Tuesday, 5 March 2013

Species number 36 for the garden: Common Gull.

Enjoying the return of the Reed Bunting in the sunshine, I was gazing out of the window when in the sky above the fields at the back of the houses opposite I saw a flock of Black-headed Gulls floating about. I knew from recent sightings in the field that this flock had at least one Common Gull in it. I had been tempted the other day to put this species on the list as I watched one fly over where our house is and had we been at home we would most definitely been able to see it, however I was that far away that I couldn't even see the end of our road at the time, so didn't count it expecting to see one one day.

Reed Bunting in the sunshine.
Today was that day, as I drew my bins up I focussed on a first winter common Gull, then in the spiralling flock I found at least three adult birds, so the garden list advances by one more.

Obviously not the same bird, but it's the only Common Gull pic we have!
In the garden yesterday we planted a rowan, a hazel and a silver birch tree, one of each. One of the reasons that our garden has struggled to attract birds has been the lack of trees both in and around our house, this planting spree is designed to address that, if not now, in the future.

It is now 30 years since the slogan "Plant a tree in 83, plant some more in 84" was first coined and it is every bit as important now as it was then, perhaps more so.

Interesting to hear that some early spring migrants have arrived in the form of Wheatears at the same time the number of Blackbirds in the garden seems to have taken a dip, I have seen no more than three (recently as many a 7) males together and two females (recently 3) at any one time today.

Balckbird
Also today two Robins came to the garden for the first time. there seemed to be no angst between them and they came from the same diection, fed at the same time although not exactly together and left at the sam time in the same direction... a pair?

Robin

Local bird singing today: Great Tit; Chaffinch; Robin.

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