Uni Week 5

Its been a slow week with not a lot happening, and not been out much and the weather has not been up to much either. Its been a bumper week for squirrels, numerous have been seen as well as a couple fighting. Apart from that the only noticeable thing is that collections of hibernating ladybirds have started to develop in the corners of the stairs. That's about it though in all honesty, its been a quiet week.

Uni Week 4

Just a collection of odd bits from walking around this week, nothing especially major

Monday
Walking through Broomhill and I spotted a sparrowhawk loitering over the buildings there, probably hunting but it was nice to see as it was flying quite low. I also spotted a small flock of long-tailed tits in a garden on my way to the uni, though it was a brief and not very good view.

Tuesday
Walking to a gig in the evening I could hear some geese above me and looking up I spotted a skein of about 30-40 of what I assume are pink-footed geese flying in  formation in a NE direction. Its my skein of the autumn so I was very please to find them, especially in the dark.

Uni Week 3

Lectures started this week so things have settled down a bit more and I have not been out as much to see birds or wildlife within Sheffield due to work load. Having said that there has still been odd bits around.

Tuesday
I had a squirrel on the roof opposite from my bedroom window which I was able to watch for a bit. It did not seem too bothered about my being there so it was nice to watch

Thursday
Wandering down to the uni for my lecture I spotted a sparrowhawk loitering in the sky above the road, which was nice

Sunday
I spotted 2 jays on the tree next to my bedroom window while I was outside waiting for a friend. I did not get a great view but it was decent enough

Uni Week 2

So week 2 in my new home comes and goes. This week was built mainly on fieldwork and so we were out in the field quite a lot.

Tuesday
Went to Whiteley Wood to collect leaves. On the bird front there was a heron, one buzzard soaring overhead and a pair of robins having a real scrap

Wednesday
We went to the cemetery to collect leaves but there was not much there due to the poor weather. On the way back we went through the botanic gardens and there were ample, maybe 10 magpies all on the lawns, as well as wood pigeons and collard doves.

Saturday
I went on a walk with the Sheffield university bird-watching society through Endcliffe park to Forge Dam. We recorded a few interesting species, grey wagtail, sparrowhawk, buzzard, mistle thrush, long tailed tit, tree-creeper and nuthatch, and it was a nice walk

Sunday
Went for a walk with a church up on the borders of the peak district through some woods and round a reservoir. Butterflies were in abundance, with multiple Small Tortoiseshells and Speckled Woods. There was also a Common Sandpiper on the bank of the reser which was really nice to see. Besides that there was a sparrowhawk.