MONTGOMERYSHIRE BIRDS: Tree Sparrow surprise

Notable Recent Sightings

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
23/12	Waxwing	Newtown College, first arrivals 04/12, 47 on 23/12, 67 on 01/01, 30 on 04/02
09/12	Cattle Egret	1 roosting with 8 Great Egrets and some Little Egrets, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
02/12	Waxwing	21 Guilsfield, 12 Montgomery, 1 Welshpool, and 1 on 01/12 Llanfyllin
16/11	Dotterel	3, just west of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land
16/11	Great Grey Shrike	1, on edge of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land, last reported 19/01
15/11	Waxwing	25 or 30, just west of Lake Vyrnwy along the Dinas Mawddwy road
08/11	Great Northern Diver	A juvenile was found near Anchor, rescued and released
30/10	Black Redstart	1 in garden at Hendomen, near Montgomery
06/10	Hawfinch	5 in treetops at Powis Castle, by main car-park
04/10	Cattle Egret	Dolydd Hafren, a flock of c.30
29/09	Red-flanked Bluetail	Dyfnant Forest: a county first
23/09	Manx Shearwater	1st year bird grounded in Llanfyllin; released at coast
03/09	Cattle Egret	10 at Cors Dyfi, rising to 32 on 05/09
01/06	Turnstone	1 at Caersws with Little Ringed Plovers
03/05	Wood Sandpiper	1 at Dolydd Hafren
18/04	BLACK-WINGED KITE	1 video-ed at Glan Mule, near Kerry: a likely FIRST for UK
07/04	Black Redstart	Female on Carno roof
07/04	Little Ringed Plover	Llandinam Gravels
25/03	Osprey	Female 5F 'Seren' arrived back at Llyn Clywedog
25/03	Pied Flycatcher	An early migrant near Llanfechain
22/03	Hen Harrier	Female in flight near Berriew
15/03	Sand Martin	5, Dolydd Hafren
15/03	Golden Plover	c.50, Heldre Hill, Long Mountain, nr Welshpool
05/03	Whooper Swan	1, between Caerhowel (Montgomery) and The Gaer, with Mute Swans
05/03	Pink-footed Goose	1, Caersws, with Canada Goose flock
05/03	Jack Snipe	2, Caersws
05/03	Hawfinch	24, Powis Castle, feeding behind orchard
28/02	Pink-footed Goose	c.25, flying north over Welshpool
26/02	Merlin	1 male, chasing Meadow Pipit, Long Mountain near Welshpool
26/02	Pintail	3, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas, 1 since 14 Feb
14/02	Hawfinch	1, Powis Castle car-park, very vocal
23/01	Jack Snipe	1, Moel-y-Garth near Guilsfield
17/01	Brambling	80, in beeches at Pen-y-Waen near Cefn Coch with Chaffinches
07/01	Hawfinch	2, bathing in puddle, Cwm Lane, Castle Caereinion
		See Sightings Archive for older records

Thursday, April 05, 2018

Tree Sparrow surprise

Two tree sparrows in our garden have been a lovely surprise on this beautiful sunny spring morning. We haven't seen any here since Feb 2017, when we saw one on 4 consecutive days. We put sparrow nestboxes up then, in the hopes of attracting them to breed, but no luck last year, and this year the house sparrows and a starling have already shown interest so there may not be any vacant properties.

By 3 o'clock this afternoon we had a trio of tree sparrows (or should it be a 'tree-o' - sorry), feeding on the red millet we have been putting out for months now, in the hopes of attracting them. Until today, nothing has touched it - now several species are feeding voraciously on it, including collared doves, chaffinches and house sparrows, and we are rapidly running out!