[Vilasy]

I'd enter the sloth, myself. Stunning photo!

[roger1234]

2 juvenile coal tits this morning and 2 male bullfinches 4 magpies in the garden at present along with 10 collared doves and several juvenile starlings, blackbirds and goldfinches and a great tit

[earleybird]

its a tough call bfp but I think I'd enter the Jaguar

[earleybird]

Originally Posted by roger1234

2 juvenile coal tits this morning and 2 male bullfinches 4 magpies in the garden at present along with 10 collared doves and several juvenile starlings, blackbirds and goldfinches and a great tit

what a great collection you have . We have only seen one of our collared doves recently and feared that its mate had succumbed to the Sparrow hawk but thankfully I saw the pair together again this morning.

can't resist showing you one of our Coal tits

[roger1234]

Originally Posted by Bananafishbones

A bit of help please folks .....

Which image should I enter into this months photo comp - Animals

The Jaguar was a once in a lifetime shot and very very lucky to be able to get any sort of shot with such a secretive species.

The Sloth is just the pose of a lifetime capture.

Which one stands more of a chance of getting votes? - the detail in the sloth wins, the pose in the sloth wins..... but the Jaguar is very very special and very rare.

Thoughts from fellow garden watchers (and votes ) will be appreciated before I enter one of the images

Cheers
Dave

Toss of a coin dave

[roger1234]

Originally Posted by earleybird

what a great collection you have . We have only seen one of our collared doves recently and feared that its mate had succumbed to the Sparrow hawk but thankfully I saw the pair together again this morning.

can't resist showing you one of our Coal tits

Cheers EB nice picture of the coal tit

[earleybird]

Originally Posted by roger1234

Cheers EB nice picture of the coal tit

Thanks Roger unfortunately its at full 720mm zoom with x2 in camera digital crop with a further 50% post crop so definition is pretty grim.

[stilt]

Cpl jays today...and 1 less squirrel. That hawk does not mess around.

[roger1234]

14 collared doves this afternoon

[warren30]

had my first male Siskin today 2 of them on feeders had female in week,
pretty chuffed new one on list and bit unusual in cornwall this time of year
2 siskins
3 bullfinches
2 blackbirds
2 woodies
3 house sparrows
3 blue tits plus 3 young being fed
2 birds been feeding all week young birds not sure what they are
baby green finch or baby siskins they have the yellow/green in wing and tail
9 goldfinches 3 young

[Cheshire Birder]

pair of Pheasants is the best I can find today.

CB

[JeffMoh]

Originally Posted by Bananafishbones

A bit of help please folks .....

Which image should I enter into this months photo comp - Animals

The Jaguar was a once in a lifetime shot and very very lucky to be able to get any sort of shot with such a secretive species.

The Sloth is just the pose of a lifetime capture.

Which one stands more of a chance of getting votes? - the detail in the sloth wins, the pose in the sloth wins..... but the Jaguar is very very special and very rare.

Thoughts from fellow garden watchers (and votes ) will be appreciated before I enter one of the images

Cheers
Dave

Both great pictures, Dave, but the sloth is the better photo!
Jeff

[HartleyHare]

Today I have 1 solitary Rook, 2 collared doves, 2 or 3 Jackdaws, 2 Chaffinches, 2 Robins, several Bluetits, several Coal Tits, 2 Goldfinches, 2 Blackbirds and too many Sparrows to count.

Also, have 2 Robin chicks, 1 Chaffinch chick, I can hear Great Tit or Bluetit chicks in hedge but haven't seen them and at least 17 Sparrow chicks plus some more were born yesterday. I haven't seen any Blackbird chicks at all.

[Bananafishbones]

Thanks folks for the feedback - Sloth won out with yourselves and some friends by 11 Vs 3

The sloth is now in the June Comp -

Today in the garden of note was the pair of Bullfinch, a family of Rooks and are they loud.,... however not intimidating or pestering to the rest of the garden visitors.

and of course we have loads of juveniles, including the first Goldfinch juvs of the year

[earleybird]

well we have had the biggest crop of fledgling Starlings for years. There has been a steady stream of them for the past 5+ weeks and the noise is horrendous at times. They really do sound like they are strangling one another at times.!

For the first time we have young coal tits , (they are so gorgeous ), and fledging BlueTits, Goldfinches and loads of House Sparrows .

Unfortunately the lone chaffinch doesn't appear to have found a mate again this year and we haven't seen any Robin young. Sadly we think we may have disturbed their nest in a hole in the wall by the garden tap. Either that or the cats have got at them.

I think that we have had a lot of losses to the Sparrow Hawks this year.

