Osprey...

It was an unusual day yesterday. I was drinking a cup of coffee and watching the bird table when this little fella pops-up in the tree next to the feeding station. I had to do a double-take, I couldn't believe my eyes! A month since one was last seen in the garden a single, male Brambling was back.

Brambling, male, Whitestaunton: R. Harris

Brambling, male, Whitestaunton: R. Harris

Brambling, male, Whitestaunton: R. Harris

A late individual - I'm not sure I've ever had one in May in this part of the world before. Great to see in full summer plumage. It hung around for an hour picking at food on the bird table before vanishing as quickly as it had arrived.

Fast forward six hours and I'm sat in the car park of my son's school waiting to pick him up when I see a tweet from Seaton birder Phil Abbott to say he had found an Osprey, his fourth this year no less! Luckily for me my son loves to go for a walk along the front at Seaton so we were off as soon as he got in the car. A quick glance around from Coronation Corner revealed very little but then suddenly the Shelduck took to the air and then there it was. It just glided quietly (and surprisingly not harassed by gulls) down the length of the river towards the harbour before being lost to view.  I managed to fire off a quick burst of photos as it headed away.

Osprey, River Axe, Seaton: R. Harris

After waiting for 10 minutes to see if it would return, Jake and I continued to the seafront and started our usual walk. Walking back to the car 45 minutes later my attention was drawn to a commotion of gulls and corvids just off the beach by the town centre - there it was again, this time heading west towards Beer with an entourage of followers all trying to see it off.

ahead of its chasers as it flew towards Beer.

Great to see, I don't always catch up with them on the Axe but today it was a case of right time, right place.

Iceland Gull...

Having missed all of the ‘white-wingers’ on the River Axe this year, it was especially sweet to hear that Dave Helliar had found this immature Iceland Gull on his local patch close to Chard this morning. A new bird for his patch too! I was actually in Axminster at the time waiting to pick my son up from his drama club but the bird waited and I managed to catch it on the way home.

Iceland Gull: Dave Helliar

Iceland Gull: Dave Helliar

Iceland Gull: Dave Helliar

Iceland Gull: Dave Helliar

Thanks to Dave for the great photos and for finding the bird in the first place.

Reptile weather...

In the space of a week our weather has changed dramatically. Seven days ago the temperature was hovering around 8 deg. Then, two days ago a sudden burst of warmth from the south saw those temperatures rise by 18 deg! Hoping for some migrant birds (and confident of seeing some reptiles), Dave Helliar joined me for an early morning visit to Dorset.

Dorset's sandy heaths rarely disappoint and it didn't take long for us to hear our first singing Dartford Warbler, closely followed by a singing Woodlark, a sound I never tire of hearing. As the temperature started to climb it was time to start keeping our eyes open for lizards. Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara was the first to be spotted then a handsome Sand Lizard Lacerta agilis basking on the edge of the heath.

Masters of camouflage, a male Sand Lizard Lacerta agilis blending almost
perfectly with the moss and dead bracken around it.

A slightly brighter individual later that morning but the
overcast conditions didn't show it at its best.

What took us both by surprise was a young male Smooth Snake Coronella austriaca in an area we hadn't observed them before. Smooth Snakes generally stay still when discovered, hoping their camouflage will help them blend into the heath around them.

Smooth Snake Coronella austriaca, male

Smooth Snake Coronella austriaca, male

Smooth Snake Coronella austriaca, male

Our attention was then drawn to our first singing Tree Pipits of the year and a Cuckoo close by but frustratingly just out of sight. Flipping a tin we found 8 or 9 Slow Worms Anguis fragilis and suddenly the challenge of being able to see all the native British reptiles in a day was becoming a real possibility.

Slow Worm Anguis fragilis

Sadly it wasn't to be and despite extensive searching in suitable habitat we couldn't locate either Grass Snake Natrix helvetica or more worryingly, Adder Vipera berus - they are very difficult to see now. We did see a stonking male Yellowhammer feeding (and singing) on the ground as we returned to the car but as the clouds rolled in around midday the best of the viewing drew to a close.

Yellowhammer, male

Yellowhammer, male

Early, Early Spider Orchids...

A quick trip to the Dorset coast with my brother paid off at the weekend with what appears to be the first orchids seen in flower in the UK so far this year.  The furry brown and slightly weird looking Early Spider Orchids Ophrys spegodes are a scarce species that thrives along the Purbeck cliffs.

Inquisitive Roe Deer checking us out on the long path down to the cliffs

As their name suggests, they are one of the first species to flower each year, however the cold weather we've experienced in 2018 so far has knocked the flowering times of most species back by a couple of weeks - last year we saw hundreds of these orchids in flower over the Easter weekend.  Despite an extensive search, we didn't find any sign of the controversial Sawfly Orchid this year.

Early Spider Orchid - one of the first this year

And another...we just about reached double figures!

