Garth Peacock
Spotted Flycatcher

Archive

A week that was entirely forgettable.

Tuesday 21st October 2025

Welney WWT Norfolk

Monday 6th October 2025

A week of varying fortunes

Monday 29th September 2025

Norfolk yet again

Thursday 25th September 2025

Lemsford Springs Hertfordshire

Monday 8th September 2025

A Day in West Norfolk

Friday 5th September 2025

Kingfishers and Hares

Thursday 21st August 2025

The last few days of July

Sunday 3rd August 2025

Another visit to Welney

Tuesday 8th July 2025

Another session with Owls

Friday 4th July 2025

Little Owls in North Yorkshire

Saturday 28th June 2025

South Lincolnshire

Tuesday 24th June 2025

RSPB Folwmere again

Thursday 12th June 2025

Local for me

Tuesday 10th June 2025

A day of Terns in Norfolk

Friday 6th June 2025

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Tuesday 7th July 2015

My local bird club, the Cambridgeshire Bird Club is carrying out a census on Spotted Flycatcher nests in the county with one in particular, that I have been watching. I visited it a couple of weeks or so ago when both birds were very co-operative. Our co-ordinator inspected the nest the next day and it was empty. When I called back a day or so later, replica watches  there was only one bird on show and it was very nervous so I quickly left.

Last Thursday, while passing, I stopped to see what was going on. One bird showed well and after a short time, became very co-operative again.

I stayed for a while, just to see if there was any further activity. With one bird in my viewfinder, I noticed another flying in so I just pressed the trigger and kept it there for the 30 odd shots that the 7DMK2 will take before the buffer fills up. What a surprise when I looked to see what I had got - a complete session of the birds mating. Here is a short selection.

The male came in with a fly as an offering, mated, and then perched next to the female with it's 'gift' omega replica watches which the female was gladly accepting - and the male flew off with it. Not a gentlemanly thing to do!!

I then left feeling very lucky to have not only witnessed the event, but photographed it too.

The next day, I was sorting out the images on the computer when my wife called to say that a Thrush was in the back garden. We used to have a Song Thrush visiting regularly up to three years ago and since then, no sign of one and not even hearing the song locally so this was a very nice surprise. Camera out and a nice pose after it had exctricated a snail from it's shell and then flew off with it, obviously to feed some young.

It now returns daily, happily reducing the snail population of my garden for which I am very grateful. However, I ask myself how a Song Thrush could be nesting somewhere in the locality with young in the nest and I have never heard it singing before? Now I hear it frequently. Don't think my hearing has deteriorated that much!!!