My Wildlife Calendar picture for May is this shot of a female reed bunting taken in January 2020 at Attenborough Nature Reserve. As the name suggests their natural food is reed mace (bulrushes) but among the usual tits, finches and robins they are eager to come for seed placed on the top of fence posts and sometimes wait their turn on the barbed wire.

It is a long time since I have seen a siskin anywhere so it was a memorable few minutes when this lovely male specimen visited the garden feeder on Sunday morning (2nd). This video clip is a bit wobbly as the camera was hand held and I was trembling with excitement 😎

• 

• 

• 

I was able to take several still shots until a pigeon startled it and it flew to the feeder on our apple tree. Siskins are members of the finch family. In the garden this year I have only observed a couple of goldfinches, a single redpoll and now this siskin representing the finches. I am keeping a lookout for chaffinches and greenfinches to take the score up to five.

It is now about 30 days since the last two eggs were laid in the NTU peregrine nest which means the eggs should be hatching soon. I will be observing the nest at every opportunity and you can by following this link. Peregrine Nest Cam | Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust