TonyQ's Year (A beginner's tale)

[TonyQ]

@@Caracal

Thank you- Poor Dunnock!

@@Treepol

The Robins are a good starting point because they sit out in the open and sing loudly - so even I can find them!

I am glad you like the Blue Tit in the waterbath - I only put it in to illustrate the waterbath - it is about 2m from our window.

[TonyQ]

10. Coal Tit Periparus ater

Our garden, Birmingham 06.03.2016

[TonyQ]

11. Woodpigeon Columba palumbus

Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 16.03.2016

Courtship (Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 16.03.2016)

Mating (Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 16.03.2016)

[TonyQ]

12 Pigeon (Feral Pigeon/ Rock Dove) Columba livia

Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 16.03.2016

[TonyQ]

13. Stock Dove Columba oenas

Swanshurst Park, Birmingham 14.03.2016

[TonyQ]

14. Blackbird Turdus merula

Female: Earlswood, nr Birmingham 07.03.2016

Male: Our garden, Birmingham 29.03.2016

[TonyQ]

15. Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 16.03.2016

[TonyQ]

16. Pied wagtail Motacilla alba

Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 16.03.2016

Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham 16.03.2016

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@TonyQ

 

You see Turdus merula, Blackbird, in your garden?

This is the first that I knew of their being British endemics.

Where I've observed Turdus merula in numbers is in Venice, Italy.

They're especially prevalent in the pine forest on Sant' Elena Island, in easternmost Venice.

It's educational to see what avian species are typical of the Birmingham area.

Thank you for posting these.

Tom K.

[TonyQ]

@@Tom Kellie

Thank you- yes the Blackbird is very common in the Birmingham area and they are regular visitors to our garden. Their song is a real treat!

It is interesting what we take for granted in our own area - which is I suppose one of the attractions of the "Big Year" - to look moreclosely at our own birds and to see what other Safaritalkers have as their local birds. Being an almost complete beginner I am seeing "lifers" on a regular basis

[Big_Dog]

Loving the thread, and so close to home!
Was especially interested to see Long tailed tits as close as Earlswood. I know them as common birds but I've never seen them in my garden nor on rambles. Interesting stuff.

[Patty]

Being an almost complete beginner I am seeing "lifers" on a regular basis

 

Ha ha, same here! This has been a fun learning experience.

[TonyQ]

@@Big_Dog

The Long-tailed Tits were seen at the edge of "Engine Pool" just where it joins to "Windmill Pool"

Some more from Earlswood coming up!

Edited April 6, 2016 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

17. Carrion Crow Corvus corone

Swanshurst Park, Birmingham 14.03.2016

Swanshurst Park, Birmingham 05.04.2016

[TonyQ]

18. Magpie Pica pica

Highbury Park, Birmingham 30.03.2016

Moseley Bog, Birmingham 31.03.2016

[TonyQ]

19. Jackdaw Corvus monedula

Lapworth, Warwickshire 03.04.2016

On nest, Lapworth, Warwickshire 03.04.2016

[TonyQ]

20. Jay Garrulus glandarius

Lapworth, Warwickshire 03.04.2016

Moseley Bog, Birmingham 05.04.2016

[TonyQ]

21. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

Male, Swanshurst Park, Birmingham 04.04.2016

Male, Swanshurst Park, Birmingham 04.04.2016

My bird book desribes the head of the male as black. I have put in two pictures to show how the iridescence makes the head look different colours in different light.

Female, Swanshurst Park, Birmingham 04.04.2016

[TonyQ]

22. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

 

When I was young, there was only one sort of duck - and this was it.

Male, Earlswood,nr Birmingham 25.03.2016

Female, Earlswood,nr Birmingham 25.03.2016

Male, Earlswood,nr Birmingham 13.03.2016

Edited April 6, 2016 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

23. White Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Although this is the same species as the Mallard in the post above, I think it is interestingly different to deserve a post on its own. If it does not count in the final total I am happy just to post it.

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 25.03.2016

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 25.03.2016

[TonyQ]

24. Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major

 

Moseley Bog, Birmingham 31.03.2016

Moseley Bog, Birmingham 31.03.2016

[TonyQ]

25. Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

 

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 07.03.2016

With fish - Earlswood,nr Birmingham 07.03.2016

Drying wings - Earlswood,nr Birmingham 13.03.2016

Male and Female - Marsh Lane Nature Reserve, nr Coventry 01.04.2016

[TonyQ]

26. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

 

I think the Great Crested Grebe is my favourite bird. It is wonderful to watch in the spring as it begins courtship with elaborate "dances". It has the advantage for a non-birder that it is fairly big and easy to see.

 

In the mid 19th Century it was very close to extinction in the UK and Ireland because of the demands of fashion - it was very fashionable to wear the feathers, skin and wings as hat decoration. The Plumage League, which later became the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) was set up in 1889 to change matters - so fortunately we can still see this beautiful bird.

 

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 07.03.2016

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 13.03.2016

With a fish that is just too big...

Earlswood,nr Birmingham 07.03.2016

Part of Courtship dance

[michael-ibk]

Wow, you´ve been active. Love the Jay and the Great Crested Grebe especially, among my favourite birds. And yes, I always equated duck with Mallards as well before getting into birds.

[Big_Dog]

Hm, never know that white ducks were just white feathered mallards.
Love the grebes, and the nesting jackdaw, and the cormorants too. The male and female shot is reference book worthy!