What have you seen

I had a quick look at the rspb web site and sparrows are known to nest in every month of the year. They also stick with the same mate but quickly find a new one if disaster strikes. 

Quite a bit of time as a passenger over the past few days so able to do some birdwatching on the move.

Best of the bunch was a beautiful Crane in a field in Northern France, not far from Avranches, plus several Sparrowhawks. a Black Neck Grebe on a lake, a couple of unidentified Auks at sea and a Red Throated Diver. Can't see that lot when I'm driving.

Lots of Canada and Greylag Geese around the lake at Ripley Castle and a large herd of Fallow Deer.

Keep your eyes open for any shed Antlers, I got many of my sticks topped with shed Antler horn👍🏻

I saw my pet Cock Blackbird's life snuffed out by the Hen Sparrow Hawk this morning. For months I have been putting an apple out by the Dining Room French Windows and watching the Blackbird eat his breakfast while I ate mine. I managed to get him within 2 feet of the glass. Spectacular bird and she remained on the floor mantling her prey and looking at me for a few seconds. She obviously felt more hungry today as she has been taking the Goldfinches lately, but prior to that she had a Spotted Woodpecker.

No access to the parkland, so no chance of getting a shed antler.

🤷🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

What an amazing 24 hours in the garden.

After months of no activity in the garden with the exception of the starlings that started off as a flock of 5 in November performing a mini murmuration each evening to this week about 200 starting at 16.00 each evening for about 30 mins.

However this attracted the local sparrow hawk's attention and 3 nights ago, the hawk followed the starlings into the huge conifer they roost in scattering them. the following night the sparrow hawk arrived early and perched in the tree waiting for room service which scared off the starlings except for one that turned up late and was caught as soon as it landed.

Last night the hawk was noticed as it flew in during an even larger murmuration and the starlings carried on the routine for a long time before flying off to roost elsewhere.

This morning, the feeder tree had turned into a war zone after a week ago the introduction of an extra feeder with a homemade fat tube mix with seed, currents, shredded wheat, suet pellets and mixed crushed nuts. This has become the number one attraction and brought a female blackcap to the garden, which was bullied from the beginning by all other birds including a male blackbird which now feeds on a hanging feeder, the first time I have seen that behaviour from a predominantly ground feeding bird.

Up until today the blackcap was bottom of the feeding chain of blackbird, robin, sparrow, blue tits etc.

However this morning, the blackcap had taken over as the aggressor, gradually climbing the pecking order, leaving only the blackbird above in the pecking order. at one point it looked like the blackcap was going to do a blue tit serious damage in a fairly lengthy encounter, pinning it to the top of our box hedge. Fortunately the blue tit escaped leaving the pecking order changed completely.

All this while the resident squirrel watched on.

Just managed to grab a shot through the dirty double glazing.

Great photo Bluemalaga. that Blackcap has been watching The Kray Bros.

Great captured photo Bluemalaga