Baby Goldfinches Evicted from Nest by Sparrows.

In an earlier blog, I mentioned a male and female goldfinch that were building a nest in our magnolia tree.

All seemed to be going well and as the days progressed we realised that the goldfinch couple must have had fledgelings. They were coming backwards and forwards and we could hear the chirping birds as they were being fed.

Today my wife called me from the garden, instructing me to catch Bob, our big fat Ragdoll cat. He had reacted to a little fledgeling bird falling from the nest of the magnolia tree. I managed to rescue the bird as he dropped it when I scolded him. Then as we looked up into the tree, there was a commotion occurring with common sparrows attacking the goldfinch nest. More baby goldfinches started to fall through the leaves and branches of the tree. They seemed robust and fluttered to the grass. I say fluttered, but it was more a mishmash of falling while fluttering. Enough to lessen the impact upon the soil. 

We managed to rescue four out of five fledgelings. The fifth was dangling upside down and close to the nest. It was caught between the branches and had suffered an attack by the common sparrows. I got my ladders and tried to rescue it. However, the little goldfinch was already dead with blood about its head. I think it had been pecked to death. The other fledgelings had abandoned the nest - desperately throwing themselves from the nest.  

The four survivors have been put into a box with a towel and we have phoned the local wildlife sanctuary of the Fens to see if anyone can help. I got an answer and someone will phone back at around 9 am. 

Let's hope the poor little things can be saved. They seem rather traumatised and we have been told to keep them warm and in a dark place. Therefore, they are in this box awaiting attention from a wildlife rescue centre.

The Marsh Harrier

After deciding to go home from Cromer in Norfolk, we were chatting leisurely about the scenic little villages we were passing through in the car. We went through Sheringham and Clay Next the Sea. There were other small coastal towns too. All the cottages were made of pebbled stone and had a wonderful and quaint character. Even the new builds are done the same way.

We passed the outskirts of Wells Next the Sea and then Holkham Hall. As we drove on towards Hunstanton, Carole noticed a buzzard gliding over the sand dunes. As luck would have it, there was a gravelled clearing with a gateway. It was big enough for me to park off of the country lane. I got out the camera and began to click away. At first, I thought it was a Red Kite, but upon further inspection, it looks more like a Common Buzzard. It was a very fine creature whatever. 

    

Weasel and the Woodpecker

From March 15th 2015

My wife, Carole and I went to Hornchurch in Essex today and passed Hornchurch country park on the way to my Dad's house. He lives in Elm Park, Hornchurch. When we arrived, he had the news on the television. There was the usual news of politics and crime but then on a light-hearted note, the news team showed a picture of a weasel attacking a Green Woodpecker. It was one of those charming little aside pictures that an amateur photographer caught perfectly.

Weasels are tiny little carnivorous creatures that are very fierce and territorial. However, they are very small, about the size of a small chocolate bar. This one attacked a Green Woodpecker that flew off in a panic with vicious little weasel upon the back.

We were surprised to hear it was at the very country park we had driven past. Our little patch on national TV. The photographer took loads of shots according to the news and this one was caught wonderfully. 

The woodpecker went down again and as it hit the ground the weasel sped off after his unexpected flight. No doubt leaving Green Woodpeckers off of his menu in future.