Zim Girl's 4th Big Year 2021

[Zim Girl]

I can't believe this is my 4th year already. So here we go again, as usual my main target is to beat my UK score.  My best so far was 116 in 2019.  Hopefully our cancelled trip from last year to Scotland in June will go ahead and help with the numbers.  Getting out at the moment will be really tricky with the current strict lockdown so there may be a lot of garden birds to start, (going to have to get out and clean those windows).

 

Our walk at New Year didn't produce much but it starts me off.

 

1.  Greylag Goose

Lancashire Coastal Way  -  02/01/21

 

[Zim Girl]

Luckily our local nature reserve is only a 10 minute drive from home.  It is a lovely place but suffers from having a lot of dog walkers who insist on ignoring the signs to keep them on leads. (I am a dog owner but it annoys me no end).  It has a big lake that attracts a good selection of ducks in winter but the views are always very distant.  There have been reports of a bittern in recent weeks so I am keeping my eyes open for that.

 

Anyway, the other day I found a few fieldfares tucking into some left over apples in one of the trees.

 

2.  Fieldfare

Marton Mere  -  05/01/21

 

Edited January 7, 2021 by Zim Girl

[Zim Girl]

I also saw this creeping around on a small island in the middle of the lake!  

Those ducks had better watch out.

 

 

 

[Zim Girl]

Then a very nice surprise.  The UK's smallest bird makes another appearance in our garden.  We saw one of these for the first time in the garden in May last year and the last two days we have seen one flitting around the bushes.  I finally managed a picture.

 

3.  Goldcrest

 

Back garden  -  07/01/21

 

[Soukous]

Lucky you

[Tdgraves]

I saw a goldcrest yesterday, but it was a terrible EBC!

[Galana]

A good start. Another Goldcrest to make me jealous.

Nice Fox too. Put it on a lead.

[PeterHG]

Lovely Goldcrest pictures! I did not see a single one last year.

[TonyQ]

A beautiful Goldcrest and beautiful photos! What a wonderful bird to have in your garden.

We are also hoping to go to Scotland in June. Fingers crossed....

[Galana]

34 minutes ago, TonyQ said:

We are also hoping to go to Scotland in June. Fingers crossed....

Make that four players so far. @TonyQ@Soukous@Zim Girland myself . Do we have a "group watch in "  to arrange?

[Kitsafari]

lovely goldcrest!

[elefromoz]

Lovely little Goldcrest. That Fox looks very well fed and seems to have spotted you spotting him. Lets hope everyone can make Scotland in 2021.

[Dave Williams]

10 hours ago, Galana said:

Make that four players so far. @TonyQ@Soukous@Zim Girland myself . Do we have a "group watch in "  to arrange?

I have booked my touring caravan in to both the Lake District and Kruger NP in June ! If the latter doesn't go ahead, and it's looking extremely doubtful at the moment we may continue North to Scotland if we are allowed in of course! 

[Soukous]

10 hours ago, Galana said:

Make that four players so far. @TonyQ@Soukous@Zim Girland myself . Do we have a "group watch in "  to arrange?

 

Why not, and only 2 UK BY contributors missing

[Dave Williams]

4 minutes ago, Soukous said:

 

Why not, and only 2 UK BY contributors missing

Do keep up Martin!

 

[Soukous]

3 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

Do keep up Martin!

 

 

What have I missed this time?  You're not a definite yet 

Edited January 8, 2021 by Soukous

[Dave Williams]

2 minutes ago, Soukous said:

 

What have I missed this time? 

I'll excuse you only on the grounds it took you four minutes to type 9 words!!!!

 

In case Fred jumps in to correct me it's 8 words and a number!

Edited January 8, 2021 by Dave Williams

[Soukous]

Just now, Dave Williams said:

I'll excuse you only on the grounds it took you four minutes to type 9 words!!!!

 

Coming from the Tortoise .....

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

In case Fred jumps in to correct me it's 8 words and a number!

Hmmm. Well some pedants might suggest that Acronyms are not real words and BY is not an Acronym anyway.

 

This is really Angie's thread so if folks are interested on a meeting of trails is it worth a thread?

Whatever. Our route is 17& 18 June Crianlarich 19-25 Mull. 26 June 2-7 Strontian Polloch. 3 July-  10th North Uist.

10th Jly - 14th  Loch Insch, Speyside. 14th Heysham Docks. Noon.

[Soukous]

39 minutes ago, Galana said:

Hmmm. Well some pedants might suggest that Acronyms are not real words and BY is not an Acronym anyway.

 

This is really Angie's thread so if folks are interested on a meeting of trails is it worth a thread?

Whatever. Our route is 17& 18 June Crianlarich 19-25 Mull. 26 June 2-7 Strontian Polloch. 3 July-  10th North Uist.

10th Jly - 14th  Loch Insch, Speyside. 14th Heysham Docks. Noon.

 

New thread started in Trip Planning - "Scotland 2021"

[Peter Connan]

Lovely opening shot!

[Zim Girl]

Went on a Dipper hunt at the weekend and found a Dipper , well 3 of them actually.  This stretch of river always pretty much guarantees a sighting.

 

4.  Dipper

 

 

River Brock  -  09/01/21

 

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Zim Girl

[Zim Girl]

Back to the garden and a couple of easy ones.

 

5.  Blue Tit

Front garden  -  12/01/21

 

[Soukous]

1 minute ago, Zim Girl said:

Went on a Dipper hunt at the weekend and found a Dipper , well 3 of them actually.  This stretch of river always pretty much guarantees a sighting.

 

 

Ooh! can you tell me where it is please? I hope to stop off there on way to or from Scotland in Summer and have never managed to get Dipper photos. We don't have them in the East

[Zim Girl]

6.  House Sparrow

Male

 

Female

Front garden  -  12/01/21