Can you believe it we are half way through the year and we have now entered the month of August. This is going to be a short blog because my last blog was published on my website 3 weeks ago and this will be a short recap what I did after I came home from The Outer Hebrides.
The day after I came back I was sitting in the lounge reading when I noticed a young juvenile Woodpigeon on the hedge. I quietly crept forward so I could get a better look and to my amazement it didn’t fly away, it was quite happy wondering and sitting on the hedge unaware it was being watched …by me so I managed to get a few pictures.
In July I noticed that the Bullfinch was a regular at the feeders. When I was in the kitchen I spotted it right away because it’s so bright because of its plumage so he was really enjoying the feeder sometimes fly off and return.
July is usually the month you see flying ants and it doesn’t really have a pacific date but it’s usually known as ‘Flying Ants Day’. You always know there’s ants around because I was sitting in the garden snd suddenly the sky was covered with flying Gulls eating the flying ants. I could tell it was ants because I saw them down at my feet and one flew to my hand. I always find watching the gulls in the sky pretty spectacular to watch. This occasion was on the 21st and it happened again on the 26th.
I returned back to Cammo Estate and before I left a Bullfinch was at the feeder. I had a great time , though I didn’t see a lot of birds just being there walking about listening to the birds and being amongst nature was good enough for me. The highlight was sitting on the field and hearing and seeing screaming Swift’s in the sky. I also took part in The Big Butterfly Count and spotted mainly Small White & Red Admiral. When I arrived back home another Bullfinch was at the feeder probably the same one I saw when I left.
The next morning I enjoyed watching small birds starting to come back to the feeders they included Bullfinches (male & female) a young juvenile Blue Tit & lastly a Goldfinch.
On Friday morning a Bullfinch & a Chaffinch were at the feeder but after I returned from a walk a very special visitor turned up . It was a young juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker who was really enjoying the fat balls feeder. This week I had been thinking although I saw a male Great Spotted Woodpecker just before I left to go on holiday I haven’t seen my usual female for months. I hope nothing has happened to her and I hope she returns soon I have missed her, there was no sign of the parents just the young woodpecker having a feed to himself but it really made my day to see him or her.
I really enjoyed July it was a good month. As it’s August The Edinburgh Festival is returning in some form so I’ll not be out birding as much but I’ll still be watching the birds in the garden and I look forward starting my Autumn Birding in September and I’ll tell you what I’ve seen in the next blog until then have a great August.
The Edinburgh Birdwatcher 