Birds you've seen today

Hi Roy, sorry it's taken a while to get back to you. Re the nesting birds...I live in a very quiet area, surrounded by countryside, always a good start. Also, I have areas of the garden set aside for the birds where I leave nettles to grow (especially good for butterflies too) and I have mature shrubs, hebes of several varieties, forsythia, honeysuckle, rose etc. I have two mature privets bordering the sides and hawthorn at the bottom of my garden. The blackbirds and thrushes nest every year, as do the robins and bluetits. The wren is a new addition, but a very welcome one, as are the dunnocks, which were absent last year. The tree at the bottom of the garden is always full of birds, woodpigeons and collared doves especially. At night, there is a pair of little owls that take over the tree, I often fall asleep listening to them!

It's great that you have hedgehogs Roy, I just wonder if you have cats that get into your garden, that would discourage the birds from nesting. I have a resident sparrowhawk that frightens the life out of the bluetits and goldfinches, I'll post a not very good picture of it in my 'South Cave' segment. If you look on there Roy, you'll see a few of the pictures I've taken of the young birds in my garden too.

Andy.

If picture ID 1030667 is where you live, then it is no wonder that you get a lot of birds in your garden.!!!!

Regards Roy J

Roy,

I couldn't tell you if it is, I'm not good at this search thing! I think I'd better add swifts to my nesting birds list, I've just been down to the vets with one that I found by my front door. I've been told to take it home and give it plenty of rest and a drop of water, which I've done. It's so rare for these birds to hit obstacles and end up on the floor so I was quite shocked. The little chap is in a box in the shed relaxing at the moment, he's uninjured, just very tired. I think he's a new arrival from Africa, so he needs some rest. I'm uploading two pictures of him as it's rare to get close to them. I'll say one thing though, they're beautiful birds and have a very strong grip with their claws!

Oh! you are such a cutie Andy!

But c'mon get a grip, it's only a bird!! Thinks....now wait for the flak!

Ooh, I am a love!!

It's such a tricky thing bursing a baby bird and releasing it back into the wild. Good on you, Andy! I hope you are all goes well, and look forward to your updates.

I am now in Box, Wilts, and having the time of my life. I have seen three Kingfishers, and yesterday we went to a place called Brean near Weston Super Mare; up onto a down, and there I saw a few life birds, a few Stonechats, Rock and Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Loads of gulls that I have no idea about, and some of the more common birds. On the way I saw a Shelduck and a March Warbler.

I have been walking every day, which is good, because I am also consuming every English food I miss, so the walking is helping me keep some of the weight off, I would be going home unrecognisable otherwise.

Tomorrow morning, weather permitting, we are going on a morning chorus bird walk, so we have to leave the house at four to get there.

Life is good!