.
Check out one of Mick’s picture in our Garden gallery http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
Colin 27th April 2020
On the 25th at 06-30 my wildlife camera recorded two Stock Doves feeding on birdseed on the lawn. I delayed posting this until I had convinced myself that they were Stock Doves since they are rare in suburban gardens. Although Woodpigeon is the commonest bird in my garden now, thirty years ago they were as rare in gardens as stock doves are now.
Ed: Image from the camera is now in the Garden Gallery at http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
Peter 25th April 2020
a pair of Song Thrush a welcome addition to out ‘lock-down’ garden list today.
Roy Broughton 25th April 2020
Fascinating to watch a pair of Robins feeding mealworm ‘tit bits’ to each other today. Apparently part of the bonding which usually takes place about 4 days before egg laying. First time l have seen it.
Peter 25th April 2020
Camera in Blue Tit nest box shows 5 eggs this morning
our first egg in the blue tit box this morning (seen on camera)
Peter 19th April 2020
Watching two more swallows over the garden and then NINE buzzards drifted overhead
Peter 17th April 2020
First swallow over the garden today.
Roy Broughton 15th April 2020
Sat outside having our lunch in the sunshine at Basford and we were treated to a flying display from four Ravens. It started with two circling and cronking fairly low down, then two more joined in and gradually they gathered height gliding on a thermal until the four of them were just specks high above. What a treat!
Peter 15th April 2020
Our Pied Wagtail sightings in the garden are usually reserved for severe weather days in the winter but over the last couple of weeks a pair have been very active … or is it that we have just been watching more often. Today’s picture in the gallery at http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
Colin 15th April 2020
As well as the known starling nest in my next door neighbour’s roof I have noticed another pair nesting a few doors further away. I have watched them and all four birds come in to my garden to bathe and take worms out of the lawn but always singly. Are they also social distancing?
Roy Broughton 12th April 2020
First Swallow of the year over our garden at Basford this morning. Also two Ravens cronking overhead.
Colin 12th April 2020
Not in my garden unfortunately but I love that Blackbird in the hand video. I’ve watched it several times trying to count the number of mealworms and I think it is 21 in the hand before the blackbird lands, then two are eaten, six are left so it flies off with 13 mealworms in its beak!! Look at the video and see what you think.
Peter 12th April 2020
Still waiting for sightings of hirundines over the garden. Last year our first garden ticks were on the 21st April.
Anyone seen any over their gardens yet?
GLYN FRANCIS JONES 11th April 2020
Saturday 11 April 2020
My garden Westbourne Avenue Crewe – late morning
Six House Sparrows, two Blue Tits which are using Janet’s old nest box next door, Great Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Two Blackbirds and my resident Wood Pigeon,
then the chiffchaff which occupies next door’s Sycamore tree and surrounding bushes suddenly appeared in my garden for the first time ever, going behind my greenhouse and quite mobile, unable to get a photo.
I was just sitting in my conservatory at 1930 when a little bird suddenly appeared on the patio, the Chiffchaff which then went looking for food amongst all my pots of Pansies and Violas, and only two feet front me through the conservatory door!!! Fantastic, it was that close I was out of focus because I had a telephoto lens on my camera. But I do have photos, if you wish to see them.
Lovely day in the back garden at Wrinehill. Charm of goldfinches, several greenfinches and male reed bunting all taking food from the feeders and the floor. Skylark was overhead for most of the day and then we saw our first swallow of the year!
A pair of Blackcaps sitting in the apple tree were welcome visitors to our garden in Basford this afternoon.
Lovely bird that it is, but not such a welcome visitor was a heron standing by our koi pond at 8am!
Lovely surprise today when we saw a Goldcrest flitting around the plum tree in our garden at Basford. We also watched the Blue Tits going in and out of the bat box on our oak tree- the third year on the run we have seen them doing it. We also had a drake Mallard and a pair of Pheasants early evening, then to finish the day off as well as you can in these dark times there were 3 Pipistrelles hunting around the oak tree.
Jan Fox 7th April 2020
Heard our first Blackcap in the garden this morning.
Glorious sound!
Colin 6th April 2020
I guess like most of us with a garden mine has already had a severe tidy up, but I chose to leave a clump of mature ivy. It looks like it has paid of since the blackbirds are now in there feeding on the ripe berries.
Peter 5th April 2020
Good to see, and hear via the detector, pipistrelle bat in the garden tonight.
