Garth Peacock
Spotted Flycatcher

Archive

West Norfolk 30th April

Wednesday 6th May 2026

Water Voles at Fowlmere RSPB

Monday 4th May 2026

What's showing at Fowlmere RSPB

Wednesday 22nd April 2026

Thetford Forest

Friday 17th April 2026

A Grafham Wagtail-fest.

Thursday 9th April 2026

A couple of hours or so locally

Sunday 5th April 2026

A trip around my home county

Friday 3rd April 2026

The Norfolk coast.

Tuesday 31st March 2026

Grafham Water and Willow Tree Fen

Wednesday 25th March 2026

Welney WWT and area

Tuesday 17th March 2026

A lucky visit to Fen Drayton Lakes

Thursday 19th February 2026

A rainy day in West Norfolk

Sunday 15th February 2026

Abberton Reservoir Essex

Friday 23rd January 2026

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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!!!