Bird of the day!

[Dan Salter]

No pics as ever (too busy working) but while at RSPB Elmley today i saw and heard my first CHIFF CHAFF of the year !...also saw my first summer plumaged Reed Bunting. Then later had 3 common buzzards overhead , one circling on thermal...and the other 2 at seperate times both flying south?

Then on way back to the farm i followed a barn owl in my headlights for about a mile.... then a water vole upped from a dyke on one side of the track, ran accross in front of my car into the water on other side!...not a bad day

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

No pics as ever (too busy working) but while at RSPB Elmley today i saw and heard my first CHIFF CHAFF of the year !...also saw my first summer plumaged Reed Bunting. Then later had 3 common buzzards overhead , one circling on thermal...and the other 2 at seperate times both flying south?

Then on way back to the farm i followed a barn owl in my headlights for about a mile.... then a water vole upped from a dyke on one side of the track, ran accross in front of my car into the water on other side!...not a bad day

You're working on a fantastic site- I always love my visits to Elmley, a fantastic reserve. Always great to hear that first singing Chiffchaff; I heard mine about a month ago, but haven't heard any since!

[John]

It might be a very dull morning but thankfully the Male Brambling is still visiting my garden and also a male Blackcap made a brief visit to the feeders.

That's bucked my mood up no end.

John

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

You're working on a fantastic site- I always love my visits to Elmley, a fantastic reserve. Always great to hear that first singing Chiffchaff; I heard mine about a month ago, but haven't heard any since!

Having said that about Chiffchaff as I left my house this morning there was one singing in an ornamental Malus down my road- probably a fresh migrant.

[Deer Stalker]

Heard my first Chiff Chaff of the year on the Forest this morning & loads of Firecrest singing too.

Other highlights were kingfisher, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker & Hawfinches.

[aestarte]

My bird of the day is the humble sparrow because all day yesterday and looks like today it has hammered down with rain and the only bird brave enough to come and feed was the sparrow, so he is worthy of a mention. Fi. X X X X

[John]

It has been, and still is, hammering here as well but thankfully the birds are still feeding and the Brambling is still amongst them. Sadly the Siskins appear to have gone though.

John

[humbug]

mine is our first long tailed tit to visit our feeders, not the best photo in the world hopefully it'll come back.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

Having said that about Chiffchaff as I left my house this morning there was one singing in an ornamental Malus down my road- probably a fresh migrant.

Yes I had my first singing blackcap here near Swindon yesterday and heard one again this morning at my friends place in Warwick so it does suggest the first migrants are starting to settle back in!

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

Yes I had my first singing blackcap here near Swindon yesterday and heard one again this morning at my friends place in Warwick so it does suggest the first migrants are starting to settle back in!

I wonder Gill whether it is a genuine migrant or an overwintering bird. Most of the latter are suppposed to be birds that breed in central Europe, but it's certainly possible it could be one of our breeding birds that's overwintering (Blackcap behaviour has obviously changed in recent years) or even a European bird rehearsing!

It's obvious quite a lot of Chiffchaffs turned up at least in the south yesterday. Maybe yours is a slightly early one, but no way of knowing really, without a ring. Just great to hear whatever its origins + you feel spring is here (even if weather forecast doesn't!).

Also a handful of Little Ringed Plovers have turned up around London in the last couple of days.