The first Greenfinch was on the feeder this morning, and the first Goldfinch in the garden and on the feeder at lunchtime.

Greenfinch (with Starling) and Goldfinch

Goldfinch

Today produced the first House Sparrow in the garden since putting the feeders up. Also loads of Starling and a single Magpie feeding from them. A Kestrel flew over the edge of the woods at 10:15am.

After abandoning the earlier walk around my local patch, drying out my stuff and making some tea, I briefly checked the feeders I'd only just put out the day before. As we hadn't had any feeders before, I hadn't expected anything for a week at least, but I was wrong. One of the local Magpie flew into the tree right in front of me to have a go at some of the fat mixes I'd made up. Altogether, I'd put out:

• A 6-port feeder with high energy feed (think it's just crushed sunflower hearts);
• An upside-down half coconut shell with whole sunflower hearts in a fat mix;
• An upside-down half coconut shell with crushed sunflower hearts in a fat mix;
• A sideways plastic tub with crushed sunflower hearts in a fat mix.

The Magpie had a go at the coconut with whole hearts and the plastic tub, then he was off. However, we was back again for more from the coconut with a minute. I grabbed the camera for some shots, and by that time the tree was full of Starling too. A little while later with between 2 and 8 Starling really having a go at everything but preferring the plastic tub, along comes a Blue Tit for the feeder and then a Greenfinch. I couldn't believe my luck, but just then the neighbour's cat arrived and everything flew off, except the Magpie.

Magpie

One cup of water through the open window later and the cat was gone. It wasn't long before the Starling were back, but took a good half-hour before the Blue Tit came back, and even then it wasn't feeding. Now I'm just leaving them to it. Also seen from the back were House Sparrow, with 3 males and 1 female together in nearby conifers.

Starlings

At lunchtime, two Blue Tit were in the bushes and on the fence, and one Great Tit was in the nearby trees, which was a notable first sighting from the garden.

Blue Tits

At 14:00 there was a flock of 60+ crows (probably Carrion Crow) heading SW. A tree at the front had 8 Goldfinch and 4 Greenfinch at different times throughout the day. Circa 10 Black-headed Gull were repeating the behaviour I'd seen on the 16/12, above the same oak tree.

A Sparrowhawk was flying about over the edge of the woods at 9am, and a Green Woodpecker flew over from south east towards the Pit Top at 9:30am. At 10am the clouds cleared and a flock of 5 Goldfinch were in a nearby tree at 11am with a single Greenfinch in same tree at 11:45am. A single male House Sparrow was on top of the conifers at noon.

I only got chance for a few quick glances from the window today. A largish hawk flew quite low in front of the trees heading west at 15:20 - probable one of the local female Sparrowhawk, which are providing quite elusive for me.

A flock of around 15-20 Black-headed Gull were doing something a bit odd around the nearby oak tree. They were hovering just above it (almost touching) in the wind/thermals and seemed to be feeding from it. Maybe there's some insects that favour the top of oaks trees?

Black-headed Gulls

A single male Blackbird was at the top of one of the conifers, and the usual small Goldfinch flock was also around.

A Kestrel flew over house/garden from the north and heading south at 14:00. It was later seen flying around the mast and the wood south of the house (SK564462). A single male House Sparrow was seen at the top of one of the conifers.

A full count of what was seen at the back and front this morning:

• At back:
  • 5 Black-headed Gull around park field
  • 1 male Blackbird in nearby conifers
  • 1 pair of House Sparrow on roof of houses opposite
  • 1 pair of Pied Wagtail on the school roof
  • 1 Woodpigeon in school field
  • 20+ Starling in nearby hedges/trees

• At front:
• 1 Magpie
• 3 Collared Dove
• 3 Black-headed Gull
  
• 2 male House Sparrow
• 20+ Starling on roofs
• 1 male Blackbird in conifers
• 1 Greenfinch in conifer

List of birds seen today:

• Black-headed Gull
• Woodpigeon
• Collared Dove
• Green Woodpecker
• Robin
• Carrion Crow
• Starling
• House Sparrow
• Greenfinch
• Goldfinch