I've got to get back into blogging...
So here goes.
I had a couple of free hours this afternoon so decided to wander round the woods at Edwardsville, about 5 minutes stroll from the house, in the hope that the wintering Chaffinch flock was back this year.
In the 14 years I've lived in Quakers Yard, there has been a winter flock of Chaffinch numbering anything between 50 and 200 birds. Even when the flock is around I find small parties, usually 2 - a dozen birds, not mixing with the flock. I presume these smaller groups are the locally breeding birds whilst the big flock is visitors for Scandinavia, or further afield. The flock is always worth working through as most years there is a Brambling tucked in.
Last winter the flock did not appear to turn up - I certainly never saw any sign of it, despite looking a number of times. It had been getting smaller in numbers over the previous few winters, so presumed they had either died out or found somewhere new, and closer to home, to spend the winter.
The walk this afternoon produced small groups of Chaffinch but no decent sized flock until I'd almost gone through the woods and suddenly a large number of birds took off from the floor into the trees. Chaffinches and plenty of them. I settled myself against the trunk, and waited for the birds to resume their feeding on the ground. It didn't take long, and almost everywhere looked there were Chaffinches flitting across, turning leaves, etc. There must have been some 300+. I worked through the constantly restless flock several times before a splendid male Brambling hopped into view. Result. A few minutes latter, part of the flock took to the tree tops and another white rump was noted, a second Brambling. Result indeed.
There is a bumper crop of Beech seeds, so the flock should be around for some time, though tracking them down can prove difficult - if the decide to feed on the other side of the river, you have little chance of catching up with them.
So here goes.
I had a couple of free hours this afternoon so decided to wander round the woods at Edwardsville, about 5 minutes stroll from the house, in the hope that the wintering Chaffinch flock was back this year.
In the 14 years I've lived in Quakers Yard, there has been a winter flock of Chaffinch numbering anything between 50 and 200 birds. Even when the flock is around I find small parties, usually 2 - a dozen birds, not mixing with the flock. I presume these smaller groups are the locally breeding birds whilst the big flock is visitors for Scandinavia, or further afield. The flock is always worth working through as most years there is a Brambling tucked in.
Last winter the flock did not appear to turn up - I certainly never saw any sign of it, despite looking a number of times. It had been getting smaller in numbers over the previous few winters, so presumed they had either died out or found somewhere new, and closer to home, to spend the winter.
The walk this afternoon produced small groups of Chaffinch but no decent sized flock until I'd almost gone through the woods and suddenly a large number of birds took off from the floor into the trees. Chaffinches and plenty of them. I settled myself against the trunk, and waited for the birds to resume their feeding on the ground. It didn't take long, and almost everywhere looked there were Chaffinches flitting across, turning leaves, etc. There must have been some 300+. I worked through the constantly restless flock several times before a splendid male Brambling hopped into view. Result. A few minutes latter, part of the flock took to the tree tops and another white rump was noted, a second Brambling. Result indeed.
There is a bumper crop of Beech seeds, so the flock should be around for some time, though tracking them down can prove difficult - if the decide to feed on the other side of the river, you have little chance of catching up with them.
Well done Mart and it.s nice know there are some local.
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