Colin 5th April 2020
My winter birds have departed in perfect timing for the end of our winter garden bird survey. My only regular birds now are 2 house sparrows in a nest box by the bedroom window, 2 starlings with a nest in the neighbour’s roof, 2 blackbirds with a nest in the hedge, 2 dunnocks being secretive as usual and 2 woodpigeons that can’t make their mind up where to nest yet. The good news is that the starlings are bathing frequently; now if I can just work out how to remotely operate my camera……
Peter 5th April 2020
A late breakfast and watching a pair of long tailed tits flying into the patio doors either picking insects off the glass or trying to attack the reflection … if it’s the former it’s maybe a hint to go out and clean the windows, if only I could find the time in my busy diary.
Mike Brooks 4th April 2020
April 2nd
Red Kite hassled by 2 crows flew over garden at roof top height in Arley Close Alsager at 11.30am
Peter 2nd April 2020
Interesting to watch the antics of a bluetit on one of my nest box cameras … nest building, hole pecking, just plain sitting, digging deep down rather like a dabling duck … but no eggs yet.
30th April 2020
The fourth day with seven eggs in the blue tit nest and she does seem to have started brooding now. It’s interesting how many different ways she has of arranging the 7 seven eggs in the nest … a circle of six and one in the middle; two rows of two and one row of three; two rows of three and one below; two rows of three and one above.
28th April 2020
One stock dove in my garden again at 06-15 this morning
Ed: see the trail cam video footage in our gallery http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-videos/
28th April 2020
A good bird to disturb ones breakfast for … Goldcrest … Today’s picture in the gallery at http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
27th April 2020
Thrilled to get some footage from the wildlife camera of hedgehogs in the garden recently. I have not seen any evidence of them in our garden for the last couple of years, so it’s wonderful to have them back. It looks like there are possibly two quite large individuals, and that they are residing in next doors garden, but regularly travelling into our garden and the next one via the “hedgehog holes” we have made in our fences, and also visiting the feeding stations which both our neighbours have constructed. A real treat to see them again.
Ed: check out Jean & Nick’s hedgehog video in our gallery – http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-videos/
27th April 2020
The first Sunday in May is dedicated as International Dawn Chorus Day.
For a truly uplifting experience, I would highly recommend setting an alarm clock and taking a seat in your garden just before it begins getting light. If getting out of bed early is not for you or you do not have access to a garden, simply open the bedroom window and let the bird song from the streets wash over you.
Often it is the robin that can be heard first. This species can even be heard singing in the dark, triggered by the presence of artificial lighting. Sometimes people mistakenly think they can hear the song of a nightingale. Both species have a wonderful warbling song with dips and trills that speak of all the promise of Spring. However, the nightingale is now a rare species in the UK; the robin is a common and endearing early-morning sound in your neighbourhood.
27th April 2020
Mick and Mary Potts report that a Great Spotted Woodpeck is a regular visitor to their garden log feeder.
Check out one of Mick’s picture in our Garden gallery http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
27th April 2020
On the 25th at 06-30 my wildlife camera recorded two Stock Doves feeding on birdseed on the lawn. I delayed posting this until I had convinced myself that they were Stock Doves since they are rare in suburban gardens. Although Woodpigeon is the commonest bird in my garden now, thirty years ago they were as rare in gardens as stock doves are now.
Ed: Image from the camera is now in the Garden Gallery at http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
25th April 2020
a pair of Song Thrush a welcome addition to out ‘lock-down’ garden list today.
25th April 2020
Fascinating to watch a pair of Robins feeding mealworm ‘tit bits’ to each other today. Apparently part of the bonding which usually takes place about 4 days before egg laying. First time l have seen it.
25th April 2020
Camera in Blue Tit nest box shows 5 eggs this morning
23rd April 2020
Mick and Mary Potts reported 6 Buzzards over their garden today.
Check out one of Micks pictures in our Garden gallery http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
20th April 2020
our first egg in the blue tit box this morning (seen on camera)
19th April 2020
Watching two more swallows over the garden and then NINE buzzards drifted overhead
17th April 2020
First swallow over the garden today.
15th April 2020
Sat outside having our lunch in the sunshine at Basford and we were treated to a flying display from four Ravens. It started with two circling and cronking fairly low down, then two more joined in and gradually they gathered height gliding on a thermal until the four of them were just specks high above. What a treat!
