Watching the Blackbirds at Dempsey Towers earlier this afternoon.
While they're not singing as much as the incessant Song Thrush (don't they ever get bored repeating everything three times?), at least two males are happily warbling away in subsong, with the occasional full outburst and one female has taken up residence on the top of the leylandii hedge (see above) where they nest each year.
Must remember to sharpen a few branches to keep cats out (it worked for the Vietcong).
They've finally taken to eating all the windfall apples, having just about ignored them thro' the non-winter, so given the fermentation process of fruit on the deck, I reckon my Blackbirds are juiced up and ready for lurrrrve....
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies......
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I had a single Rook batting into the wind over Switch Island yesterday, meanwhile the latest records from Derek Williams out on Downholland Moss:
Feb 19 -26:
Rooks 5; Coal Tit; Greenland Whitefront; Jack Snipe; Yellowhammer 4; Kingfisher; Greater 'Pecker; Curlew 32; Grey Heron 8; Pied Wagtail 16; Stonechat 2m; Blackbird 20; Oystercatcher 9 (back on nesting territory); Teal 10; Linnet 75; Corn Bunting 89; Med Gull 1 (24.2.07); Reed Bunting 9; Woodpigeon 1100.
Hi John
Interesting reports from various contacts around Europe recently, regarding very early trans-Saharan migrants.
Common Swifts in Cyprus on Jan 30/31, were about six weeks earlier than previously recorded, following the exceptional records of a Spotted Flycatcher near Malaga in mid January and White-rumped Swifts near Tarifa in February (normally back in mid May) as we know!
Sand Martins have been seen over the past week in N Wales and Martin Mere, about two weeks early..
Interestingly, in South Africa recently, birders were complaining about the lack of northern Paleartic migrants, so maybe the missing ones have decided to hang around in North Africa, ready for a shorter flight back and getting first dibs on nest sites?
Ears to the Meres Everyone !
John Bannon
Rooks very common in Maghull, a huge Rookery around Maghull High School and The Parkhaven Trust.
6 Redwings over M58 near Ashworth Hospital this afternoon