I was happy to see the end of May this year. It has been nothing but rain, sometimes very heavy which caused a lot of damage to my garden.
The temperature on several nights plummeted down giving it a wintery feel. This time last year it was gloriously warm and sunny, so I expected the same this year, foolish me.

Birding wise there isn't much to report apart from the Blackbirds in the garden had two juveniles fledge successfully. The House Sparrows that I didn't think were nesting in the Sparrows box surprised me towards the end of the month after seeing the male taking food to the nest box, so fingers crossed for a successful fledge.

There aren't any new garden bird photos this month. Hopefully I will be able to visit my favoured birding sites shortly and get some new ones.

Stay safe, stay well.
​

Migration has been somewhat slow for some of our summer visitors especially House Martin. 
This was due to the unfavourable winds that the U.K. has had throughout April. Hopefully the weather next month will bring an improvement, with increased numbers of birds being able to arrive in the country.

The pair of Blackbirds that are nesting in the garden now have young as the parents are continually bringing food back to the nest.

The House Sparrow gang are still visiting on a daily basis, but have not occupied the nest box. Blue tits have also failed to nest in the camera box after the female started to build a nest.

Red Kites have become regular visitors to the immediate area, with two seen together over the house.

It was a typical Spring month in March, very warm weather for a few days in the latter part, followed by very cold weather with a scattering of snow. I wonder how it affects the arriving summer visitors, perhaps postponing mating and nest building for a week or so.

The Blue Tit in the camera box that started to build a nest now looks to have abandoned it. There has not been any activity there for over a week now, perhaps a mate is proving hard to find.

To make up for the Blue Tit disappointment, a Blackbird has built a nest in the ivy and appears to be sitting on a clutch of eggs. Fingers crossed that the pair successfully raise a brood.

​Apart from the regular House Sparrows and Herring gulls the garden and immediate area has been very quiet. I’m hoping that may change next month.

​Stay safe, stay well.

 There were certainly signs of Spring during February with garden plants and blossom on some trees starting to appear. The daytime temperature during the latter part of the month saw highs of fourteen degrees c in our part of the country and very nice it was too.

It was unusually quiet on the birding front around the house and garden, whilst I was keeping an eye open for early summer migrants, but I didn't see any.

The male House Sparrow has been busy calling for a female whilst sat on top of the Sparrow and had some luck, as I saw a female inspecting the box on several different days. Finger crossed that they will settle and raise a brood.

The Blue Tit that has been roosting in the camera box is still there and has started to build the base of a nest.

Stay safe, stay well.

 There was a marked increase in Great Tits visiting the garden feeders last month, probably as the weather got colder. Blue tit numbers were roughly the same, Starling, Collared Dove and Dunnock showed a slight increase.
I installed the bird box camera at the end of the month and that night saw that a Blue Tit was roosting there.

Near the end of the month a large mixed gull flock of at least seventy birds, consisting of mainly Herring Gull, with fewer Lesser Black Backed and Black Headed gulls making up the numbers. Some of the Black Headed Gulls were in summer plumage showing their chocolate brown heads.

 They were in the vicinity of the local recycling centre making a lot of noise as they rose into the air. This is a daily occurrence when the facility closes where the gulls have been foraging throughout the day. According to my records this is the highest number of gulls that I had seen from the garden. 

All three species are very common around the house and garden, where at times you would think you were at the coast with their calls. Long may it continue.

​Stay Safe.                                              

  The Grey Wagtail seen last month did not return to the pond area in my garden, it was probably just feeding up and moving on its migration.
Plenty of other bird species have passed through the garden during November, a dozen or so Blackbirds in a group were foraging for worms and berries which stayed for half an hour and then moved on.
Woodpigeon and Collared Dove numbers increased during the first week and by the third week started to decline. 
The Starling flock, seen on most days in the area has grown to about one hundred and fifty birds and the ever present House Sparrows now number twenty five or so. They visit the garden daily and favour a Rowan tree growing next to a dense shrub for shelter. 

The bird feeders have been busy these last few days as the weather has turned colder, with Robin, Blue and Great Tit, with Dunnock foraging underneath, Starling, House Sparrow, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove and Jay, which has found a way to get peanuts out of the feeder.

 A Grey Wagtail visited my garden fish pond on the 20th October for about 30 minutes or so, it foraged for insects around the pond and rockery and seemed to find a fair amount of food.
When it first appeared I thought it may have been 'Hoppy', the Grey Wagtail that had overwintered around the pond for four years running. I should have realised that this couldn't have been the same bird as I noticed very subtle differences in the plumage and 'Hoppy' would have been by now a very old bird.

Herring Gulls are still making a lot of noise around the house and surrounding area. The flock size can vary from a few to 35+ and are made of adults and juveniles, all in their winter plumage.
Good numbers of Starling are also seen on a daily basis around the garden, with flock sizes of up to 60 plus.

I went on my first birding trip since the Lockdown began in March to Edenbrooke Country Park, Hampshire, on the 22nd of September. It was a lovely sunny day, warm with good visibility. 

There were lots of Rooks and Jackdaws foraging in a field next to the CP. 
A Grey Heron was fishing in one of the small ponds and a pair of Stonechats were busy finding food alongside the margins of the larger pond.

Although there weren't many birds about, it was great to get back out birding.

​Stay Safe

 Wow parts of August have been extremely hot. Here in the south the mercury reached 34c, with other days over 30c, too hot for some, but no complaints from me.

Birding has been very slow, the only highlight was the usual flock of House Sparrows which visit the garden almost daily, there numbers having risen to thirty one, swelled by at least a dozen juveniles.

Hopefully I will resume my birding away from the house early next month. I may be able to see a few migrants on their way  back, fingers crossed that I do. Obviously I will stick to the social distancing rules whilst out. 

​Take care, Stay safe. 

The month has been very good weather wise, lots of sun with very little rain in the south.
I have noticed that throughout July there has been a steady rise of Herring and Lesser Black Backed gulls in the area around my home, culminating in a column of a mix of fifty six adults and juveniles of both species seen a short distance away towards the airfield. 

The regular House Sparrow gang that visit every day for food that I put out has increased in numbers with a fair few juveniles with the adults. The flock is always interesting to watch and see the antics that they get up to whilst feeding.

Apart from that birding from my garden has been rather slow, but that's not surprising given the time of year. 
​Now that reverse migration is in flow, perhaps something unusual may turn up, fingers crossed.