Another Barn Owl box

I recently got another opportunity to make and place another Barnie box at a different site, it’s a fantastic area of habitat with lots of natural grassland that is not cut, great to see in these days of cutting everything within an inch of its life for neatness, it already abounds with Skylark and Meadow Pipit.

Every time visited, I have had Red Kite/multiple Common Buzzards overhead along with large numbers of House Sparrows and also Yellowhammer calling.

I have set a cam up on the box, which we installed on Tuesday, I know they are in the area so will be checking on Friday to take the struts off and also see if anything is on the cams and if one has found it.

It’s a bit late going in but given how long their breeding period is and also 2nd brooding, you never know.........

As ever, a big thanks to all those involved - Doc, Owen and Rob, also Russ and his colleague for getting me the ply to recycle into a Barnie box.

                                                                     P51 Mustang

                                                             Worn adult Common Buzzard

Parliament

I last visited on March 22nd and from behaviour of both Falcon and Tiercel then, it looks like they hadn’t laid by that date, I am due to visit on Sunday so hopefully can confirm with a nest relief.

They haven’t successfully bred since 2018 so I am keeping an open mind on it, age and fertility of the Falcon may be an issue, we have new blood in the shape of a new Tiercel, so we will see what transpires.

On the 22nd we also had a female intruding immature, eventually seen off by the Tiercel.

Fingers crossed for egg laying.

                                                                   Pair on Central Spire

                                                              Intruding female immature

                                                                         Tiercel

Beckton - 150 up

 

After a good few years visiting the Sewage Works I have reached the above total with the arrival of 3 Garganey briefly, it was one bird I didn’t expect to see here, despite the huge numbers of wintering Teal.

Found by Richard, they were in the big tanks on the right at the end of the path and initially comprised of 2 Drakes, both displaying. However both lifted off, when an unseen female flew towards the river from nearby to them and all 3 were last seen heading up river.

No doubt part of the influx of them coming into the UK, they finally got me to seeing 150 species on the site.

I also caught up with the Siberian Chiffchaff again, initially located as it was singing, totally different song to repetitive Chiffchaff which was what got me onto it in the first place, hearing something unknown tend to stop you in your tracks.

Beckton March

 

Plenty of activity, it’s surprising what a bit of sunshine and warmer temperatures does, for a start Chiffchaffs were singing just about everywhere on the Sewage Works. Obviously not surprising given the numbers here in winter, it’s been the case just about everywhere.

The female Kestrel is becoming tied to the nest box, watched her for around 30 minutes whilst waiting for him to bring prey in, she supplements it by dropping down and grabbing a worm or 2.

Ring Necked Parakeets seem to have taken over every tree with a hole, for 2 years now I have not seen a Green Woodpecker on site, it’s very likely that these non natives could well have contributed to them moving on.

Along with taking over holes of our native nesters, they do a lot of damage to budding trees and I won’t even go into the damage they do to feeders.

On the plus side Peregrines love them.

With the warmth creating thermals, it was great to see the pair of Common Buzzards go up, usual Crows mobbing them but I must admit it seems like an occupational hazard and they take little notice.

Also caught up with a nice Sparrowhawk but unfortunately the photo was through the windscreen so poor unfortunately.