Wild Wanderings
Diary Entry
Diary 1st March 2018
Wow its Cold and Whitethroats
Wow !! its cold. The last few days has seen minus temperatures across the country. I’ve recorded a -6 on the paddock. The coldest I can remember recently. Of course, the birds are ravenous and its hard to keep up with the feeding. Today I saw four Robins together and they weren’t squabbling which tells me they are hungry and have food on their mind. Ten Great Tits were gathered in the plum tree when I visited the paddock today and scattered among them a few Blue Tits and a Coal Tit. They were all waiting for their rations.
The snow though does look picturesque, but the wind is bitter and makes it hard to stay out for any length of time. Light is also poor, so photos are a challenge, but I always try.
Briefly last week I had a few Reed Buntings return into the paddock. They are always great to see. Hopefully as the weather improves I will see the return of the Yellowhammers and later the Whitethroats will be around again, but we will need a few insects for them first.
The RED listed Yellowhammer. What a strikingly beautiful bird it is, you can't miss it with its Canary yellow plumage. They stand out so much and are always exciting to see.
The Whitethroats are another favourite who usually arrive around the 2nd week in April. They love to feed on the Cows Parsley and Nettles and I have plenty of both. They are amusing darting about and sometimes hanging upside down as they probe for spiders and insects. I very rarely see a pair together they seem to like to be alone. Being of the warbler family the song of the Whitethroat is so lilting and distinctive. I usually hear them long before I see them. They also like berries and soft fruit so if you have any growing in your garden that may attract then in late summer. They are nicknamed the ‘Nettle Creeper’ after their habit of running along the nettles deftly picking off beetles and flies. They also catch flies on the wing. They are a nimble and dainty bird and joy to watch.
Stay warm
