Sunday, February 14, 2010

BTO Atlas

Withens Clough (West) SD92R
I always set off with high hopes when visiting Withens Clough Res, only to have them cruelly dashed when not much turns up - so no change this morning. A couple of Chaffinches, a Robin, a Crow and a Pheasant were all I had until I flushed a Red Grouse while walking over Red Dykes Flat. Nice sunny day though.

More exciting stuff in the afternoon when I was working in the garden - first a male Sparrowhawk landed on the garden wall and seemed to be eyeing up the feeders in next door's garden and took off in that direction about 10 seconds later. Then a Raven flew over the field going NE, and I heard one about an hour later in the direction of Stoodley Pike - probably the same bird.

A single Brambling, 3 Redpolls, 11 Goldfinches, 5 Greenfinches and 3 Chaffinches gave the garden a bit of life before the Sparrowhawk arrived and only Goldfinches came back after that.

A brief glimpse of a badger in the back garden this evening rounded off a good day.
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3 comments:

David Sutcliffe said...

Good stuff in the garden Jeff. Still can't catch up with a Brambling up this end, might get a flyover in the next week or two!

6:29 pm
David Sutcliffe said...

I see from the Atlas that up till today only 5 species had been logged for winter in that square so well done - you added another 3!
Hard work up there Jeff.

7:11 pm
Bruce said...

We also had a fine male sparrowhawk on Sunday. It had caught a collard dove in the garden and ate the lot, only feathers left. What was interesting though was next doors cat watched it from 4 yards away and the hawk totally ignored it.

11:03 am

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