The weather was cold and damp and apart from a few Blackcaps there were no birds of note whatsoever. However we did happen across a couple of Egyptian Geese on floodwater by the minor road connecting Dorchester to Pallington Heath.

Egyptian Goose looking alert, Pallington Heath

And the second bird looking more chilled

Sadly it was too cold for reptiles as well and despite an optimistic stop-off to look for Sand Lizards, none were found.

Sparrowhawk...a different bird

Just before heading off to Cornwall for a week, I had yet another 'tame' Sparrowhawk in the garden, this time a young male. I initially walked out the back door of the house expecting it to fly off (before it could nab a Brambling, or worse the Hawfinch!).  But as with the bird a few weeks ago (see post below) this one had no intention of going anywhere. Fixated on getting into the wire cage protecting the bird feeding area, it refused to leave even when I walked up to it.

Unfortunately my Nikon P900 had already been packed and loaded into the car so I turned around, went back into the house and pulled out the only other camera I could get my hands on - my Nikon D5300 complete with 105 mm macro lens.  I returned to the garden, walked up to within a few feet of it and started snapping away. It's a shame it was raining but you can't have everything...

Sparrowhawk, male

Not at all phased by my presence

You can clearly see blood from its last meal
on its beak.

Staring me down - quite an intimidating gaze!

Sparrowhawk, male. Whitestaunton

Red-legged Partridge...

Two pairs of Red-legged Partridges have recently taken turns to visit the garden in search of food, adding a splash of colour in the process. Though not native (they were introduced from France in the 1770’s) they have become a very common sight and fill the niche left by the sad demise of our native Grey Partridge, who’s population plummeted dramatically after the large scale introduction of pesticides and loss of field borders after the Second World War. Still, I don't mind seeing them, especially as they only first appeared on the garden list last year.

Red-legged Partridge...minus the legs

Looking a bit out-of-place on the patio

Hiding in the border.

Red-legged Partridge 

Red-legged Partridge, pair, Whitestaunton

In addition to these the Hawfinch still remains and has now been in residence for 5 months also 7-8 Brambling.

The Rainforest Foundation...

The Rainforest Foundation do a fantastic job in helping to prevent the spread of Palm oil plantations around the world by raising awareness, purchasing land and giving advice on Palm oil free products and foods that we can all buy. If you’ve ever visited a rainforest to go birding or wildlife viewing, you’ll know what incredibly biodiverse habitats they are and what a tragedy it is to be loosing them forever. Please consider making a donation to help them meet their objectives and save the countless species that need the forests to survive.

Check out their work at http://www.rainforestfoundationuk.org/media.ashx/rf-palm-oil-guide-update-v3.pdf and follow them on Twitter @RFUK.

Pristine rain forests are the most biodiverse habitats on earth. Help protect them
and the thousands of species that depend on them.

Sparrowhawk...

Had a surprise today when this young Sparrowhawk rocked up in the garden. I saw it land on top of the bird feeding station, scattering all of the occupants. I grabbed my camera and took a few snaps through the dining room window before venturing into the back garden, expecting it to fly off as they normally do. But it didn’t. It saw me and changed position on the cage but didn’t fly off, so I walked closer. I got to within 15 ft and began snapping away again, surely it would fly any second now?

However it still didn't leave, occasionally glancing at me but otherwise trying to work out how it could get inside the cage. I walked towards it in full view and raised my camera again, still it wasn't bothered so after a couple more pictures I walked right up to it. It was just 5 ft away - it had no fear of me whatsoever, indeed it looked right at me and then down into the cage, flew closer still and I had to back off slightly so that the camera could focus!

Sparrowhawk just 5ft away

Sparrowhawk!

What a magnificent bird...hope it doesn’t get the
Hawfinch though!

Stare of death, just look at those eyes!

How do I get in here?

Never had one act like this before myself, they are usually very skittish and will fly at the slightest movement. Incredible to see one this close.

Getting up-close and personal with some of our Winter visitors...

This winter has provided unprecedented opportunities for me to film and photograph some of our more scarce winter finches right here in my own garden. Regulars like the Siskin have built in numbers since the 'Beast from the East' snowstorm last week and are now hovering around 30 birds whilst the long-staying Hawfinch continues to visit the bird table along with Brambling, which now vary from 8-14 birds daily. Filming them over the last few days have allowed magnificent views - this morning the Hawfinch was feeding just 3 ft from me (although I was well hidden). The results are below. It's not often I can see, let alone film, these beautiful birds as close as this.

The real 'Beast from the East'
Side-by-side, a Siskin stands right next to the Hawfinch
and the size difference is incredible. R. Harris

Female Brambling enjoying the seeds

Brambling and Hawfinch...

8 March

Lovely views of the Hawfinch, Brambling and Siskin at the bird table today. They'll probably disappear in the next few weeks so great to make the most of them. Not everyday you get to see our largest finch next to one of our smallest, incredible!



