Back from Hols

Been away for a week to Mallorca, and spent most of it at Salbufera, what a place, Lrp Kentish plover BW Stilts all with young or on eggs all living a couple of feet apart. Birds on every bush. Spotted flys, Nightingales Cettis Sardinian Warblers all the usual and more and then i come home and ZIP.

How Depressing, no sign of Lrps at a few of my sites Common Sandpipers numbers well down on last year. Pied Flycatcher that was singing for a female for 7 weeks has gone . And out of 50 nest boxes put up only 10 used. 6 of those by Tits.

Andy was out looking for nests on Saturday and came across 1 lone SEO chick. Also 2 broods of LEOS failed, chicks found drowned in nest.

Bloody weather!!!!!!!.

To see what you are missing go to http://www.grayimages.co.uk/New10.htm

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Quiet week

The end of an atrocious week weather wise. A few more Gt Tit chicks ringed and Willow Warblers plus as the sun came out today for 2 hours another Wheatear.

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Starlings and House Sparrows

At 5.30 this morning, I looked out of the kitchen window to a scene reminiscent of playtime at the kindergarten. It seems that we have more fledgling House Sparrows in the area along with the first Starlings to fledge so far this year. There is so much activity that to count them, either the Sparrows or the Starlings, is impossible. The Starlings are all newly fledged, still carrying the fluff on

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The Garden Birds | Protection from Cats

Following the recent cat attack that ended the short life of one of our young Blackbirds, it was decided that something must be done to help safeguard, as much as possible, our Garden Birds.Some of the habitat we had created to be of benefit to the birds, had also proved to be a perfect hiding place for these feline predators.The most dangerous area has proved to be the bird table, so common in

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Tree Sparrows

3 Broods of 4, Tree Sparrow ringed this morning all feathers medium and one other box that had fledged already. Also this week 7 Gt Tits at Stainland dean all feathers medium. And 4 Willow Warblers ringed at Elland Gravel Pits. Wish this wind would stop.

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3 May 09 - If you're asking, I'm dancing!

I found this pair of Cranes displaying next to Horsey Mill today, trying to drive off a couple of immatures (last years young?). Enjoy...

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Tawnys

More Tawny's ringed today

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Black Cat Bad Luck

For at least one of the birds it was a case of Black Cat Bad Luck in the garden earlier this week. This particular large male Black Cat is relatively new to the area, but is making his mark.The black cat superstitions of bad luck for those whose path it crosses came true for what was possibly one of the young Blackbirds. The youngest of the 2 juveniles had taken to sitting on the edge of the bird

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Garden Birds | Latest Update

Well last week saw plenty of bird activity in the garden, it seemed to be teeming with the usual residents and some of the less common visitors.First though an update on the babies. We have confirmed that there are in fact 2 young Blackbirds, both along with the adult male are spending lots of time in our garden. There is an obvious difference in size indicating that they hatched at different

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Twite season comes to end

I went up to Deer Hill Yesterday to check on the feeding station no Birds coming in at all. last week Nick Wilkinson tells me he has seen the birds back on their Breeding Territories and the Individual colour codes are working well.

I would like to thank Kirklees Environment Grant Scheme and The Green Business Network for supporting this project over the last year.

85 Twite were caught at Deer Hill from March- May 2009

32 new Twite being individually colour coded.

53 re trapped birds

33 were ringed in 2008

19 ringed in 2007

1 ringed in 2004

Other Sites during the Twite season

Warley Moor Reservoir - 6 new Twite ringed

Whiteholme Reservoir - 41 Twite caught with 30 new Twite ringed

Rishworth Quarry -14 birds caught with 6 new Twite ringed

Ringstone Edge - 1 new bird ringed

Twite totals for all sites = 147 Twite caught

75 New Twite Individually colour coded

Hopefully the summer will be a dry one and these great little birds will have a good breeding season

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Yesterday

8 Hours yesterday with Andy checking 14 boxes at many different sites. 3 New Adult Barn Owls ringed all Barn Owls now on eggs. I New Tawny Owl ringed 1 Kestrel ringed and 1 female Mandarin ringed. Great day.

Other birds seen.

Yellow Hammers, Sedge Warblers, Lesser Whitethroats, Red Kites and Buzzards.

oh and the Mandarin was a ringing tick for me so a bonus

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Common Sandpiper returns

2 Common Sandpipers caught today and yes one a male was a retrap from 29/06/2008

so nice to see he's made it back. The other was a new female.

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