Zim Girl's 2nd Big Year 2019

[Zim Girl]

But there are signs of new life everywhere. These were my favourites.

 

Avocet chick with the adult looking on.  Many of these chicks have already been predated by the black-headed gulls.

 

 

And at a local spot there were lots of new broods of moorhen and coots.

 

Look at those big feet already!!

 

And how cute are coot chicks??

 

Also with big feet.

 

The adults were constantly finding food for them.

 

All huddled up back in the nest.

 

 

 

[Zim Girl]

Off to the Western Lake District for a few days next week so hopefully will have one or two more to add from there. Mainly a walking holiday but will try to get over to St Bees for some seabirds.

[Towlersonsafari]

Those baby coots do look cute @Zim Girl  but if there is not enough food the adults can  drive a chick away or even kill it to ensure at least some survive-and keep doing that-so I do worry for them!

[lmSA84]

Add me to the long list of people impressed by those owls 

[Zim Girl]

Thank you @lmSA84

[Dave Williams]

Have a good break in the Lakes, whereabouts are you staying?

[Galana]

Enjoy the western lakes. I would happily wave but will be away myself.

 

[Kitsafari]

Such adorable owl chicks - and 2 of them too. 

 

[Zim Girl]

On 5/17/2019 at 5:51 PM, Dave Williams said:

Have a good break in the Lakes, whereabouts are you staying?

Right on the estuary at Ravenglass.  I was hoping for plenty of waders, but only saw 2 new birds and that was on the last morning.

 

On 5/18/2019 at 9:48 AM, Galana said:

Enjoy the western lakes. I would happily wave but will be away myself.

 

We had great views of IOM from the coast.  We did wave, just in case 

[Dave Williams]

We are in the process of sorting our touring caravan out for it's first outing in 2 years. Got off to a good start when I wrote off a window ...it literally snapped off the whole of one edge. Old caravan brittle plastic. Hope that's all that fails us! Heading to Borrowdale near Keswick next week where I'm hoping to add 2 new additions too but that's it.

[Zim Girl]

Enjoy - beautiful area.

[Zim Girl]

So back from the Lakes - plenty of walking was done but still managed to find 6 birds to add to the BY, 2 of which are new for me.

We were staying in Ravenglass on the Western coast and the RSPB site at St Bees is just 20 mins up the road.  The cliffs were heaving with Guillemots as expected but I had to search hard for the Razorbills this year.  Puffins had been sighted a few weeks ago but we couldn't find any.

 

77.  Common Guillemot

 

St Bees Head, Cumbria  -  20/05/19

 

 

[Zim Girl]

I found this pair away from the main cliffs further along the path.

 

78.  Razorbill

St Bees Head, Cumbria  -  20/05/19

[Zim Girl]

I am pretty sure I have this one right, they were hard to pin down so bit of an EBC.  New one for this BY.

 

79.  Common Linnet

St Bees Head, Cumbria  -  20/05/19

[Zim Girl]

We spotted this bird perched on the rocks while we were having lunch after climbing down from Scafell. Not the best picture but it was such a lovely spot sitting on the fellside edge and the weather was amazing.

 

80.  Northern Wheatear

Male

Scafell, Wasdale, Cumbria  -  22/05/19

And a female from earlier in the year.

Forest of Bowland  -  20/04/19

 

 

[Zim Girl]

We stayed in a holiday cottage right on the estuary in Ravenglass and I was hoping to see plenty of waders but all we saw were gulls and crows until the last morning when the last two birds made an appearance.

I hope this is right.  Black legs, reddish brown back and black patch on underneath.

 

81.  Dunlin

Ravenglass, Cumbria  -  24/05/19

 

[Zim Girl]

There were about a dozen of these feeding with the Dunlin.  I thought I was looking at Little Ringed Plovers but on checking the guide book I think they are actually Common Ringed Plovers.  They were similar in size to the Dunlin and have an orange beak with a black tip. So another new bird for BY.

 

82.  Common Ringed Plover

Ravenglass, Cumbria  -  24/05/19

 

[Zim Girl]

That was all for new birds but I have an improved duplicate.

 

No Count.  Lesser Redpoll  (If I am wrong and it happens to be a Common, let me know)

 

Wasdale Head, Cumbria  -  22/05/19

 

 

[Galana]

All present and correct.

I can almost see Ravenglass from my window (through all those xxxx Turbines!)

[Zim Girl]

On a walk in an area that is supposed to be good for Green Woodpeckers.  No sign of the woodpecker but got this instead.  Incidentally, we have seen a Red Kite here on the last two visits but I haven't quite managed a photo yet.

 

83.  Mistle Thrush

Helsington Barrows, South Cumbria  -  18/05/19

[Zim Girl]

Out on a walk last weekend and finally got a chance to take a photo of a Skylark.  These birds are the sound of the countryside around here.

 

84.  Eurasian Skylark

My attempt at one in flight!

Farleton Fell, North Lancs  -  25/05/19

 

[Zim Girl]

Just in case anyone is interested, my nesting Tree Sparrows didn't nest this year.  If you remember when I posted a Tree Sparrow earlier in the year I realised they had actually been nesting in one of our boxes for around the last 5 years.  In each case the box was first occupied by Blue Tits, then the sparrows would take over.

Well this year the Blue Tits held onto their box and successfully produced a brood of very noisy babies.  Both parents were making many feeding runs in and out of the box.  Sadly we missed the fledging which must have happened while we were away.  

Caterpillars seemed to be the main food of choice.

 

We still have plenty of Tree sparrows in the garden so maybe they will try again soon.

We also had House sparrows nest in a gap under the roof tiles.  They have just fledged and we are now overrun with the young ones flapping their wings begging to be fed.

 

[Kitsafari]

Lovely additions @Zim Girl

 

that's an idea that hasn't taken hold in singapore's residential homes yet - a nesting box. 

The poor spotted doves have been trying to build a nest on two flimsy pieces of wood on my roof's eaves but the wind keeps blowing it down as it's sited on the side of the house. the limited number of fully grown and well covered trees  near my home are occupied by zebra doves, bulbuls and orioles. just like Singapore - getting too crowded!

[xelas]

We have installed our first nesting box only this year. It is for Blue Tit or Crested Tit size of birds.There will be more hanging on our 3 trees next year.

[Towlersonsafari]

We put up about 5 nest boxes all of which-apart from the House Sparrow box-the birds have ignored but we are anxiously waiting for our blue tits to fledge from the nest in the airbrick