Birds you've seen today

It's a rainy day in Wales (I can see the sign post saying Welcome to England from my friends house), but I still got up at five and went for a walk. The first bird I saw was a Merganser, called a Gossander over here in England. Other birds seen were Mute Swan, Tree Creeper, Nuthatch, Spotted Flycatcher, and the usual assortment of our regular garden bird types ie. Blackbird, Robin etc.

Oh, and there are Thrushes EVERYWHERE! I have never seen so many Thrushes in my life, it must be a good year for them.

Hi Sue.

I at last managed to get a couple of pictures of the Bullfinch. Unfortunatly he was very shy and stayed deep with the cover provided by the apple tree.  I had the devil of a job to get a decent picture of him.  I had to use manual focus and wait for him to be clear of the intervening twigs, leaves and apple blossom. I wish that he had come out into the sunshine so that i could best pacture his colours. The pictures are in the Gateshead gallery.

Birds seen in the past week include, Curlew, Lapwing, Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Skylark, and yesterday i spent an hour on the banks of the river at Chester-le-street.  There i saw numerous, Swallows, Swifts, House Martins and Sand Martins.  There were all flying over the same part of the river where a lot of insects must have just hatched.  I don't know who was in charge of their air traffic control, but her was doing a great job. There must have beeb at least fifty individualbirds there at any one time and how they missed collisions i don't know. I you stayed still for more than a minutes the birds would fly within inches of your face. Its a good job that i have little hair to worry about, because they were close enough to disturb it.

Pied and Gray Wagtails were also in evidence. They were trying their skills at insect catching but bid not gave the ability of the Swifts etc. 

Oh by the way welcome, should i say home.

Regards Roy J.

I'll keep my eye out for your strange warbler Andy, and see if I can put a name to it.

Yes it is home, Roy, even though I miss my husband and boys. I saw a Gray Warbler this morning down my the little fast running stream.

Sue will you have a look at the picture of the 'almost' canada goose i have submitted on the herrington gallery.  It has me puzzled.  It might be immature, or a highbrid.  I would welcome your imput.

Thanks,

 Regards Roy J

I am not seeing it in your Herrington gallery yet, Roy. Did you just submit it?

Last night I went to bed at nine, and a Song Thrush was singing away in a tree outside. So I was able to get up to bird song and go to sleep to bird song. Ah, life is perfect!

Sounds FANTASTIC, Andy. Will have to come and visit you one day, binoculars and camera in hand.

I am trying to identify your mystery bird, and right now I am leaning toward a female Stonechat, but I'm not convinced. I saw a picture of this bird since I got here, and that would be in the May or June issue of Birdwatching magazine which I left in Oxford.

And I hope that it didn't sound like I think Roy is totally wrong, it's just my opinion that it's not a Savi's Warbler, so don't rule it out.

Sue

I can not find my Goose picture either.  I must have had one of those senior moments, either that or this computer is acting up again.  It was in the workshop all day yesterday and they still haven't sorted out all the problems with it.

Re Andy's 'unidentified'. I have gone all through my new book, its about time that i updated, my last one was the 1976 edition.  The Savi's is the nearest that i can come up with the description 'brown-buff underside with paler belly' seems to fit, but like you i am not 100% certain.  Interesting is'nt it.

I must go and find where that goose has flown to.

Regards Roy J.