Garden birding

Well since I got my hopes up in mid may about finding more time to myself things have returned to normal and I'm in demand with the usual caring duties with the grandchildren taking up a lot of my time which of course I don't mind in the slightest save the lack of time left for birding. I haven't been birding since 12th May save a brief visit to Rainham, other than that the garden has kept the interest burning and given me the odd little fix.

Corn Bunting

Skylark

I've messed around with the Merlin ID sound app and whilst it's pretty good the local Starlings seem to be giving it a challenge as It's ID's them as Lesser-spotted Woodpecker on a couple of occasions. I've had Mute Swan ID'd on it and although I've seen them fly over I'm surprised its able to pick them up on sound.

The local Lesser-black backed Gulls are often called out as Yellow-legged gulls by the app and it's picking up Tree Sparrow amongst the House Sparrows when none are present but otherwise it's done OK.

I've a particularly stunning Sparrow visiting the garden at the moment and although it's much more wary than the regular birds I have managed a few images of it. The bird is a Melanistic House Sparrow where the lighter grey pigments have been replaced by browner tones.

I've been putting an apple a day out and whilst I put it out for the Blue Tits it has attracted up to four Parakeets to visit daily so I've enjoyed taking a few images of them too. So far this year the garden has seen juvenile birds from Starling, House Sparrows, Magpie, Robin and Great Tit. The Blue Tits can't be far away now.

Juvenile House Sparrow

I'm still hopeful the Grey-headed Lapwing will turn up closer to home but as it's travelled from Northumberland into Scotland and now west into the western Isles I fear my chance of connecting with it may have been the six hour drive to Northumberland which I declined mainly due to being too busy and of course because it's six hours there and six back!

The pointless year list has well and truly stalled!

Anyway onwards and upwards 

oh and my grandson drew this picture for me......Its him and me birding and we're watching (in his words)...Parrots, crows, pigeons, Blue tips and red birds. 

Birding with Grandad by George aged 5