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Odds & Sods 2023

Mike B
03/01/2023 07:45

After yet another successful year on the Odds & Sods thread, initially started I think by Hazy, it might be wise to kickstart the 2023 thread off.

Thank you to those who have contributed to last years thread, and there has been very interesting odds and sods in "Odds & Sods 2022" that aren't enough to place into a dedicated thread, which you can look back on the following link:

https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/278729/odds-sods-2022/1417300?pifragment-4285=76#pifragment-4285=1

What better for me, and as yet, I've not ventured far, ewe know what I mean, with this lassie on Baddesley Clinton estate yesterday....

Mike

Flickr: Peak Rambler

  • 07/03/2023 16:09 in reply to Bob S
    Beautiful photos of the fox Bob and a lovely male pheasant... nicely done Blush
  • 08/03/2023 08:19

    Snow pictures from half an hour ago. About an inch of snow, rapidly melting, in Finchampstead.

    I'm particularly pleased to see Chaffinch in our garden. This is the first time in well over a decade we've had them. And we actually have three! Have virtually everything else, but Chaffinch.

    They see other birds landing and feeding on my feeder. They make repeated attempts to land on it. This is the first time ever that I've seen one land on my feeder's outer, anti-pigeon defences, but it didn't take the final flit into the actual feeder.

    They normally sit in the trees and look grumpy.

    Or they feed off the ground

    Others get in the all important first feed of the day. Sensible Dunnock, protected by bird feeder.

    .

    Not so sensible Dunnock, vulnerable to cats and other predators.

    90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.

  • 08/03/2023 14:11

    Great shots Angus. I always love to see a Chaffinch, but I am not lucky enough to get them on my feeders. We haven't got the snow yet up Lancashire way, but it is very cold, and forecast for tomorrow ... Fearful

  • 08/03/2023 15:15
    I live near Newick in East Sussex and have a birdbath at the bottom of my garden.

    I have just been watching a small blakc and white stripped bird.

    I did not manage to get a photo but after watching it for a couple of minutes I googled "Small black and white bird UK and the image that came back is that of a Black and White Warbler. I went through all the other images and this was the ONLY one that matched.

    I have never seen this here before.

    Is this unusual?

    The image in the miggle is the one that the bird was most like.
    www.allaboutbirds.org/.../id
  • 08/03/2023 15:23 in reply to Alex451
    Hi Alex, I've just had a quick search, and only one previous UK record, 2019, in the Isles of Scilly. Any other features you spotted, or behaviour?

    The website link is to an American site, where the Black and White Warbler is resident
  • 08/03/2023 20:59 in reply to Jeremy Rundle
    If you live in Wales the answer is "yes"!!!!! you have to watch out for a bump on the back of your legs if you walk through their fields and they have this funny stare - asking you if you have the right :-)

    Lot to learn

  • 09/03/2023 08:03 in reply to Alex451

    With all the weather systems coming across from the US of late, it is possible that you might have seen this American warbler. Though it is several thousand miles where it should be.  You'll soon know if it is this US bird if you are surrounded by twitchers.

    Perhaps you saw something like this? A Pied Wagtail

    Or even this? Juvenile Long tailed tit.

    Images courtesy of RSPB website.

    90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.

  • 09/03/2023 09:28

    That's what I thought Angus, possibly a Pied Wagtail. But others on here know better than me ... Blush

  • 09/03/2023 18:59

    A couple of Jackdaws doing  something interesting - maybe some kind of mating ritual

    A couple of Redwings not doing anything interesting ... Relaxed

  • 09/03/2023 20:09

    The Yellowhammers have returned to the garden en masse with around 2 dozen at a time. I haven't been able to get a picture of them all, but I managed this one.