How lucky that you have youngsters.
Our pair lost theirs last year. I found two sad bodies on the ground… after discussions, folk decided that a weasel (whatever) had entered the nest and chucked them out… they were quite large (considering) but not ready to fly… the parents were inconsolable and very plaintive…
hoping for happier times this year
They are the most diurnal owl 
that’s what is so lovely… 
this is one of our regular Little Owls… defiantly refusing to face the camera 
I managed to get the little one and a parent on video yesterday evening. They spent quite a while chatting to eachother over a distance. I see what you mean about the adult sounding like a dog barking b
After waiting a number of weeks, have just heard from the RSPB that a bird at my birdbath, which I was unable to identify, is a Nightingale. Never seen one before!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnzrAeNoAe8
It didn’t sing unfortunately.
According to the RSPB volunteer, its stance - cocked tale and drooped wings - is noteworthy - very cocky stance - bit like a wren.
Also, from the video, it is slightly smaller than a sparrow, which I found surprising.
Brilliant… I’ve heard them but not knowingly seen one… until now…
How lovely to get a really good look - might be a juvenile, they are usually slightly bigger than a sparrow. I have seen them fleetingly chez moi fossicking in the leaf-mould rather the way blackbirds do but making much less racket and mess.
Another unexpected visitor to my garden - a European Pied Flychatcher - female. That’s my best guess. Are these commonly seen in gardens? Amazingly these little things fly back & forth to tropical Africa.
The male does not seem to be about - according to the RSPB the male practises bigamy so no doubt he is busy elsewhere!
Following on from your handsome fellow, another woodpigeon made 3 rare visits to my birdbath in July and then 1 visit in Aug with baby in tow! Very sweet!
Not sure what happened to my Nightingale video above, so have put in back!
Super video!
Not sure what this bird is (light chestnut colour, with speckled chest) but have seen it moving slowly on quite long legs in an upright position stalking in the long grass. Methinks it’s a Tree Pipit but don’t really know! It appears to be smaller than a blackbird.
Any ideas?
I would go for pipit too.
Thank you both. Shall add Tree Pipit to my list of birdbath visitors!
Kestrel or Sparrowhawk ? It never hovers, just swoops and glides from the perch it happens to be on. It’s call is also much more similar to that of a sparrowhawk. I know that we have both in the garden and around the house, although the kestrels in previous years have stuck to the older buildings, telephone wires, and cliffs in the woods, whereas the sparrohawks will readily perch on our EDF pylon, and in the trees.
Mmm… if it “never hovers” that suggests to me that it is not a kestrel… since that hovering is part of their trademark…
