Nests kept finding me

I've never been one for trying to find nests, but this year I feel I have been tripping over them. The buzzards are back for the third year running,

but sadly the foliage has now obscured the view this year, so no shots of the youngsters this time.

While watching the nest though it was impossible to ignore the noise coming from an adjacent tree.  I've only ever twice come across great spotted woodpecker nests, but the young are so noisy they truly do find you rather than the other way around.

More from that nest later.

A few hundred yards on Kay had heard smaller chicks calling.  Having come across similar situations before I reckoned the fissure in the huge clematis stem looked a likely bet so I tucked into a nearby bush and waited.  My money was on blue tit, but before long the unmistakable call was from a great tit

- did you see it in the background?

We heard a few other nests, but decided to leave them be as nothing could be easily seen, and why disturb them?  I felt the same too when I realised this yellowhammer (not local this time) kept hanging around the same bush.  After a short while it dived in with the food, but I decided not to look closer.

My favourite find though was another by Kay, this time in our garden.  She's not the greatest bird identifier, but from her description it had to be a coal tit, much to my surprise.  A quick look on the BTO website and sure enough they do use nest boxes - but only if within a couple of feet of the ground.  So the sparrow terrace tucked under the plum tree awaiting resiting was actually perfectly placed.

They shot into the nest at great speed making snaps tricky, but as far as I am concerned this is rear of the year!

Pleased to say all bar the buzzards have now fledged.