Today is overcast and cloudy with rain in the air, the temperature at 10 am is 8 degrees. A bit dreary to be honest but this has not put the birds off and the garden today is like an aviary. The most exciting and almost unbelievable sighting was a female Blackcap Warbler which was spotted from the “Bathroom Hide” at 9.30 and again from the kitchen at 1045. These are very exciting occurrences only my second sighting of a female in 24 years and the first Blackcap of the year. It is significant that she stayed in the garden for a while. It proves to me that my garden is a sfe haven for birds! The female Blackcap is a pretty bird with a very rich brown head on a grey body in the same pattern as the “black headed’ cock bird. They are just a bit smaller than a sparrow but large for a warbler, significantly bigger than a Chiffchaff or Willow Warbler for example. I will obviously keep my eyes peeled for another glimpse. Other birds today have included all the usuals. The Dunnock’s breeding activity continues with lots of chasing and singing by the cock and the Blackbirds continue to court. The female of this pair is easy to recognise because she has a white mark on one of her secondary wing feathers. It is going to be easy to keep “tags” on her as the year progresses. Yesterday the cockbird had a beak full of moss so I am pretty certain he has a nest nearly completed somewhere as this is used to line nests. . There is a strong theory that Magpies are responsible for the decline in British garden birds due to their nest robbing antics and there has been a noticeable presence from the resident Magpie over the last week or so.. From my computer as I look out I can see Herring Gull, Rook, Starling. Magpie and Blackbird on the rooves of houses opposite.
Hose Sparrows are carrying nesting material around, noticeably, white feathers. Glad to be encouraging this declining species in the garden.