Wildlife -January 2010

[Maggi Young]

Yes, there are more around in unexpected places..... Mark's friend had two feeding on her lawn... I was shocked to have one fly up out of the garden here a couple of weeks ago .... never seen them in town before...in fact , they're not birds we see often at all, even around here in the countryside  

[Stephenb]

This morning for only the second time there was a Hawfinch on the bird feeder! This is a species which has expanded a lot in recent years here..

And, it's back! The sun finally made an appearance this morning and time for the annual snow dance...

[Stephenb]

I was sorting some old photos during the week. Thought this might interest some of you. This is the rarest bird I've seen in the garden, sadly dead... One May morning in the mid-90s my young daughter came in saying that there was a bird dead on the doorstep. I went out, glanced at it and dismissed it as a Robin that the cat had probably caught. Luckily my wife also had a quick look. That's not a  Robin she said. She was right. However, I had no idea what it could be. Leafing through one of my bird books I found it - a Red-breasted Flycatcher! We have breeding Pied Flyacatchers in the garden, but this turned out to be a sensation as it was the first observation of this species in my county! The picture is scanned from a print. It's now in the local natural history museum...

  

[daveyp1970]

Stephen thats a fantastic find(not for the bird)we have plenty of spotted flycatchers in the woods near me i have never seen a pied though that would be dancing on the spot moment.Could you please post a pic of the pied when you get chance.

[Ragged Robin]

Do you have a picture showing the front of the bird too Stephen?  A sad end to such a beautiful bird but wonderful that your wife recognised the significance of the Red-breasted flycatcher 

and time for the annual snow dance...

Hoping to see some photos of this event and find out more about the celebration 

[Stephenb]

Stephen thats a fantastic find(not for the bird)we have plenty of spotted flycatchers in the woods near me i have never seen a pied though that would be dancing on the spot moment.Could you please post a pic of the pied when you get chance.

Strange as it may seem, I don't have a single Pied Flycatcher picture and I've found more dead Red-Breasteds! Far too common I guess....

[Stephenb]

Do you have a picture showing the front of the bird too Stephen?  A sad end to such a beautiful bird but wonderful that your wife recognised the significance of the Red-breasted flycatcher  

and time for the annual snow dance...

Hoping to see some photos of this event and find out more about the celebration  

Sorry that's the only picture I've found so far - will post when I eventually find more.

Photos of the event?: Don't think you really want to see pictures of a Red-breasted Stephen....the snow impression will suffice, I think - you can imagine the rest...

[mark smyth]

Red-breasted flycatcher
http://www.birdguides.com/iris/pictures.asp?mode=search&sp=137063&rty=0&r=1&v=0&off=204373

There was a rarity arrived in the UK recently that hit the news and newspapers but for the wrong reason. While being watched by a mob of twitchers a cat caught it.

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks for the link, Mark, a very attractive looking bird and some lovely photos of them in the wild    Do they appear in Europe?

[mark smyth]

They do http://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=137063#

[Roma]

At last I have managed to get a pic of a squirrel in the snow.  It is easy to get them on the peanut feeder but they usually run off when I point the camera at them on the ground. 

[Diane Clement]

At last I have managed to get a pic of a squirrel in the snow.  It is easy to get them on the peanut feeder but they usually run off when I point the camera at them on the ground.  

Very nice red squirrel, Roma, I wish we had those instead of our big grey brutes.

[mark smyth]

Roma please show us a larger photo of the cutie.

I read online yesterday that greys are about to invade the highlands and on the east coast have arrived in Aberdeen. Ian and Maggi what ill you do when they arrive in AB15

[Maggi Young]

They're here, Mark. And with Brian and Maureen down the road.They've been all through a lot of this area for a long time.... but now there is a scheme to trap them in the woods in the town and nearby in an attempt to slow them down. I think they are catching them, but whether or not in sufficient numbers to make a difference I don't know.

[Roma]

There are greys a few miles from here.  Apparently they follow  beech trees.  The Forestry Commission wanted to cut some mature beech trees to stop the grey squirrels from spreading but locals did not want them cut.  They no longer plant beech trees round the edge of conifer plantations as the greys cannot survive in pure conifer forests like the reds.