3 March

Some stunning birds still hitting the bird table today and no doubt will continue to do so during this spell of cold weather. Today at least 14 Brambling, the regular Hawfinch, 12 Siskin and 6 Greenfinch coming to the feeders. Watch the videos in HD on YouTube.

Venom evolution...

An interesting research paper, if you're into snakes, by Dr Bryan G Fry and his colleagues on proteomic and functional variation within black snake venoms (Elapidae: Pseudechis) can be read here. Fascinating how venom has evolved in different species for different prey types.

Ross's Gull...

I don't really twitch many birds these days but on Wednesday morning this week an adult Ross's Gull was found at Ferrybridge, Dorset. It promptly disappeared not to be seen again until late that day at Lodmoor on the other side of Weymouth.

I kept a close eye on news of it's movements after it was seen again on Thursday (yesterday) morning and again it was appearing in short bursts around the Weymouth area often vanishing for large chunks of time. After seeing some amazing photos of it on Twitter I wish I'd stopped working and gone to see it. Its not a new bird, I've seen a few in the UK and more in Canada but they are truly beautiful, elegant birds and being only 40 miles away I decided to take today off and try for it.

Good news broke early - it had been seen again at Ferrybridge. After dropping Jake at school in Axminster I set off along the coast road, which takes about 50 minutes to Weymouth. It was a beautiful morning and I was in no rush, half expecting it to have moved to Lodmoor as it had the day before. I got to Ferrybridge around 09:20 but it was eerily quiet, checked Birdguides...it had flown off at 08:45 while I was en route!! That would explain the obvious lack of birders. I decided to stay put and have a coffee when I noticed a couple with scopes checking the few gulls that were out on the mud. I went over to be sociable and see if they'd seen it earlier this morning and as I approached one of them turned and said 'it's here!' Sure enough, it had just returned and was lingering with a handful of Black-headed Gulls on the edge of the rising tide.

It was bitterly cold and it must have felt right at home, a real Arctic beauty...

Ross's Gull, adult winter, Ferrybridge: R.Harris

Ross's Gull, adult winter, Ferrybridge: R.Harris

After watching it for about 15 minutes, it took to the air and headed out across the Fleet on its own. I grabbed some video too while it was on the deck but it was incredibly windy and despite being on a heavy video tripod, the camera was still moving around. I had to lower the soundtrack volume as the wind was deafening.

Sadly it failed to return in the following hour before I left and it was only relocated around 15:40 this afternoon in Bowleaze Cove west Weymouth before departing east half-an-hour later. Hopefully it will stick around and be picked up again over the weekend.

Brambling...

Brambling are just one of those birds that you long to see each winter, special birds because they are usually fairly scarce, they always look great with their contrasting black, white and orange plumage and they are a sure sign that it's cold!

I've had Brambling at Whitestaunton before, but only the odd one or two and certainly not every year. This year there have been good numbers locally including about a dozen regular birds with the local Chaffinch flock about 500 meters south of the house. Every morning on the school run to Axminster I keep a keen eye out for the white rumps as they disappear up into the beech trees along the roadside. So perhaps it's no surprise that they would eventually put in an appearance here, after all there's no shortage of seed for them in the garden.

I've been lucky to have four over the last few days, two male and two female. They are much shyer than the Chaffinches they associate with, never coming to the main bird table but preferring the seed table I set up for the Hawfinch at the end of last year, which is situated further from the house by the garden shed. Dave Helliar came to enjoy them at the weekend and was treated to close views of the residing Hawfinch too. In fact there are seven species of finch present at the moment with Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Brambling, Siskin and Hawfinch being seen on a daily basis. After much waiting, hidden from view, I managed a bit of long distance (hence the quality) video.

If they keep coming in, I'll definitely be trying to get some better clips of them.

Three of the Brambling with a pair of Bullfinch

Brambling, male: R. Harris

The Bird That Keeps on Giving...

After seemingly disappearing for long intervals, the Hawfinch has reappeared in the garden yet again, it obviously likes it here. Now that the last of the field maple seeds have fallen (or rotted on the tree), he's now coming regularly to the whole sunflower seeds. At the weekend a second bird joined it for 10 minutes but hasn't been seen since.

Regular bird with pale flecking on some of the scaps.

Second bird, looking for a way into the cage

Sadly it was raining and the light was rubbish but it was wonderful to watch these two as I munched on my cornflakes.  Wish I'd taken a shot of the House Sparrows all sitting on top of the cage waiting for the visitors to leave so that they could get a look-in.

This morning it was back on its favourite tray and showed incredibly well.

Hawfinch, Whitestaunton: R. Harris

See how the colours change when not in direct sunlight
Taken through glass while in shadow

Hawfinch: R. Harris

Another bird of interest was this male Brambling which came in to feed alongside the Hawfinch on 6 Feb.

Brambling, Whitestaunton: R. Harris

Every day the Hawfinch is  here is a bonus, may never see one like this again. Pleased it's managed to see out the worst of the winter months in my garden.