Springwatch may have finished (what a brilliant 3 weeks!) but nesting birds and fledglings will be around for a few weeks yet. Steve sent me this photograph of a male chaffinch feeding a fledgling – chaffinches are one of our most common birds – but how often have you seen a young bird?
Chris used his phone to capture this image of a pied wagtails nest. The birds set up home in a pile of wooden pallets on a construction site where he works and he has been guarding the nest – evidently the pied wagtails have become very popular with the
builders and lorry drivers on site. With luck the birds may have fledged by now.
Terry has sent me photographs of the black headed gull colony at Rye Harbour where we also saw avocet chicks. We found two broods of mute swan at Oare Marsh along with young shelduck, mallard and coot.
In our garden Sally and I have been feeding our house sparrows with mealworms. As you can see on this video all of our birds form an orderly queue on our fence by the backdoor – patiently waiting to be fed! (If only that were true!)
If you get the chance go out and find some fledgies for yourself.
If you are wondering about the group trip to Tudeley Woods. It was wet and cold. But I did see a first for me – a (wet) fledgling chiffchaff!
Malcolm
Chris informed me that all the wagtails fledged successfully yesterday.
Sounded like everyone on the site was pleased and really quite proud to have helped keep them safe.
I was sitting in the viewing screen looking over the ARC pit at Dungeness RSPB reserve, when I came aware of a family of swallows nesting behind me. They were ‘whizzing in’ continuously feeding their young and took no notice of me!
Two fledgling goldfinches being fed by adults on our seed feeder (sunflower hearts) and also a fledgling house sparrow. A wren has built a nest in our garden shed and the young are being fed by the ?female. Can’t quite see in the nest though so I don’t know how many are in there. They are using a zebra finch nest that I got from a pet shop!
Good to hear about the fledglings. We are fortunate enough to have a young Chaffinch and recently, we saw 2 fledgling Goldfinches and one Goldfinch. Shame that I never my camera to hand.
Ooops, I meant to say and one Greenfinch. Sorry