One for the twitchers.

[theclaud]

Redwings. Lots of redwings. An influx of almost biblical proportions. They scatter before my front wheel at dawn. And fieldfares. There have also been a few lapwings around recently, which is unusual for this area. In fact, I've lived here about 12 years and these are the first I've seen. Snipe on the common the other day, and Fnaar will be pleased to know that someone saw a woodcock from their office window last week. We've had mild weather in comparison to the rest of the country - is Gower getting everyone else's share of the avian action?

 

[lazyfatgit]

Must be. Our gardens only seen 1 blue tit, 1 robin and a greedy blackbird so far this week.

 

[Panter]

We've had a few Redwings and Fieldfares around here, but fewer, I hink, than last year.

I was lucky enough to see a Rough-legged Buzzard a few hundred yards from my house on Sunday

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Redwings. Lots of redwings. An influx of almost biblical proportions. They scatter before my front wheel at dawn. And fieldfares. There have also been a few lapwings around recently, which is unusual for this area. In fact, I've lived here about 12 years and these are the first I've seen. Snipe on the common the other day, and Fnaar will be pleased to know that someone saw a woodcock from their office window last week. We've had mild weather in comparison to the rest of the country - is Gower getting everyone else's share of the avian action?

Ooh, I'll tell my other half. Until Friday, she was the Lapwing Conservation Officer for South Wales and the lapwings' story is one of almost unmitigated gloom, since they like to nest on what is essentially development land. She will be pleased there are some around Swansea.

 

[Greedo]

Fnarr will probably love this as well but I've got a woodpecker that comes into the garden.

You always hear it but never ever see it. I'm desperate to see it as well. Bit sad but it's starting to become a bit of an obsession that I must see it. The min I hear it I'm up like a shot an out into the garden. Still can't find the blighter!

 

[theclaud]

Ooh, I'll tell my other half. Until Friday, she was the Lapwing Conservation Officer for South Wales and the lapwings' story is one of almost unmitigated gloom, since they like to nest on what is essentially development land. She will be pleased there are some around Swansea.

A flight of 10 or so about a fortnight ago, and a solo lapwing bimbling about forlornly on the rugby ground in the Mumbles last weekend. It allowed me to get quite close.

 

[gbb]

Ooh, I'll tell my other half. Until Friday, she was the Lapwing Conservation Officer for South Wales and the lapwings' story is one of almost unmitigated gloom, since they like to nest on what is essentially development land. She will be pleased there are some around Swansea.

This highlights how (IMO) we have it all wrong on the use of land. Its a tragedy to see prime lapwing nesting land grubbed up for industrial development. It's not just the lapwings, it's all the life thats teeming in brownfield sites.
We have a mass of ex brickyard land in Peterborough, we're surrounded by it. Lakes, ponds, derelict scrapes, excavations...it's all teeming with every kind of flora and fauna, snakes, frogs, waders, lapwings...you can go on and on and on.
Compared with greenfield sites, theres 10x the wildlife, yet we hold greenfield sites in such esteem. It looks nice, but actually, there's not much wildlife there.

Hundreds of acres of land teeming with wildlife (i could walk some fields and struggle NOT to find lapwings nests) has been grubbed up and built on. It can't be replaced.

Spose thats progress for you

 

[rich p]

We were all discussing redwings and fieldfares in the garden last week TC. Keep up dear

p.s. Birdwatchers don't really like being referred to as twitchers which implies a neurotic compulsive need to travel the length and breadth of the country, or indeed world, simply to tick off a new species.

 

[theclaud]

We've had a few Redwings and Fieldfares around here, but fewer, I hink, than last year.

I was lucky enough to see a Rough-legged Buzzard a few hundred yards from my house on Sunday

Cool. I think I'm in the wrong part of the country for much chance of one of those. Although I thought that about Waxwings until a few years back -anyone seen any of those yet this winter?

 

[rich p]

Cool. I think I'm in the wrong part of the country for much chance of one of those. Although I thought that about Waxwings until a few years back -anyone seen any of those yet this winter?

Waxwings have been very scarce this year.

 

[theclaud]

We were all discussing redwings and fieldfares in the garden last week TC. Keep up dear

p.s. Birdwatchers don't really like being referred to as twitchers which implies a neurotic compulsive need to travel the length and breadth of the country, or indeed world, simply to tick off a new species.

Sorry. I obviously don't spend nearly enough time on CycleChat. . Anyway, Rich, I'll have you know that the redwings at least have been around in Mumbles for a fortnight or so now, but it's the sheer quantity lately that's astounding. To cycle along the seafront at sunrise is to part a sea of redwings.

I'll stick with twitchers, as it amuses me. Be warned, if this is a hobby of yours, that if you're twitching in the dunes there's always a danger of being gripped off by Patrick Stevens...

 

[gbb]

Fnarr will probably love this as well but I've got a woodpecker that comes into the garden.

You always hear it but never ever see it. I'm desperate to see it as well. Bit sad but it's starting to become a bit of an obsession that I must see it. The min I hear it I'm up like a shot an out into the garden. Still can't find the blighter!

Are you hearing it tapping on treetrunks or its call. The green woodpecker (apologies if i'm telling you something you already know) has a laughing type call, very recognisable. Down here they're very common. Ive only seen a couple of lesser and greater spotted woodpeckers in years.
If it is possibly a green woodpecker, you'll often see them on the ground (surprisingly) grubbing around for ants nests perhaps.

 

[GaryA]

We still get lapwings around here, lovely bat like birds. Redwings and fieldfares too but not in the gardens- not ours anyway. Fieldfares are very wary in their pastureland habitat and difficult to approach, something evociative about how they suddenly appear one winter and not seen again for 3 or 4.

 

[Panter]

Are you hearing it tapping on treetrunks or its call. The green woodpecker (apologies if i'm telling you something you already know) has a laughing type call, very recognisable. Down here they're very common. Ive only seen a couple of lesser and greater spotted woodpeckers in years.
If it is possibly a green woodpecker, you'll often see them on the ground (surprisingly) grubbing around for ants nests perhaps.

Green woodpeckers are beautiful birds

We used to have a large population of them in a nearby orchard.
Sadly, though, the orchard was flattened and built on so we rarely see them about now.
They've named the resulting new housing estate Woodpecker drive...

 

[theclaud]

Green woodpeckers are beautiful birds

We used to have a large population of them in a nearby orchard.
Sadly, though, the orchard was flattened and built on so we rarely see them about now.
They've named the resulting new housing estate Woodpecker drive...

There's a massive, hideous shopping centre near my mum built on what used to be wet grassland and wildflower meadow in Blackwater. The Meadows, of course, is the name of this monstrosity. I think I'd be less angry if the irony was intentional...