Gwent birding (2 Viewers)

[The Valley Walker]

Cardi Woods

Large flock of long tailed tits (abt 2 doz) with siskin, redpoll, tits and a lovely boxing day spot of 2 goldcrest and M&F crossbill :t:

Back at the house all the regular garden birds...siskins in early then the rest of the gang flocking in. When I returned from my walk Deb said she spotted a thrush like bird in the garden...I said if it was brown most likely a female blackbird...then a little later I was stood in the bathroom watching the birds and spotted something in the tree with a speckled front so grabbed the camera and by time it was on the feeders and then landed on the log...female reed bunting - have had a male but nice to see a female abt too.

Sory abt the quality of the image...apart from being handheld they are very noisey for some reason...record shots all the same though as I'm unsure unless peeps see images that they actually believe I do have these in the garden!..lol Yep, would love to have had one of the sprawk but I will one day I'm sure.

 

[luke]

whilst out in the garden yesturday afternoon has s single crossbill calling overhead. Went over to Bryn bach (mainly to do some ringing) but did take the bins and saw about a dozen Common Gulls of various ages.

 

[The Valley Walker]

Cardi Woods

Flock of about 40 birds that was just siskin...watched them for abt 10 mins in the trees on the bottom path before the steps by the pond. Was thinking why am I only getting 3's n 4's in the garden?

Anyway, came back home and picked a log up enroute and decided to shoot some shots form the shed.... 10 mins after setting up went into the kitchen to make a cuppa and in came about 30+ goldies plus 2 dozen siskins !! Me the wife and jack watched them going frantic over the feeders....lots of tits and bullfinch too. Called Mike and he came up for an hour later. Just before he did though I was back in the kitchen watching some birds in the tree and spotted to very pale (almost white) birds that I just managed to catch a view of through the bins...they were redpoll (red patch on head) but the palest ones I had seen...went to grab the camera from the table to get a shot and at that moment Mike walked in through the back gate and they were off...arrrgh - sadly, they didn't return but after describing them to Mike and looking in my book what is the chance of artic redpolls about...????

 

[oldgiteggy]

Put out the turkey carcass and got 2 magpies, crows and a sparrowhawk visit the garden. No buzzard, yet. 7 blackbirds, 4 robins, 20 goldfinch and 6 long tail tits have been after scraps and seeds on the ground.

 

[The Valley Walker]

Put out the turkey carcass and got 2 magpies, crows and a sparrowhawk visit the garden. No buzzard, yet. 7 blackbirds, 4 robins, 20 goldfinch and 6 long tail tits have been after scraps and seeds on the ground.

Steve,

Did you place the carcass on a table or on the floor? I have a magpie who gets to the fence but thats abt it.

 

[luke]

Went over to the semtex pond with Rodney this morning, not alot on the pond except for 4 common gull but we did get a single Waxwing fly over.

 

[oldgiteggy]

Carcass on floor, but this morning lost it a fox? (or eagle?)

Luke ringing in the garden today....
got the Marsh Tit!

 

[The Valley Walker]

What a great garden tick Steve....beers on you too then...after Luke has bought a round of course :-O

 

[WHIMBREL]

Happy New Year

Great to see so many of my good friends last night at our 'Birders Xmas Get Together' at the Kings Arms, Ebbw Vale.

Luke, Rodney, Gary, Al, Lee, Nic and Steve were just a few of the lads that made it. Gary brought in a Grey Seal skull that his son Richard had found on a Scottish beach, impressive teeth in that powerful jaw, a mature bull is Britain's heaviest mammal. Lot's of interesting feathers to check over and have a go at guessing what species once wore them, that's always a bit of good fun...as were some of the answers!

Loads of anecdotes and our wildlife adventures from the past year rounded off a great end of year get together, and so all that now remains is for me to wish all Gwent Birders a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

 

[mike from ebbw]

Great to see so many of my good friends last night at our 'Birders Xmas Get Together' at the Kings Arms, Ebbw Vale.

Luke, Rodney, Gary, Al, Lee, Nic and Steve were just a few of the lads that made it. Gary brought in a Grey Seal skull that his son Richard had found on a Scottish beach, impressive teeth in that powerful jaw, a mature bull is Britain's heaviest mammal. Lot's of interesting feathers to check over and have a go at guessing what species once wore them, that's always a bit of good fun...as were some of the answers!

Loads of anecdotes and our wildlife adventures from the past year rounded off a great end of year get together, and so all that now remains is for me to wish all Gwent Birders a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Shame I missed it Bill.This bloody Flu has had me laid up for days now,havent even been to work!

A Happy New Year to everyone!!!!!!!!!11

 

[The Valley Walker]

Great to see so many of my good friends last night at our 'Birders Xmas Get Together' at the Kings Arms, Ebbw Vale.

