Notable Recent Sightings

29/05 Pink-footed Goose 1, over Welshpool, photo'd on 09/06
01/05 Red-throated Diver 1, Llyn Clywedog
07/02 Whooper Swan 44, Lake Vyrnwy
31/01 Whooper Swan 51, Haimwood, Llandrinio
17/11 Firecrest 2, Castle Caereinion
07/11 Barnacle Goose 1 among Canada Geese, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
07/11 Hawfinch a few, Lake Vyrnwy, also Bramblings
01/11 Short-eared Owl 1, Cefn Coch Wind-farm
01/11 Great Grey Shrike Gregynog
28/10 Great Grey Shrike Lake Vyrnwy, also 1 on 30th at Eunant
25/09 Gannet 1 juv grounded near Caersws
07/09 Nightjar 1, photographed near Pontrobert
17/07 Quail RSPB Lake Vyrnwy, also heard 20/06 and 08/07
24/04 Long-eared Owl 2, RSPB Lake Vyrnwy
16/04 Purple Heron 1, Cors Dyfi
05/03 Firecrest 1, Lake Vyrnwy
05/03 Short-eared Owl 1, Lake Vyrnwy
14/01 Pink-footed Goose 1, Dolydd Hafren
03/01 Waxwing 20, Meifod; also 5 Welshpool by canal on 01/01. Last: 6 Bwlch-y-Garreg 17/03
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Wax(w)ing lyrical

The last 12 days we have been delighted to share the garden with  a female kestrel, and sometimes a male too, visiting the garden and surrounding trees. Yesterday we watched as she waited in our apple tree, before swooping down and catching a vole, or similar, and taking it to an ash stump to devour. Today, she has been around most of the day, preening, hunting and seeing off crows as they mobbed her.

This morning, she was joined by a group of 4 waxwings, which although smaller than the flocks at the beginning of the month, were no less special for that. We were surprised to see them in the milder weather, as  it seemed to be only on the coldest days that the larger groups took advantage of the guelder rose berries and crab apples on offer. This group certainly didn't seem particularly hungry, and spent much of the day preening, and making short forays to and fro in the garden and beyond.



Winter's not so bad, after all.                                                                                                                     


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3 comments:

  1. Kev Joynes18 January 2017 at 08:42

    That must be some garden!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Eryl Selly18 January 2017 at 12:21

    Can I come and live in your house? Happy New Year by the way.

    ReplyDelete
  3. sue s19 January 2017 at 08:24

    Kev - it's not a huge garden, and it is bordered by a busy main road, but we are lucky in having good habitat in the surrounding farmland, and the overgrown Guilsfield Arm of the canal alongside us. Also,for some reason there are still plenty of fruits and berries - only the rowan berries were taken early on.
    Eryl - Happy New Year to you all too - you're all welcome at our house any time! Hope to see you soon.

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