Today you might see...

Wednesday 23 April 2025

Yesterday was a blank day for the bird migration - hardly surprising as the weather was awful. Today was better. I spotted a whinchat taking a bath in our pond. I missed the bath, but I got some photos of him drying himself in an apple tree.

At the same time, a grey wagtail was inspecting our recently dug potato bed.

Not migrants, but a couple of goldfinches spent several minutes on our mega sunflower feeder. They returned later with one of them struggling to get some fluff off their beak. I noticed a couple of days ago that something had been pulling up the fleece liner of our pond. Earlier today I spotted a great tit gathering some of the fluff for nesting material and this goldfinch has presumably been doing the same.

Lastly, a couple of new migrants for this year; a lesser whitethroat and a willow warbler.

Whinchat drying after a bath, Christophstal April 2025

Whinchat drying after a bath, Christophstal April 2025

Grey wagtail, Christophstal April 2025

Grey wagtail, Christophstal April 2025

Goldfinch, Christophstal April 2025

Goldfinch, Christophstal April 2025

Goldfinch, Christophstal April 2025

Goldfinch, Christophstal April 2025

Lesser whitethroat, Christophstal April 2025

Lesser whitethroat, Christophstal April 2025

Lesser whitethroat, Christophstal April 2025

Lesser whitethroat, Christophstal April 2025

Lesser whitethroat, Christophstal April 2025

Lesser whitethroat, Christophstal April 2025

Lesser whitethroat, Christophstal April 2025

Lesser whitethroat, Christophstal April 2025

Willow warbler, Christophstal April 2025

Willow warbler, Christophstal April 2025

Tuesday 22 April 2025
<em>Nostoc commune</em>, Christophstal April 2025

Nostoc commune, Christophstal April 2025

It has rained a bit and, as usual, our driveway is covered with this slimy stuff which is, apparently, a cyanobacterium Nostoc commune. Some people eat this according to Wikipedia. This is a new species for the garden, but I really don't know what category I'm going to put it in yet.

Monday 21 April 2025

It was peculiar weather today with sunshine mixed with heavy rain, wind and even a thunderstorm. The only addition to yesterday's bird migration list was a wryneck (heard but not seen).

Instead I've just included some photos of a few birds I tend to not bother photographing.

Sparrowhawk, Christophstal April 2025

Sparrowhawk, Christophstal April 2025

Dunnock, Christophstal April 2025

Dunnock, Christophstal April 2025

Bullfinches, Christophstal April 2025

Bullfinches, Christophstal April 2025

Sunday 20 April 2025
Whinchat, Christophstal April 2025

Whinchat, Christophstal April 2025

Whinchat, Christophstal April 2025

Whinchat, Christophstal April 2025

Male common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Male common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Female common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Female common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

As usual I've taken the week off work to observe the bird migration. Today is normally the first big day and it didn't disappoint this year. We recorded 31 bird species including our first whinchats and house martins of the year. I didn't manage to get any photos of the house martins as I've got to relearn my technique for these fast birds.

Also present were several common redstarts.

Wednesday 16 April 2025

We rarely see baby squirrels around the house, but recently there have been two running around the house. Christine saw one run up the house into the eaves - so maybe there's a nest up there.

Baby squirrel, Christophstal April 2025

Baby squirrel, Christophstal April 2025

Baby squirrel, Christophstal April 2025

Baby squirrel, Christophstal April 2025

Baby squirrel, Christophstal April 2025

Baby squirrel, Christophstal April 2025

Tuesday 15 April 2025
Black redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Black redstart, Christophstal April 2025

This black redstart was "singing" his typewriter song in our willow today.

Sunday 13 April 2025

A siskin was indulging itself on our mega-sunflower seed feeder while keeping an eye out for the kestrel. A green woodpecker was taking a drink from our pond.

Siskin, Christophstal April 2025

Siskin, Christophstal April 2025

Siskin checking for kestrels, Christophstal April 2025

Siskin checking for kestrels, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Green woodpecker, Christophstal April 2025

Friday 11 April 2025
Kestrel, Christophstal April 2025

Kestrel, Christophstal April 2025

Male blackcap, Christophstal April 2025

Male blackcap, Christophstal April 2025

A kestrel was flying around the valley today. The other birds don't like it - but I saw the first blackcap of the year hiding in our hawthorn. We've been hearing the blackcaps for a week or so but this is my first sighting.

Thursday 10 April 2025

We added a muddy area to our pond at the end of last year - primarily to provide a breeding area for fire salamanders, but a secondary use is for nesting material for bird. I expected maybe starlings or house martins to use this mud, but today we had magpies collecting it.

Magpie with mud, Christophstal April 2025

Magpie with mud, Christophstal April 2025

Wednesday 9 April 2025
Common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Chiffchaff, Christophstal April 2025

Chiffchaff, Christophstal April 2025

Chiffchaff, Christophstal April 2025

Chiffchaff, Christophstal April 2025

There are still a few common redstarts about. They usually only stopover for a short time with us.

We've heard some chiffchaffs for a week or so. This one was splashing around in our pond today.

Tuesday 8 April 2025

Last year, we had a brambling stay with us well into the summer. Today, this fine male was still around so I thought I'd take a photo in case this is the last record of this winter.

Brambling, Christophstal April 2025

Brambling, Christophstal April 2025

Saturday 5 April 2025
Daubenton's Bat, Christophstal April 2025

Daubenton's Bat, Christophstal April 2025

Daubenton's Bat, Christophstal April 2025

Daubenton's Bat, Christophstal April 2025

Daubenton's Bat, Christophstal April 2025

Daubenton's Bat, Christophstal April 2025

Daubenton's Bat, Christophstal April 2025

Daubenton's Bat, Christophstal April 2025

I saw a couple of bats flying over the house last night. They didn't stick around, so I reckon they were leaving their winter quarters and flying to their summer roosts.

Today though, we spotted a Daubenton's bat flying over the pond around 3pm in full daylight! He came and hung in our plum tree for a rest and then returned to the pond.

Friday 4 April 2025

It was so warm yesterday that I had the moth trap out. It got cold overnight, but even so, it was quite a good session. Here's a photo of a brindled beauty moth camoflaged quite well on one of our sandstone rocks. And a new species for the garden was this Agonopterix yeatiana.

A few more common redstarts were about today as it was another warm day.

Brindled beauty moth, Christophstal April 2025

Brindled beauty moth, Christophstal April 2025

<em>Agonopterix yeatiana</em>, Christophstal April 2025

Agonopterix yeatiana, Christophstal April 2025

Male common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Male common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Male common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Male common redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Thursday 3 April 2025
Common redstart, Christophstal April 2025 

Common redstart, Christophstal April 2025 

Female black redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Female black redstart, Christophstal April 2025

Our first common redstart of the year was in the garden today together with a few black redstarts that arrived back a few days ago.

Wednesday 2 April 2025

Lots of birds around our pond today. A couple of song thrushes were looking for worms and slugs and a crested tit was having a drink.

Songthrush, Christophstal April 2025

Songthrush, Christophstal April 2025

Crested tit drinking from our pond, Christophstal April 2025

Crested tit drinking from our pond, Christophstal April 2025