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Zim Girl's 2nd Big Year 2019


Zim Girl

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It is certainly great fun to watch if you are lucky enough to get them to nest.  We have 3 boxes but it is only this one they seem to like. Perhaps because it is the closest to the feeders and the bushes for cover.

We used to have nesting swallows under the car port for many years but they stopped around 4/5 years ago which was a shame.

One year a Mallard decided our pond was a good place to nest and we had a dozen ducklings wandering around the garden. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Struggling for many new additions out and about with the rubbish weather we have been having lately, but here are a few from the garden (all taken through glass).

 

85.  Coal Tit

P1130648c.jpg.7ff8e6ecd23934dd9ac87c8fd4408a45.jpg

Back garden  -  01/03/19

 

 

 

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86.  Greenfinch

P1170689c.jpg.bb4ecde3587f2bfe6812103db234c572.jpg

Back garden  -  27/05/19

 

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87.  Chaffinch

Female

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Male

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P1170795c.jpg.dbbf39da4a13be88f22f0510802ebd3d.jpg

Back garden  -  01/06/19

 

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And finally, one of the lovely colourful finches that we are seeing much more of on the feeders since we changed from mixed seed to sunflower seed.

 

88.  Goldfinch

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Back garden  -  05/06/19

 

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Dave Williams

Goldfinches like Niger seed the best although I still can't get them in to our garden despite the fact they are regulars in gardens 100m away! Sunflower hearts definitely the way to go, no mess, no cereal crops growing in the ground below. I bought 2x 13kg sacks a few months ago and only just realised recently they were stamped Baker's Quality. Meanwhile Claire has been buying small packets to toast and put in salads that must work out hugely expensive in comparison. We are on bird food next!

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Lovely additions from the garden 

“our” goldfinches are very fond of sunflower hearts

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We gave them the choice of niger seeds as well, but they seem to prefer the sunflower seeds.

@Dave Williams It was your comment about less mess etc that made us change to sunflower seeds a few months ago and the birds love them. I actually love getting them as well, been eating them for years.

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Baker's quality?  Are we to expect a recipe for Goldfinch Pie?:o

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Just back from a week's holiday initially spent near Munich visiting relatives, then a few days in the Bavarian Alps for walking.  Then we crossed over the border into Austria to spend some time with the wonderful and very hospitable @michael-ibk and @AndMic.

 

We had a very nice weekend enjoying Michael's exceptional cooking and superb baking from Andreas while in between finding time to walk around the beautiful scenery near their home.

 

Obviously there was a bit of birding thrown in with Michael promising to find me a Crested Tit.  Well despite a valiant effort on his part we failed on that mission but instead he still managed to find me a couple of lifers.

 

The first I am afraid is a bit of an EBC from me as it was quite some distance but nevertheless a really nice sighting.

 

89.  Common Crossbill

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Stubaital  -  22/06/19

 

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And a great spot by Michael of this guy hiding in the trees.

 

90.  Spotted Nutcracker

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P1180433c.jpg.630f479f60a957ac1e32810199abd804.jpg

Stubaital  -  23/06/19

 

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michael-ibk

All our pleasure, and I do promise a Crested Tit for next time!:)

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19 hours ago, Zim Girl said:

We had a very nice weekend enjoying Michael's exceptional cooking and superb baking from Andreas

 

Which reminds me that we have not visited them for quite some time :rolleyes: ...

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michael-ibk

House - and kitchen -  always open for you @xelas! Especially if you bring Zvezda. :P;)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Bit of a mixed bag now. Trudging ever so slowly toward the first 100 (not that there is likely to be a second, but one can dream:D).

 

Like @TonyQ, I have been doing a bit of sofa searching as the first one dates back to the beginning of the year!

 

91. (UK 89)  Eurasian Curlew

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Knott End  -  28/01/19

 

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hours spent 'sofa searching' eh? a sure sign that you are now addicted

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A few weeks ago, we discovered a new birding spot very close to an area we have walked for years.  An area of inter-connected pools and wetland habitat managed by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust. It is supposed to be very good for over-wintering waders and wildfowl, so one for later in the year. On our visit we found one new bird for BY.

 

92. (UK 90)  Little Ringed Plover

P1180055c.jpg.b15fe5ac071c155b3ed5aabab1ab6170.jpg

Aldcliffe Marsh, nr Freemans Pools, Lancashire  -  15/06/19

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2 minutes ago, Soukous said:

hours spent 'sofa searching' eh? a sure sign that you are now addicted

This is the trouble with saving them up thinking you are going to get better ones, at some point you have to start finding them again.  The whole birding thing is certainly pretty addictive, not long ago I wouldn't have thought I would be doing this in a million years!!

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93. (UK 91)  Barn Swallow

 

Juvenile (we watched this one being fed by adults)

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Lancaster Canal  -  15/06/19

Adult

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Silverdale, Lancashire  -  29/06/19

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94. (UK 92)  Great Black-backed Gull

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Leighton Moss  -  29/06/19

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This is a bird I have been trying hard to get all year (failed last year).  We see them while walking in the Lake District fells but I have never managed a picture, until now!!  We had climbed to the edge of a rocky outcrop and surprised this one on the other side. It flew immediately so the photo is very 'ebc' but at least I got it:).

 

95. (UK 93)  Northern Raven

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Red Screes, Lake District  -  06/07/19

 

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Last one for today.  

I was walking locally at the estuary and spent ages waiting for a warbler I could hear in the reeds to show itself.  In fact, it was starting to get embarrassing as the same dog walkers were passing me on their return leg I was there that long.  I was hoping it was going to be a lifer which wouldn't be hard as I haven't seen that many, but when I finally got it on one of it's many fleeting trips to the top of the reed it turned out to be a Sedge warbler, got it last year but at least I needed it for this year!

 

96. (UK 94)  Sedge Warbler

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Ramper Pot, Wyre Way  -  04/07/19

 

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49 minutes ago, Zim Girl said:

This is the trouble with saving them up thinking you are going to get better ones, at some point you have to start finding them again.  The whole birding thing is certainly pretty addictive, not long ago I wouldn't have thought I would be doing this in a million years!!

 

me too

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Dave Williams

The Nutcracker is one of those birds that was on the "most wanted" list for me and I have still only hseen the one. It's funny how some species draw your attention more than others. I got my first ever Crested Tit in Spain earlier this year, that was another high up the list too.For both species I have room for improvement when it comes to photos!

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