Garden Wildlife UK

Willpar wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 10:26 pm Out for a walk in the lanes this morning. A field with a flock of sheep, and no less than 6 egrets amongst them.

Could you tell if they were Little Egrets or Cattle Egrets? Cattle Egrets favour being in fields with livestock.

Could not tell js which is why just said egrets. But probably would not know one from the other, apart from the yellow feet on the little egret.

Willpar wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:41 pm Could not tell js which is why just said egrets. But probably would not know one from the other, apart from the yellow feet on the little egret.

They are tricky to tell apart at a distance. The Cattle Egrets are slightly smaller and have a yellowy beak.

I had an incredible sighting in my garden today. I was watching the telly in the room that overlooks the back garden when I heard my daughter, who was upstairs, start yelling very excitedly telling me to look out the window. I looked out in time to see a Buzzard flying up from the ground to sit on the back fence. It sat there for about 10 seconds and then went up into one of my neighbours trees. I have seen them flying overhead a few times but never in the garden. I had put some cut up pieces of chicken skin which I think it had managed to get a little bit of.

Great bird to have seen in the garden JS. Have had sparrowhawk now and again, and seen buzzards overhead.

The Buzzard visited again today. I saw it twice, the second time after I had put the remains of a chicken carcass on the bird table.

Camera at the ready JS. And talking of buzzards, i seen one today that was quite unusual. It had a white front down to its rump, with only some speckles of brown. Tried to get closer but it took off, but as it was gliding could see that its underwing was all but white also. Is this very common JS?
It did meet up with a more normal coloured one some moments later.

Willpar wrote: Tue Feb 14, 2023 9:11 pm Camera at the ready JS. And talking of buzzards, i seen one today that was quite unusual. It had a white front down to its rump, with only some speckles of brown. Tried to get closer but it took off, but as it was gliding could see that its underwing was all but white also. Is this very common JS?
It did meet up with a more normal coloured one some moments later.

I think juveniles have more white on them than adults. There is also a chance that it has some feather pigment problems.

A pair of LTTs on the fatball feeder.

Not seen any in the garden this winter. Nice birds to have.