Zim Girl's 7th Big Year 2024

[Zim Girl]

Thank you @BRACQUENE, @PeterHG, @TonyQ and @Galana.

17 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Super photos of the Lesser Scaup! I’ve only ever seen one at quite a distance. It must have been really exciting to see them so close. Love the Hawfinches too. I haven’t seen them for some years.

We thought we were only going to see them at distance too but in actual fact, when they went out of sight, they were flying over to us and yes we were very excited.  The hawfinches are lovely but we really want to see them close up too.

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations! Great photos too!

[michael-ibk]

What a gloriously gory Sparrowhawk sighting. 😎 And some top species to follow, well done. 

[Zim Girl]

Thanks Michael.  They are welcome any time to try and keep the feral pigeon numbers down .

[Kitsafari]

wow those sparrowhawks are getting good meals at your home! 

[Zim Girl]

UK 51.  Ring-necked Parakeet

Marton Mere Nature Reserve  -  07/02/24

 

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 52.  Northern Pintail

RSPB Leighton Moss  -  16/03/24

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 53.  Eurasian Bullfinch

Female

Male

 

RSPB Leighton Moss  -  16/03/24

[Zim Girl]

UK 54.  Stock Dove

Fields near home  -  19/03/24

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 55.  Eurasian Magpie

Stanley Park  -  19/03/24

 

[Zim Girl]

Our garden and the surrounding countryside is alive with the sound of Chiffchaffs now.

 

UK 56.  Common Chiffchaff

 

Fairhaven  -  20/03/24

 

[Zim Girl]

I will finish this batch with a few from the garden.

 

UK 57.  Common Chaffinch

Female

Male

Back garden  -  18/03/24

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 58.  Eurasian Tree Sparrow

 

Back garden  -  18/03/24

 

[Zim Girl]

UK 59.  Eurasian Siskin

Back garden  -  02/4/24

 

 

[Galana]

4 hours ago, Zim Girl said:

Our garden and the surrounding countryside is alive with the sound of Chiffchaffs now.

With the current rotten weather I will bet they are singing "Show me the way to go home!"

Great Bullfinches.

[PeterHG]

Your garden appears to have a lot of beautiful species!

[michael-ibk]

Indeed, lovely birds at your doorstep!

[Peter Connan]

Your garden sure has some beautiful visitors!

[Zim Girl]

18 hours ago, Galana said:

With the current rotten weather I will bet they are singing "Show me the way to go home!"

Great Bullfinches.

You are not kidding.  This constant rain is getting really boring now!

 

Thanks everyone. We are particularly fond of our resident tree sparrows.  Year after year they nest in our garden usually producing 3 broods.  They are currently in and out of the nest box so hopefully cooking up batch number one.

[Zim Girl]

Our usual walk along the Lancashire coastal path and then down the Lancaster canal always produces something of interest.  This time we had a nice pair of Goosander.

 

UK 60.  Goosander

Female

Male 

Lancaster Canal  -  23/03/24

 

[Zim Girl]

Our heron was in it's usual spot.

 

UK 61.  Grey Heron

Lancaster Canal  -  23/03/24

 

[Zim Girl]

Over Easter, we made our first trip of the year into Bowland, which is a beautiful upland area not too far from us.  We saw most of the usual suspects and here are the ones worth showing so far.  We will go again in a few weeks to try and improve on the others.

The first picture looks like I have got the bird in mid walk, but it was actually stood motionless.  Possibly to distract from another bird (female?) that was hunkered down nearby which we hadn't seen until they both flew off.

 

UK 62.  Red-legged Partridge

Forest of Bowland  -  29/03/24

[Zim Girl]

UK 63.  Red Grouse

Female

Male

 

Forest of Bowland  -  29/03/24

 

[Zim Girl]

We stopped by a stream as we had spotted a pair of Grey Wagtail flitting about.  They were collecting nesting material and looked like they were taking it under a small nearby bridge.

The first picture shows one of them pulling out dry grass and the second one is posing nicely by the river.

 

UK 64.  Grey Wagtail

 

Forest of Bowland  -  29/03/24

 

[TonyQ]

Some lovely birds and photos from your garden and the local area