Saturday, February 28, 2009

26th/27th February,2009.

Two days taken out, quite deliberately, in order to catch up with some records work etc. The first was completely vindicated when daytime mist then turned to rain and produced a miserable outcome!!

Looking out on a couple of birdfeeders immediately outside the window two immediate conclusions could be reached, namely, that the wintering Blackbirds and Robin had left and that Chaffinches were either moving through or arriving back. Good numbers (30+) are now around along with several Reed Buntings, occasional Goldfinch and odd Coal Tit and Dunnock. A few Greenfinches have been through, all of them males. The female Sparrowhawk visits almost daily, regularly repeating the "diving into the bush" technique, but has also taken to sitting on the garden wall 2m. from the nearest feeder and less than 10m. from the window. She ignores my presence and movements and was there for twenty minutes yesterday. The fact that her presence has seen the Chaffiches retire to a nearby telephone line, from where they can escape more easily. doesn't yet appear to have registered. I've not actually seen her catch anything all winter!!!

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