Tag Archives: Starlings

Looking for Foxes 10

Blasdale Home Posted on by

26th February 2025

In the continuing drama of the pond:

A couple of mallard ducks came to visit. They did not stay long, probably chased off by the moorhens.

The moorhens were around for most of the week, swimming and walking across the grass.

A fox paid us several visits during the week. Looking for a mate?

There was a fabulous display by the grey heron, who also caught a frog and devoured it in front of the camera.

A jay came around one day, and worked its way through the leaves looking for food.

A couple of male pheasants walked past the pond. One behind the other, escapees from a shoot, perhaps.

Rabbits were much in evidence, dashing from one side of the pond to the other.

Some crows took the opportunity of a frozen pond to practise their ice skating.

One grey squirrel was seen in the trees, fat after feeding on our bird feeders.

The starlings have been in evidence on the field, and did appear for a short while in front of the cameras.

Unfortunately one of the cameras had the incorrect date set. Time, Month and Day were correct, but the year was 2024, whereas it should have been 2025.

Timeline

00:00 Mallard Ducks
00:24 Fox
01:09 Grey Heron
02:30 Grey Heron & Frog
06:28 Jay
07:43 Moorhen
08:57 Pheasant
09:31 Rabbit
09:55 Crows `
10:37 Squirrel
10:45 Starlings

Starlings on the field

Blasdale Home Posted on by

20th February 2025

We have had starlings on the field. They have been bathing in the puddles, and looking around the field for food. They are always busy moving on to different areas, never stationary for a moment. No large murmurations as we are only a gathering point in the evening before they move off to roost for the night somewhere else.

Starlings on the field
1W5A7157-Enhanced-NR

Looking for Foxes 9

Blasdale Home Posted on by

15th February 2025

Our field pond continues to be a hub of activity, offering fascinating insights into the local wildlife. Fox sightings remain infrequent, but we were fortunate to capture a glimpse of a young fox near by. Interestingly, the moorhens, usually quite skittish, seemed completely unconcerned by its presence. This suggests they may be becoming accustomed to foxes, or perhaps the young fox was not displaying predatory behavior. Foxes, afterall, while often perceived as a threat, play a vital role in controlling rodent populations and maintaining ecosystem balance.

A heron also graced us with its presence. While it wasn’t observed fishing this time, it did wade along the pond’s edge before taking flight. Herons are opportunistic feeders, consuming fish, amphibians, and even small mammals. Their presence is a good indicator of a healthy pond ecosystem.

The moorhens were actively swimming, a behaviour often observed as nesting season approaches. Moorhens, members of the rail family, are known to build nests amongst reeds or in dense vegetation near water. Their frequent treks across the field to the neighbor’s pond likely indicate they are exploring different territories or resources.

A male and female pheasant also made several appearances. These ground-dwelling birds are common in many gardens and are often attracted to areas with seeds and insects.

As always, pigeons and rabbits were abundant. The rabbits, our most frequently observed mammal, were captured in a short video clip. Rabbits are herbivores and can be a significant food source for predators like foxes, but seemingly not ours, and birds of prey. The pigeons, some rather plump, were also spotted.

A flock of starlings descended upon the pond, some to feed and others to bathe. Starlings are highly social birds, often forming large flocks, and are known for their impressive mimicry skills. Seeing them enjoying the water on a sunny day was a delight.

Finally, a grey squirrel, another common garden resident, was spotted and photographed. Grey squirrels are opportunistic feeders, consuming nuts, seeds, fruits, and even insects. They are known for their caching behaviour, which helps disperse seeds and contributes to forest regeneration.

Looking for Foxes 9
Time Line

00:00 Blackbird
00:03 Heron
01:55 Moorhens
02:16 Pheasant
02:39 Pigeon
03:09 Starlings
04:30 Fox
04:45 Rabbits
04:55 Squirrel

Looking for Foxes 8

Blasdale Home Posted on by

22nd January 2025

It has been quite some time since I last shared a video showcasing the wildlife around the garden. Sightings of foxes have been infrequent, mostly limited to them passing through the garden without settling. They have not yet taken over any rabbit burrows for breeding purposes.

Looking for Foxes

The most notable sighting was that of a Grey Heron, which appears to have made the field pond its new habitat. I was fortunate enough to capture footage of the heron stalking across the pond after sunset. There is one particular moment where it can be seen holding a frog in its beak, and another where a fox is seen walking behind it. You can find these scenes using the YouTube chapters.

Please note that the dates displayed by the cameras follow the American date format (Month, Day, Year), as the cameras do not support localized date settings.

Bird species recorded by the cameras include: Blackbird, Chaffinch, Heron, Crow, Jay, Moorhen, Pheasant, Redwing, and Starlings. Mammals observed include: Domestic Cat, Muntjac Deer, Fox, and Rabbit.

Looking for Foxes 3

Blasdale Home Posted on by

3rd February 2024

Another week of fox hunting. Camera in a slightly different position, hoping to see more investigation by the fox. Plenty of rabbits feeding at night. During the day, a group of starlings came to feast amongst the leaves. There was just one sighting of a fox, she looked to be investigating a home amongst the ready built dens. Still, plenty of time before she has her cubs. Next week the camera has been moved to show a wider view of the likely den area. Let us hope for some foxy pictures.

RSPB Otmoor

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Today was a lovely bright and not overly cold day, so off we set to RSPB Otmoor to check out the Starlings. Would we recognise our local Starlings as they came in to roost in the reed bed! We arrived at around 2.45, the car park was already full, bar one space for us. We headed out slowly looking for birds. To be honest, there were not many around, the scrapes were empty. The walk to the reed bed is around 1500-2000 meters. There are several viewing points, we chose one a little bit further on, where there should be a few fewer people.

Shortly after sunset the Starlings started to arrive and did their murmuration bit. Interesting how small groups of birds had to join in with the big group before going in to roost. Once roosted there were large waves of starlings flying over the tops of the reeds as they moved around to other locations.

As we were leaving we saw a green flash in the sky, fairly low down and travelling North. The trail was very short, and it seemed to travel slower than a meteor, and faster than a sattelite. The short trail was also quite wide. It was visible for a couple of seconds. No idea what it was.

Starling murmuration, watch in 1080HD

Starling being fed in old Rayburn solid fuel cooker

Blasdale Home Posted on by

Picture of a Starling chick being fed in an old, disused Rayburn solid fuel cooker which a pair of Starlings were using as a nest.  This was the second time Starlings have done this, the previous time being two years ago.  I managed to grab a few pictures of the chick being fed.  The next day it had fledged and gone.  The pictures were taken through an open window on a Canon EOS7D Mk2.  The lens was a 100 – 400 Canon.

Both parents were feeding one chick.  At least, I believe there was only one chick.  This was the same as the previous nesting two years before.