Buzzard V Rooks

It has stopped raining today, but it is very windy with sunshine and showers

There are several buzzards around us, but two regularly perch in the field next door. 

Across the road there is a large rookery.

The rooks from the rookery are very territorial with the buzzards and will send two rooks to chase the buzzards back over a certain line, once over the line the rooks turn back.

The buzzard was struggling to stay on the fence post in the wind

This buzzard was perched in the rooks territory

While out we could hear the peregrine falcon but couldn't see it.

There were about 30 yellowhammers on the ground and on the fencing

This one was blown off the fence by the wind

This tree came down over night

Lazy wildlife watching and a peregrine

My mum took this photo from the kitchen window this afternoon

Peregrine falcon

I was off school ill yesterday.
In the afternoon when I felt a bit better my dad took me for a drive in the car.
This is what I saw.

Flooded River Thames

Even the ducks are fed up of the water and are sitting on a house roof

Woodpecker back in the garden

Added a new feeder to the garden and had 6 Goldfinches on it

First badgers this year

The badgers have been busy, they have dug out 3 holes which are very near to the footpath.

We left the trail camera out about 5.30pm. We could hear the badgers coming out of their sett at about 5.45pm, we couldn't see them as they were behind the brambles.

The trail camera took 33 videos. I think it was all of the same badger, and a few videos of wood mice.

I like this video as you can see the badger trying to get something out from under a log

The badger went off about 8.30pm, then came back around 10pm.

It went off again at 11pm coming back just after midnight.

The badger walked passed the camera at 2.20am.

Finally something knock the camera at 3.30am.

The camera did film a little bit of a badgers back just after the camera was knocked, but nothing else.

Twilight

 My mum and I went for a walk around the wood at twilight tonight. Everything looks and sounds different.

Woodland pond at dusk

There were 8 Roe deer grazing in the field

On the way back the tawny owls started to call.
As we passed the badgers sett at 5.50pm we could hear the badgers chattering, they were making sounds like dolphins.

A windy start to February

First bluebell leaves appearing

Flock of yellowhammers

where the deers cross the stream

A rainbow after a quick shower of rain

Fieldfare

Flock of fieldfares

Puzzle of a rabbit up a tree

While out walking this morning we spotted a dead rabbit about 2 metres up a tree.

There were no obvious signs of damage other than a cut on it's ear.
It hadn't been shot.
It didn't have myxomatosis and it looked quite healthy.

It could have been put there by a person, it might have climbed or been chased up the tree or a bird of prey might have put it there.

The hazel catkins are out

RSPB Big garden bird watch 2014

Between 9.30am and 10.30am we took part in the RSPB big garden bird watch 2014.

The idea was to watch the birds in our garden for one hour and register what we saw. You had to only count the number of birds you saw at one time, so birds that came more than once weren't counted.

During the hour we saw

4 x Great Tits
4 x Blue tits
1 x Robin
1 x Chaffinch
3 x Dunnock
2 x long tailed tit
6 x Green finch
2 x coal tits
2 x blackbirds
1 x Goldfinch

Long tailed tits

Coal tit

This is the first time we have seen a coal tit in our garden