Luke, Rodney, Gary, Al, Lee, Nic and Steve were just a few of the lads that made it. Gary brought in a Grey Seal skull that his son Richard had found on a Scottish beach, impressive teeth in that powerful jaw, a mature bull is Britain's heaviest mammal. Lot's of interesting feathers to check over and have a go at guessing what species once wore them, that's always a bit of good fun...as were some of the answers!

Loads of anecdotes and our wildlife adventures from the past year rounded off a great end of year get together, and so all that now remains is for me to wish all Gwent Birders a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Good to see you Bill....and everyone else.

Mike, think you have passed it on to moi..started coughing this afternoon...arrrgh

 

[WHIMBREL]

Sorry your poorly Mike, hope your well soon, we all missed you.

Intend looking at your new website as soon as time permits the attention it deserves, I'm so glad to see your moving in the direction I've continually suggested you move, I wish you every success and feel sure that 2011 will see you go from strength to strength.

 

[fen-yak]

busy year spotting birders off this site on the Rhyd y blew site - tally to date has been
Alan
Gary
and I'm guessing it was Luke who I bumped into today...
Here's to my learning more in 2011
Nick
PS when's your next meeting?

 

[luke]

Great to see so many of my good friends last night at our 'Birders Xmas Get Together' at the Kings Arms, Ebbw Vale.

Luke, Rodney, Gary, Al, Lee, Nic and Steve were just a few of the lads that made it. Gary brought in a Grey Seal skull that his son Richard had found on a Scottish beach, impressive teeth in that powerful jaw, a mature bull is Britain's heaviest mammal. Lot's of interesting feathers to check over and have a go at guessing what species once wore them, that's always a bit of good fun...as were some of the answers!

Loads of anecdotes and our wildlife adventures from the past year rounded off a great end of year get together, and so all that now remains is for me to wish all Gwent Birders a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

was a great night and was superb to catch up with everyone. had a few too many pints me think. So did Rodney from what he told me the other morning! You'll have to ask him next time you see him.

 

[luke]

busy year spotting birders off this site on the Rhyd y blew site - tally to date has been
Alan
Gary
and I'm guessing it was Luke who I bumped into today...
Here's to my learning more in 2011
Nick
PS when's your next meeting?

certainly was me. nice to meet you.

 

[GaryH]

busy year spotting birders off this site on the Rhyd y blew site - tally to date has been
Alan
Gary
and I'm guessing it was Luke who I bumped into today...
Here's to my learning more in 2011
Nick
PS when's your next meeting?

Happy New Year Nick and everyone elseB , we'll try and let you know when we next get together.
Gary

 

[The Valley Walker]

Ye, apologies Nic, I should have mentioned it on FB.... we are a decent lot apart from the Booze Bros (Gaz n Luke)..lol B

The Xmas bug has me down at the moment too ||

A walk over Newtown this morning turned up just 2 buzzards.

The garden is ticking on nicely with the siskins coming in daily now in decent numbers - would be nice to get that sprawk back but no signs for a bit. Got a green woodie out the back a few times and was talking to Mike about trying to lure him into the garden..he has suggested apples...anyone else think of owt i can try - one of my major "wants" for 2011. Would also like to get a decent shot of Dipper and REALLY want to get a shot of a Kingfisher so help with these would be much appreciated :t:

Taken on the last day of 2010 in my garden.... have a good new year all.

 

[The Valley Walker]

Meant to add... had long tailed tits in the garden yesterday...a welcome return after a very long time - didn't see any last winter that i can recall?

Didn't get any shots as I was stood in the kitchen at the time but hopefully the guy who was in my shed grabbed a shot? :eek!:

 

[GaryH]

Meant to add... had long tailed tits in the garden yesterday...a welcome return after a very long time - didn't see any last winter that i can recall?

Didn't get any shots as I was stood in the kitchen at the time but hopefully the guy who was in my shed grabbed a shot? :eek!:

Sorry Al, here's one of the LTT but its quite a crop, the other two were the best ones using my Sigma 105mmEX macro lens remote triggered, which was a pain but good fun and much sharper than I get with the 135-400.

Just need to get that background sorted and it will be a hard place to beat!
Gazza

 

[luke]

excellent shots with you macro!

Was just going through my ringing records and thought i'd better mention that all 5 Mute Swan at Bryn bach park have been ringed. it just saves anyone trying to read the rings and sending the numbers of to BTO. They are numbers ZY4632 - ZY4636.

Been out this morning for a hour or two. All water bodies still frozen which means naff all to see so went over to the Forest of dean for a quick look for Hawfinch to kick off my year list. Brierley was dissapointing with just one heard but not seen so went to speech house where there were at least 2 including a nice male sat in the top of a tree.