Saturday, November 27, 2010

Bird feeding bonanza!

Whilst the Inverness area didn't get as much of a deluge of snow as farther east, there was enough! Temperatures are very low and I'm reflecting on the wisdom of having a No.1 haircut two days ago!!

The feeders have been festooned with birds, with all the usual aggression and desperation on display. Great, Blue and Coal Tits, Blackbirds, a male Great Spotted Woodpecker, Yellowhammer, Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Wren and Robin were all regularly present throughout the day, almost until darkness. Strangely enough the daily dawn and dusk flights of Pink-footed Geese, and some Grey lag Geese, to the stubble fields beyond Beauly appear to have temporarily ceased with the oncoming snow. A highly vocal, fast moving flock of 16 Long tailed Tits sped from the nearby woodland, over open fields towards dusk, doubtless heading for a regular roosting spot.

The nearby "Redpoll" flock appears to have moved on without there having been an opportunity to give it any real scrutiny given the high number ( 10% is one figure reported )of Common Redpoll around. As yet I've had no Siskin which suggests these local breeders have moved on already.

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