Garden Birdwatch, End of an Era?

 I did the Big Garden Birdwatch today starting at 8.30 and finishing at 9.40, I know it is supposed to be an hour but I needed a comfort break!! I'm old these things happen!!!😢So not a bad count, pretty much as expected numbers below. 

Starling: 22 ( I had put some mealworms down yesterday and they come in big numbers when I do!

Long-tailed Tit: 3 (We have been getting visits everyday, usually there are 7 or so, but only 3 today, visited twice during the hour)

Blue Tit: 3 (These are our regulars, we occasionally get a visit from another small flock, so can have up to 8 but only 3 today)

Goldfinch: 4 ( Pleased to see them, had up to 12 in the Autumn but have tailed off lately)

Great Tit: 2   ( We have 3 regulars and I suspect 3 today but only saw 2 at any one time, rules is rules!)

House Sparrow: (2 a Male and a Female, this happened last year with numbers dipping right down in the winter, there were over 20 in the Autumn . Although I was expecting 5 or 6)

Woodpigeon:1 ( We usually have 3 chasing each other about but only 1 today)

Robin: 1 ( He seems to have chased off the other one we had) 

Blackbird: 2 (Both Males) 

Birds that I expected that didn't show, Dunnock we have a couple of regulars, Wren always seems to be knocking about at the back, Collared Dove, usually have at least 2, Feral Pigeon have about 4 multi-coloured ones visiting! No Jackdaws or Magpies either, usually appear when the mealworms go out

Birds that are irregular but have been seen a few times this winter, Blackcap, Song Thrush, Coal Tit, Greenfinch, Bullfinch.

The Blackbirds were of interest, both my regular readers will be familiar with Mr White-Eye our  resident Blackbird who has strutted his stuff around our garden seeing off allcomers for at least 3 years. He has been missing for a few weeks, Margie had seen him on windfall apples up the road and he has been in a couple of times lately. However while he has been a way, taking his eye off the ball, an interloper, Mr Brown-wing (so named because he has a brown wing!! I'm nothing if not imaginative,😁 although it maybe he is a youngster so how long the wing will stay brown and be a reliable way of identifying him who knows😏) Anyway today battle was commenced in one of the most vicious fights between birds I have ever seen, some pictures below, they are absolute cack taken through the window and the action was incredibly fast and brutal!

Combat joined

Mr White-Eye, seemingly victorious

Mr Brown-wing lurking in the Hawthorn before departing!

So all seemed well Mr White-eye had vanquished his Nemesis and once again was in command. However he disappeared and a few  minutes later Mr Brown-wing reappeared first posing on the Birdbath and then retiring to the Hawthorn where he still sits surveying his new kingdom? 

So has Mr White-eye been usurped, will he return and battle be rejoined!! Who knows, I have soft spot for the old guy, so hopefully he can return and reclaim his territory and once again rule the roost!!!

The challenger returns

Mr Brown-wing, note the brown wing from whence he gets his name!! Though he seems to have a white spot under his wing, so I maybe able to come up with a name based on this!!

A few more pics taken during the count this morning again poor quality, through the window shots.

Starling

Goldfinch with Long-tailed Tit behind, recommend these feeders, the squirrels have disappeared since we changed to em!

House Sparrow

Great Tit

Goldfinch

Long-tailed Tit

Robin

Downland Walk

 At last a sunny day coinciding with a day off work,whoop! Decided to head up the Downs, parking in the Titch Hill layby, I was hoping for some farmland birds, Corn Buntings, Skylarks, Yellowhammers etc, I wasn't disappointed as i opened the car door I could hear Corn Buntings, calling and singing across the road, which decided me on which way to go!!! There were loads of Cornies calling and flying about in the cattle fields, difficult to say how many but well over twenty. Linnets, Goldfinches and Skylarks were flying about as well and Pied Wagtails were heard flying over. 

Corn Bunting

Nice to hear them singing, my favourite bird song though possibly not the most musical

I followed the path heading east, sadly the initial frenzy dried up somewhat, but had a Peregrine on top of a Pylon, but it wasn't until the other end of the escarpment that things picked up again more Cornies, Stonechats and a field full of Skylarks, sadly apart from a couple of brief bursts the Skylarks weren't singing but they were chasing each other about a lot!! Not sure if I've ever seen so many Skylarks in one place the field was crawling with them! There was also a massive mix flock of Goldfinch and Linnet, but they were very flighty.

Peregrine

Fantastic views from the escarpment 

Skylark

Caught out of the corner of my eye, grey bird, black wingtips, could it be ?? No it's a Gull!!! 

Corn Bunting

Stonechat

Part of the huge flock that was swirling about!

Skylark, mostly posted this pic, cos of the blue sky!!

Another group of Corn Buntings, lovely to see so many

Skylarks

I completed the loop, Red Kite and Kestrel seen as well as some Meadow Pipits. A diversion north saw me find a couple of Grey Partridge. On my return to the car,  there was no sign of any Corn Buntings in the cattle fields, Either deep in the Kale feeding on buggered off somewhere else. Spent a pleasant few minutes, watching some Gulls feeding over the fields, mostly Common Gulls but a few Black-headed Gulls as well!! 

Pied Wagtail on Dung!

Meadow Pipit

Red Kite

Kestrel

Reed Bunting

Stonechat

Skylark

Grey Partridge

Black-headed Gull

Common Gull

Pied Wagtail

Highly enjoyable walk, nice to see some blue sky for a change. Corn Buntings are one of my favourites and lovely to see so many!