15th April 2020
Our Pied Wagtail sightings in the garden are usually reserved for severe weather days in the winter but over the last couple of weeks a pair have been very active … or is it that we have just been watching more often. Today’s picture in the gallery at http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
15th April 2020
As well as the known starling nest in my next door neighbour’s roof I have noticed another pair nesting a few doors further away. I have watched them and all four birds come in to my garden to bathe and take worms out of the lawn but always singly. Are they also social distancing?
12th April 2020
First Swallow of the year over our garden at Basford this morning. Also two Ravens cronking overhead.
12th April 2020
Not in my garden unfortunately but I love that Blackbird in the hand video. I’ve watched it several times trying to count the number of mealworms and I think it is 21 in the hand before the blackbird lands, then two are eaten, six are left so it flies off with 13 mealworms in its beak!! Look at the video and see what you think.
12th April 2020
Still waiting for sightings of hirundines over the garden. Last year our first garden ticks were on the 21st April.
Anyone seen any over their gardens yet?
11th April 2020
Saturday 11 April 2020
My garden Westbourne Avenue Crewe – late morning
Six House Sparrows, two Blue Tits which are using Janet’s old nest box next door, Great Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Two Blackbirds and my resident Wood Pigeon,
then the chiffchaff which occupies next door’s Sycamore tree and surrounding bushes suddenly appeared in my garden for the first time ever, going behind my greenhouse and quite mobile, unable to get a photo.
I was just sitting in my conservatory at 1930 when a little bird suddenly appeared on the patio, the Chiffchaff which then went looking for food amongst all my pots of Pansies and Violas, and only two feet front me through the conservatory door!!! Fantastic, it was that close I was out of focus because I had a telephoto lens on my camera. But I do have photos, if you wish to see them.
Ed: Glyn’s Chiffchaff photos are now on our gallery page http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
10th April 2020
Lovely day in the back garden at Wrinehill. Charm of goldfinches, several greenfinches and male reed bunting all taking food from the feeders and the floor. Skylark was overhead for most of the day and then we saw our first swallow of the year!
10th April 2020
Two Treecreepers in the garden late this afternoon, photos at http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
9th April 2020
A pair of Blackcaps sitting in the apple tree were welcome visitors to our garden in Basford this afternoon.
Lovely bird that it is, but not such a welcome visitor was a heron standing by our koi pond at 8am!
9th April 2020
I finally got my mystery bird in the bath to stand still;
Ed: photo in Gallery – my garden – http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-your-garden/
9th April 2020
Check out Roy Broughton’s blackbird video in the gallery … http://www.secos.org.uk/our-gallery-videos/
7th April 2020
Lovely surprise today when we saw a Goldcrest flitting around the plum tree in our garden at Basford. We also watched the Blue Tits going in and out of the bat box on our oak tree- the third year on the run we have seen them doing it. We also had a drake Mallard and a pair of Pheasants early evening, then to finish the day off as well as you can in these dark times there were 3 Pipistrelles hunting around the oak tree.
7th April 2020
Heard our first Blackcap in the garden this morning.
Glorious sound!
6th April 2020
I guess like most of us with a garden mine has already had a severe tidy up, but I chose to leave a clump of mature ivy. It looks like it has paid of since the blackbirds are now in there feeding on the ripe berries.
5th April 2020
Good to see, and hear via the detector, pipistrelle bat in the garden tonight.
5th April 2020
My winter birds have departed in perfect timing for the end of our winter garden bird survey. My only regular birds now are 2 house sparrows in a nest box by the bedroom window, 2 starlings with a nest in the neighbour’s roof, 2 blackbirds with a nest in the hedge, 2 dunnocks being secretive as usual and 2 woodpigeons that can’t make their mind up where to nest yet. The good news is that the starlings are bathing frequently; now if I can just work out how to remotely operate my camera……
5th April 2020
A late breakfast and watching a pair of long tailed tits flying into the patio doors either picking insects off the glass or trying to attack the reflection … if it’s the former it’s maybe a hint to go out and clean the windows, if only I could find the time in my busy diary.
4th April 2020
April 2nd
Red Kite hassled by 2 crows flew over garden at roof top height in Arley Close Alsager at 11.30am
2nd April 2020
Interesting to watch the antics of a bluetit on one of my nest box cameras … nest building, hole pecking, just plain sitting, digging deep down rather like a dabling duck … but no eggs yet.