Birds we haven't seen at all this year are
Blackcap
Siskin
Treecreeper
Nuthatch
green Woodpecker
Sadly we haven't seen a single Longtailed Tit feeding for weeks ? we usually have at least 5-6 at one time. Maybe they are late to fledge? i'll have to check my photo gallery for last year.

[stilt]

Was off today ( finally) so I got up at dawn to see the early birds. Lol. Several cardinals, one jay, although the sparrows took all the peanuts. 6 squirrels and 1 mallard. Several doves and other common birds. Still disappointed on jays and have not seen a wood pecker nor hummingbird in couple weeks. 2 mallards, another just showed.
Btw, they seem to eat a lot, eating me out of house and home...

[Bananafishbones]

Bullfinch pair are becoming more regular now so hope it continues.

[Bananafishbones]

a lovely evening, Chilled Cider and watching the pipestrelle Bats hawking for insects around the garden

[captaincarot]

got abit silly earlier, either 14 or 15 total blue and coal tits in the garden at the same time, they were all over the place. only 4 of them adult.

plus the first woodpigeon youngster of the year.

[earleybird]

We have a lot of bats around the house every evening too. I suppose I've pretty much taken them for granted. They probably roost in the Mill next door as they have done for centuries.

Had to laugh this morning. Big Woody (woodpigeon) was calmly pecking the seed on the tiny seed tray at the same time as a highly agitated juvenile Starling . Neither bird was going to back down so the Starling started shrieking at woody and pecking him mercilessly it was like David and Goliath

[JeffMoh]

Just the normal in our yards at present - N Cardinals, N Mockingbirds, Carolina Chickadees, House Sparrows, House Finches, White-winged Doves, House Sparrows, Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers.

Quiet at work, too, though I'm enjoying watching Western Kingbirds on nests.

Sometimes I wish we lived in south Texas, where we spent last weekend. Then we'd get feeder birds like Green Jays and Plain Chachalacas. Of course, summers there would be even hotter, more humid and buggier!

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

[earleybird]

Originally Posted by JeffMoh

Just the normal in our yards at present - N Cardinals, N Mockingbirds, Carolina Chickadees, House Sparrows, House Finches, White-winged Doves, House Sparrows, Blue Jays, Downy Woodpeckers.

Quiet at work, too, though I'm enjoying watching Western Kingbirds on nests.

Sometimes I wish we lived in south Texas, where we spent last weekend. Then we'd get feeder birds like Green Jays and Plain Chachalacas. Of course, summers there would be even hotter, more humid and buggier!

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

lovely pictures Jeff as always

funny how we always hanker after something or somewhere else
I'd not swop locations even for humming birds if it meant living with bugs and heat and humidity.

This year I have been taking some pictures of some of our more common garden birds like the Chaffinch, Starlings, House Sparrows, Robins, long tailed Tits and Wrens and I'm beginning to realise that I have been taking these exquisite birds for granted because they are always there.

I have therefore been paying more attention to the lives and habits of these common birds and learnt a surprising amount about them that I never knew before.

[JeffMoh]

Originally Posted by earleybird

lovely pictures Jeff as always
I have therefore been paying more attention to the lives and habits of these common birds and learnt a surprising amount about them that I never knew before.

Thanks, EB.

You're right about common birds. When we have visitors from the UK, the first birds they tend to be wowed by here are some of our everyday species - Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay and Great-tailed Grackle. Birders here hardly notice these birds. I spend a lot of time watching and taking photos of them.

I like seeing new species and I keep year lists but, like you, I most enjoy watching birds. So this weekend I have a choice: go to see a once-in-a-Texas-lifetime bird (Black-tailed Godwit) or visit a wading bird rookery. I'm choosing the rookery: I won't see a single new bird but I'll see hundreds of herons, egrets, Roseate Spoonbills etc. interacting and feeding their young. Magic!

Jeff

[earleybird]

and you won't swelter in the Texas heat or get attacked by bugs

Have a great weekend Jeff

[Bananafishbones]

really great topics on here at the mo.

We all take OUR birds for granted, then we are reminded of how much pleaseure we derive from them, and sometimes we go months without noticing how much we have enjoyed having them around.

However what I like about this thread is the reminder from both our long established contrubutors and the newbies that we are all enjoying the same experiences but with generally differing birds... (although the USAs hate for the Housesparrow doesnt affect the huge enjoyment that my colony in our roof gives me day in day out).

Jeffs mention of the Chacalacas reminded of my recent stay at Casa Maria when every morning 8 Rufous Tailes Chacalacas woke us up at around 4.30am and came to wait for breakfast...... see image .

Here the Bullfinch pair returned again, so I am very happy

CC - great count with the juv Tit flock