Another snowy day brought in all the usual garden suspects – Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Goldfinch, Siskin, Blackbird (including our regular leucistic male), Starling, Magpie, Pied/White Wagtail, Collared Dove & Woodpigeon. But today they were joined by Song Thrush, Redwing and 3 Redpoll … I assume these were Lesser Redpoll but not sure.
(Apologies for the image quality – these were taken through the kitchen window in quite gloomy light)
Seen a few of these over the years but never one in the garden. This one has been around since 10 November. Picture is a bit soft as it was taken through the kitchen window …. and it was pouring with rain.
First 2016 sightings in the garden of juvenile birds – siskin on Thursday and starling today. Blackbirds, house sparrows and starlings have been collecting and taking food away from the garden for a while now and the starlings have been seen returning with fecal sacs! Hopefully I will be seeing more youngsters soon.
I have been recording the birds in the garden since 1998 and this morning saw a first visit by a redpoll. Not sure which one but it was noticeably bigger than the siskin it was sharing the feeder with. Apologies for the quality of the picture – it was a grab shot through the kitchen window (and it was raining and gloomy!).
Redpoll in the garden again this morning (Saturday 23 April). Only seems interested in the feeder though – it would be nice if it was to pose on a tree or something!
Are there any infections currently affecting Siskins?
I have, recently, found three dead Siskins in the garden – on different days with no obvious signs of being attacked. A sick-looking bird was also around the garden this morning (see picture) until it was taken by one of the marauding cats that have infected our neighbourhood. Hopefully, if the bird was diseased, the cat will also be sick.
17 Goldeneye on the river seen from Portobello, 6 male & 11 female. 100+ Herring Gull, with only a few Black-headed Gulls seen. The only wader seen was a single Redshank.
2 Grey Heron and 1 Little Egret at the Watermill.
Red Kite high over the village this afternoon – first I’ve seen here.
I managed to grab a couple of snaps but, although they confirm ID, the quality at that distance is not good.
Lesser Scaup in quite close near the Cafe boardwalk this morning.
First posting .. so testing really!
44 birds in the mixed finch flock feeding in the garden this morning – 17 chaffinch, 16 goldfinch, 10 siskin and a solitary male house sparrow. Probably won’t see half of them for the Big Garden Bird Watch at the weekend.
Glamorgan Bird Club 
You must be logged in to post a comment.