I had a load of top soil delivered this evening. As soon as the lorry left I started to fill a wheelbarrow to move the soil. I had just taken a few shovelfulls when the robin hopped onto the soil, and started poking about. He flew backwards and forwards for a while, clearly enjoying himself.
I was surprised that he came to investigate so soon.
Didn't get birdwatching this weekend. The baby starlings are still in the nest, minus one I found when cutting the grass. It had obviously died just after hatching, but hadn't fallen quite where I expected it too. Found a frog too, though fortunately it was alive. A pond is not on the garden agenda for this year. Had a day off work today, which I spent in the garden. I wish I had thought and brought the camera out with me. The front garden robin came very close, but more surprisingly so did a pair of great tits. I have a beech hedge, and I let the dead leaves accumulate under it. They were turning over the leaves, and making plenty of noise! Every so often they would fly out close to where I was working. This went on for about 20 minutes.
Dundrum Bay - mute swans, oystercatchers, curlew, herring gulls, meadow pipit.
Tollymore Forest Park and environs - heavy showers and sunshine. The main reason for going was as part of the BTO Heronry survey. Not even a heron! Birds seen - jay, blackbird, blue tit, coal tit, thrush, chaffinch, greenfinch, crow, jackdaw, woodpigeon, mallard & goldcrest. I explored the various rivers/streams in hope of a dipper, kingfisher or grey wagtail, all to no avail. A grey wagtail did fly in front of the car on the way home.
Still having problems uploading photos.
Castle Espie is a WWT Reserve along the Strangford Lough shore. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. Wild birds seen - long-tailed tits, shelduck, mallard (quite a number of broods, one duckling nipped by a male mallard), mute swans, greylag geese, moorhen, coot, tufted duck, wigeon, male goldeneye (very close views), male pintail, blackbird, thrush, chaffinch, coal-tit, pair of whooper swans, black-headed gulls, lesser black-backed gulls, swallow.
Later while working in the garden saw my first swifts of the season overhead. Starlings have hatched in a nest in the big fir tree. Could hear the young and see the adults flying in with food.