Merlin picked up a Firecrest in Stanmer Woods last weekend - I was still harbouring under the impression they were only in Scotland (until I read this).
I love the description of the Goldcrest’s song here so very much, I am so wanting to hear it out in the garden or walking the dogs! I remember reading this last year (and possibly the year before too!) I have subscribed my mum to shriek of the week (she’s a little technophobic and only subscribes to my own Substack because I added her manually!!) and each time she gets your email she messages me to let me know it’s arrived! She loves these little snippets, as do I.
I was lucky enough to see a firecrest in our back garden a few years ago - I thought it was a goldcrest, but I managed to take a (very bad) photo, and then looked it up in my bird book to discover it was a firecrest, with that distinctive black stripe across its eye. I was utterly delighted.
Stunning little birds. I was up in the Yorkshire Dales last weekend and saw a bunch of the little perishes hopping through the canopy of an old oak. Counted ten other species, including long-tail tits, in the same tree. Capped the walk off nicely. M
Always a joy to encounter a roving tit flock, but ten species is particularly good. In Sussex the crew is typically 3-4 species of tit, Goldcrest, Treecreeper and maybe Chiffchaff and Nuthatch. Brightens an otherwise quiet walk in the woods no end.
Amazing Charlie - saw every species on your list in that old oak! Heartening to know that the same posse of birds hang out across the country. I’ll have to see if I can achieve the same here in North London 😬
Merlin picked up a Firecrest in Stanmer Woods last weekend - I was still harbouring under the impression they were only in Scotland (until I read this).
I believe they are still scarce in Scotland - any chance you were thinking of Crested Tits (which are only found in Scotland, within the UK)?
I love the description of the Goldcrest’s song here so very much, I am so wanting to hear it out in the garden or walking the dogs! I remember reading this last year (and possibly the year before too!) I have subscribed my mum to shriek of the week (she’s a little technophobic and only subscribes to my own Substack because I added her manually!!) and each time she gets your email she messages me to let me know it’s arrived! She loves these little snippets, as do I.
I was lucky enough to see a firecrest in our back garden a few years ago - I thought it was a goldcrest, but I managed to take a (very bad) photo, and then looked it up in my bird book to discover it was a firecrest, with that distinctive black stripe across its eye. I was utterly delighted.
Thank you Charlotte, I’m glad your mum enjoys them too. Fingers crossed for more back garden Firecrests and Goldcrests…. 🔥
Stunning little birds. I was up in the Yorkshire Dales last weekend and saw a bunch of the little perishes hopping through the canopy of an old oak. Counted ten other species, including long-tail tits, in the same tree. Capped the walk off nicely. M
Always a joy to encounter a roving tit flock, but ten species is particularly good. In Sussex the crew is typically 3-4 species of tit, Goldcrest, Treecreeper and maybe Chiffchaff and Nuthatch. Brightens an otherwise quiet walk in the woods no end.
Amazing Charlie - saw every species on your list in that old oak! Heartening to know that the same posse of birds hang out across the country. I’ll have to see if I can achieve the same here in North London 😬
Thanks for subscribing to my rhymes Charlie. Hope you enjoy - quite a back catalogue!
Totally get your teeny weeny bicycle comparison! 😂 I just love the silvery tinkle of their song. Amazing little balls of energy 🙏💚
My daughter would categorise them as ‘borbs’ - half bird, half ball.
The squeaky bicycle is a great image for this bird's song 👍👍