Wild Wanderings
Diary Entry 7th February 2018
Kestrel boxes and Little Mohicans
A mixed week weather-wise up until now. A couple of frosty mornings and cold but bright. Still a lot of rain and the fields are still boggy. I have been trying to source a couple of Holly trees for the final plantings in the paddock. The berries are such a great attraction for the birds. I would especially like to attract the Waxwings. They are usually around in the near vicinity and I would love to get a few nice photos of them. Fingers crossed for this year.
On Tuesday the main visitors to the paddock were Greenfinches. They are a very ‘spooky’ little bird. A little nervous and always looking and making sure there is no danger. The main food they seem to go for are the Sunflower seeds. They must be whole seeds as they like to break them open with their powerful beaks. The Sunflower hearts don’t seem to half as attractive to them. They are still a RED listed bird and are of concern to the RSPB. Their numbers have fallen a great deal. Rural practices seem to be the cause of the decline.
Coal Tits, a favourite of mine, were also present quite a lot this week. They dart from the hedge straight onto the food and then rush off into a safe haven to consume the morsel. They always seem to take the same route. Branch, post. twig then dart a few yards before stealing the food and off they go again. I also love their ‘haircut’. Reminds me of a Mohican Indian hairdo. Super little fellers.
Wednesday
What a beautiful day today. Sunny and clear. The ground had a hard frost last night and is still white in places though . Today was a very rewarding day in lots of ways. My farmer neighbours Roger and his son William took the time out to help me site and fix two new Kestrel nesting boxes. The trees were selected a few months ago. I had the boxes made up to the required specification by another friend Dianne. What a great job she has done. The boxes were sited about 5mtrs high and fixed solidly to the side of the trunks of the tree facing away from the sun. Also, it is important to make sure the nesting Kestrels have a clear flight onto the perch attached to the box. A couple of overhanging branches will have to be lopped to facilitate this. We are hopeful that after this is done we will attract some new residents. What a delight to be able to photograph Kestrel fledglings. Also, if we do get a couple of takers we maybe able to fix a nest box camera next season. Now that will be exciting.
Till tomorrow
