Swifts

 The Swift box is still attracting the Swifts, managed a few shots of them. Though even when I knew where they were going to be, I was still mostly too slow!!😂😂

None of them actually went in, seems we may have to wait until next year for the patter of very tiny feet!

Mind you they ain't got it easy, if having all the nesting sites closed up and the  collapse of the insect population weren't bad enough they've got Hobbies to worry about😱😱😱!! This one appeared over the garden and flew about chasing the Swifts, but was unsuccessful, at least while I watched, it headed off towards Wolstonbury Hill.

 Terrible pics I know, but it had clouded over by then and it never came that close, not a bad Garden bird though!!

The Return of the Reaper!

 A few pics below from the garden and a mid-morning walk around Hurstpierpoint today. The exciting news from the garden is the Swift Box has been getting a bit of attention the bad news is not when I've had the camera handy!!! We have not seen any actually go in, but they have been hanging off the ladder and swooping around!! The thought is that these are 2 year old birds checking out the box with a view to breeding next year, The scheme is apparently doing very well with at least 6 of the 20 boxes put out having some kind of action with some at least thought to have breeding pairs in them and up to 25 birds seen regularly above the area! The other good news is the garden has been full of young birds mainly Starlings, Sparrows and Goldfinch, at least 3 Greenfinch are visiting regularly, however all this action has attracted some attention, I was just saying the other day that I hadn't seen a Sparrowhawk for ages, that changed today and there is one less youngster on the feeders!

The walk today was a bit quiet, though we did see 3 Bullfinch in Langton Lane and a couple of Yellowhammer in Bullfinch Lane. There was a flock of Long-tailed Tits, a Stock Dove a Great Spotted Woodpecker and Green Woodpecker which we heard but didn't see! 

A short video of a bit of the Swift action

Look I like taking pics of Swifts, I'm just not very good at it!

Goldfinch at least eight adults and five youngsters visiting the garden now

Swifts in the evening sun

Yes these pics are even worse than the others but the light was nice

Chiffchaff from today's walk, still a few singing around the place

Arse end of a Long-tailed Tit

Not had many insects this year as yet but always like a Beautiful Demoiselle 

Yellowhammer saw a couple at the bottom of Bullfinch Lane and some faint song

HPP Church

Female Beautiful Demoiselle

Had to bravely  walk through another huge herd of large Bovines, luckily all laying down!! 

Stock Dove

Greenfinch and young Goldfinch

Joined by a female House Sparrow

Baby House Sparrow

Different male Greenfinch, with a bit of a punky hair style

Through the window shot of half a male Sparrowhawk

Through the grass shot, the problem with having a wildlife garden

Mr and Mrs Greenfinch

Misses Greenfinch

A little bit of mixed feelings about seeing the Sprawk, on one hand it's an awesome predator and the males are very handsome, on the other hand it's gonna be eating me babies!!!😢 We  pushed the feeders right back last time we had them visiting and there is plentiful cover in the garden with the large Hawthorn fully in leaf and the honeysuckle/Jasmine mess available to dive into but the youngsters are fairly easy targets, which is why the Sparrowhawks time their  nesting efforts so they are feeding their young around this time. At least it's proper nature and not poxy cats!! 

Windy Wolstonbury Hill

 Spent all day yesterday creating this years Christmas Pudding so didn't make it out, although the weather was pants anyway! So we decided a walk up Wolstonbury Hill would do us good, 3 footy games a day is hitting my steps numbers big time!!!😂 Obviously after our exploits on the mighty Cairn Gorm the hill holds no fears for us!!! To avoid the showers we left home around eleven, we were pretty lucky with the weather we could see heavy rain in the distance but stayed dry the whole walk!! It was very windy, which made spotting the birds difficult, no Snow Buntings here (unlike Cairn Gorm)  though plenty of Skylarks and Meadow Pipits and a couple of Yellowhammers are always good to see. Thought I heard the distance song of a Corn Bunting drifting on the breeze as well, but couldn't find it so may have been wishful thinking!! The slopes are covered in flowers, including several Orchids and even in the strong wind it was very nice to see, didn't see many Butterflies but again probably down to the wind! A few pics below of the highlights! Margie Landscapes and most of the flowers, me birds!

The Hill, it is quite steep

Jack and Jill Windmills

Spot the Stock Dove

Spotted em early today, taking the high ground!!

Compulsory Hurstpierpoint Church pic

Great Views all round from the top

Distant Shower

Thankfully this was as close as it got

Proof Margie made to the top! As if there was any doubt! Looking very fetching in her new RSPB Cap💖

I had to put the sides up on my hat to combat the wind was nearly garrotted twice!

Another "mountain" climbed!

The wind made getting pics of birds was quite difficult, the moment they appeared they were whisked off. However it played into my hands when a Skylark landed on a small bush and had loads of trouble balancing!! Managed a few shots, sequence below!

Landed

Nearly!

Just getting my balance

Bloody wind!!

Nearly again!

Finally

Total control

Almost

That's cracked it!

Meadow Pipit

Full control, unlike the Skylark!

Record shot of the Yellowhammer, sadly him and his mate flew off as I was moving to get a clear shot!

Most of our pics of the various Flowers and Orchids were rubbish due to the wind (my excuse and I'm sticking to it!) a few below, I like an Orchid but have no real clue about them!

As we were thinking about heading down a Skylark took pity on me and landed on the path right in front of us!

Dandelions

Goldfinch, saw a few around the peak, few Linnets as well

A nice walk, surprised not to see any Raptors weather seemed perfect! 

What's that you say how did the Christmas Pudding turn out!! Awesome !!

8 Hours steaming, looks good and smells lovely! Now in the dark recesses of a cupboard to be steamed for another 2hrs on Christmas Day

I also made a Bakewell Tart, which tastes a lot better than it looks, I've not really got the hang of drizzling yet!!