On the Rocks..Waiting for the Tide to Turn.

Turnstones .......Arenaria interpres

One of the Mob

Starling .........Sturnus vulgaris

At the Feeder.

Coal Tit ..........Parus ater

The Coal Tits have always been with us since we put the feeders out. I have never seen more than two in the garden at any one time . Generally it is a lone Coal Tit that visits.

The Goldcrest has not been seen again since the 11th of January unlike the Firecrest that visits daily.

Today I saw three Goldfinches on the Niger seed feeder which is good news as it has been just a solitary bird visiting for some while now and not as often as I would like.

Three Robins and three Blue Tits were also seen together in the garden today.

Greenfinches have so far failed to show this year which in itself is rather strange.

Bigfoot

Coot...Fulica atra

Dipper.

Dipper.....Cinclus cinclus

The record shot of the Dipper is the best I have come up with so far...but I am working on it and hope to get a better shot rather soon.

Menabilly Barton Pheasant

Pheasant ......Phasianus colchicus

Penzance Waders

Turnstone .........................Arenaria interpes

Purple Sandpiper ..............Calidris maritima

Year List Hits One Hundred.

A very good days birding today.

First up was a Raven around the Cambourne area of the A30.
Second was the Whooper Swan at Drift.
Third came the mixed flock of Lapwing and Grey Plover in a field close to Sennen.
Fourth was the Long-tailed Duck in Sennen Bay.
Fifth was the capture of the Cattle Egrets at Brew Farm Sennen. We dipped on them earlier missing them by minutes.
Six came at Marazion Marshes when the Bittern obliged by flying overhead.
Seventh and last was the Purple Sandpiper at Jubilee Pool Penzance.

The Long-tailed Duck, Cattle Egret and Bittern were all Life Ticks.
The Purple Sandpiper was my hundredth this year.

Wren at Porthpean.

Wren ................Troglodytes troglodytes

I Like an Iced Drink

Coscoroba Swan

From Over the Pond

South American Comb Duck.

Through the Looking Glass.

Taken through the observatory window at Slimbridge.

Firecrest News

The Firecrest has made a belated re-appearance since the cold spell which is great news as I was beginning to think he/she was another casualty of the big freeze.

Slimbridge Ice Show.

Shelduck.....Tadorna tadorna

Slimbridge.

Goldeneye ..........Bucephala clangula

Cold and mainly frozen waters of Slimbridge.

Weekend Visit

A really good and interesting two days spent with Derek Julian, Sam and Ben at Chew Valley Lake and Slimbridge yielded twentythree Year and six Life Ticks.
The birds in bold green are the Life Ticks.

Goosander
Reed Bunting
Green Woodpecker
Barnacle Goose
Shelduck
Gadwall
Bewick's Swan
Skylark
Water Rail
Peregrine Falcon
Pochard
Mandarin Duck
Lesser Black-backed Gull
White Fronted Goose
Black-tailed Godwit
Ruff
Curlew
Little Grebe
Greylag Goose
Pintail
Linnet
Stock Dove
Sparrowhawk

Coastal Robin.

Robin ...................Erithacus rubecula

Chuckles the Rook.

Rook ...........Corvus frugilegus

Jenny Wren

Wren.........Troglodytes troglodytes

One from Yesterday.

Little Egret ..........Egretta garzetta

Garden Songster

Song Thrush .........Turdus philomelos

Welcome Back

A little bit of welcome news.

After a few days wondering if the Goldcrest and Firecrest had succumbed to the Arctic weather conditions the Goldcrest showed her face and crown late this afternoon. Hopefully soon I will be able to report the same for the Firecrest.

It's The Way he Tells 'Em.

Rook.......Corvus frugilegus

Winning Post

Robin.........Erithacus rubecula

The background to the shot is water.

Goldcrest

Goldcrest .........Regulus regulus

The photograph of the Goldcrest is an improvement on the last one but a long way away from being good.. The bad light conditions and fast movement of the bird has so far defeated me. Hope she (I think) weathers the rough conditions and gives me more opportunities at a later date.

Female Blackcap

Blackcap ...........Sylvia atricapilla

Plenty in the Larder.

Nutty enjoying himself ...although he nearly came a cropper slipping on a snow covered branch.

Searching the Snow

Grey Wagtail.....Motacilla cinerea

Chiffchaff & Ivy

Chiffchaff.....Phylloscopus collybita

Garden Tick.

A trio of Long-tailed Tits flew on to the feeder this morning. Activity has been rather quiet since the New Year with the Firecrest remaining hidden along with the rare (now) Greenfinch.
Has anyone else noted a drop in the Greenfinch visitors to their garden this year?

Beatitude.

Stonechat ............Saxicola torquata

A grainy shot.

More from the Rookery.

Rook.....Corvus frugilegus

Garden Threesome.

The garden birds have been evading me since the new year list started but they came good today with the two Goldies and the Coal Tit being added to the list.

Singing the Blues.

Robin .........Erithacus rubecula

Welcome Winter Visitor.

Looking out the window at the wintry condition I noticed a familiar face...one I had not seen for a few months now..a male Bullfinch perched on one of the posing branches deliberating whether to have some of the Christmas Cake I had put out .
He got spooked before he made his mind up ...but it is good to have him back.

Rook Study.

Rook ..........Corvus frugilegus

What an impressive bill.

Happy New Year Everyone. From A&T Birding.