I think this is a Redwing and seems to stay most of day in Hawthorns since the snow arrived. It sits on the same branch in neighbours garden and wall a lot of the time when not feeding so easy to know when there and happily feeding in my garden now too. I believe there are a few of them and the last picture is my Mistle thrush guarding the trees I think. He and the larger bird which I think might be Fieldfare were in the same tree yesterday together and how I noticed differences between colours on them. The Redwings and Fieldfare always arrive together.
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County Louth (formerly Dundalk Bay) local patch. (9 Viewers)
- Thread starter breffni
- Start date
Hi Dolce,
You are correct with the Redwing, but the bird that you provisionally identified as a Fieldfare is another Mistle Thrush: the uniform upperparts (without a greyer head and chestnut-toned mantle/wings), 'smudged' spots on the breast sides etc would rule out Fieldfare.
Regards,
Harry
You are correct with the Redwing, but the bird that you provisionally identified as a Fieldfare is another Mistle Thrush: the uniform upperparts (without a greyer head and chestnut-toned mantle/wings), 'smudged' spots on the breast sides etc would rule out Fieldfare.
Regards,
Harry
Thanks Harry and the Redwing is such a beautiful bird. I see two of them in my trees this morning too. I bought food in B&Q for Mistle thrushes to encourage more and although I havent noticed them eating it I do believe it has brought few Tree Sparrows down to feed at it. I will have to get a better pair of binoculars as very high trees here. I have a few birds with the most gorgeous black and gold thin backs, (stripes of gold and black high up on back and really patterned diamond shapes at bottom of back). Some have very marked stripey dark brown and peachy heads and others with them lots and lots of flecks of black on chest anyway trying to get few pictures although proving difficult to get close enough for decent pictures. Think small enough bird but looks long on feeders and long tail. I am watching to see if they are the birds who made the amazing display with tails a few times. Without binoculars they look all black at back and fooled me into checking had I a longed for woodpecker a few times. I must go to Aldi for a feeding box too so thanks to Gareth.
Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Garden Birds
Hi Dolce. Here is a picture of a Fieldfare in my garden today. You probably did see fieldfare with the redwing but maybe snapped the mistle thrush by mistake.
Also three shots of a female brambling in my garden today..very like Chaffinch but some small differences if you look close.
Hi Dolce. Here is a picture of a Fieldfare in my garden today. You probably did see fieldfare with the redwing but maybe snapped the mistle thrush by mistake.
Also three shots of a female brambling in my garden today..very like Chaffinch but some small differences if you look close.
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Yes Peter thats looks like one I saw with such noticeable black although cant say saw grey head for definite but will look next time. One of the Redwings came twice within five feet of my kitchen window to the twisted Willow and fence to sit for ages. I think it is going to feed on seeds on paving stones nearby that I leave for the Pied Wagtails who wont walk any further down the garden. It is such a gorgeous bird up close.
I had two more smallish different birds with medium rich chocolate brown really thick straight stripes alternating with sandy orange on backs and diamondy shaped at base of backs and identical coloured heads on nearer peanut feeder. I never saw front or face really at all and no other colours on backs except a memory of silver or white edging near tail maybe. One glance through patio doors and gone and only saw them once. I got a more detailed bird book today of Britain and Europe in Easons RSPB pocket book so must take a look. I think bad winter maybe bringing out a few extra birds. This grey/brown bird also has really puzzled me which I saw yesterday and will post pictures tomorrow.
I had two more smallish different birds with medium rich chocolate brown really thick straight stripes alternating with sandy orange on backs and diamondy shaped at base of backs and identical coloured heads on nearer peanut feeder. I never saw front or face really at all and no other colours on backs except a memory of silver or white edging near tail maybe. One glance through patio doors and gone and only saw them once. I got a more detailed bird book today of Britain and Europe in Easons RSPB pocket book so must take a look. I think bad winter maybe bringing out a few extra birds. This grey/brown bird also has really puzzled me which I saw yesterday and will post pictures tomorrow.
gareth2005
Well-known member
Dony
Active member
Nice job on the nestbox Gareth! Think I might get one but I'd need some techno advive on how to use its images so they can be posted here.
Anyway, might need some help on id's for these birds I got today. Not sure what they are but they're probably very common. They're a first for me though. Thought the bird with red beak had a crest but couldn't be at all certain cause it was what seemed to be a mile away but it did have red feet. A gull kept attacking it but it kept diving its way out of trouble but finally it just flew away from the gull because of the harressment.
Anyway, might need some help on id's for these birds I got today. Not sure what they are but they're probably very common. They're a first for me though. Thought the bird with red beak had a crest but couldn't be at all certain cause it was what seemed to be a mile away but it did have red feet. A gull kept attacking it but it kept diving its way out of trouble but finally it just flew away from the gull because of the harressment.
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Peter Phillips
Well-known member
Yes the black patch in the centre of the cheek makes them Tree Sparrow Well Done!!
Both male and female look alike.
The other bird is a male Red breasted Merganser.
Female Brambling in the garden again today
Gerry o Neill
Well-known member
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Gerry o Neill
Well-known member
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gareth2005
Well-known member
Cleaned out the rest of the nestboxes today in my parents garden today. Most were used last year.
1 Box had Blue tits
1 Box had Great Tits
1 Open box had Wrens in it
Others boxes look to have been used for roosting
The Tree Sparrows never came back to the box today but hopefully something will nest in it.
I just ordered another IR camera from Ebay to adapt an existing box to have a camera ( Cost £15 on Ebay )
1 Box had Blue tits
1 Box had Great Tits
1 Open box had Wrens in it
Others boxes look to have been used for roosting
The Tree Sparrows never came back to the box today but hopefully something will nest in it.
I just ordered another IR camera from Ebay to adapt an existing box to have a camera ( Cost £15 on Ebay )
Here are pictures of the lovely brown and grey bird puzzling me. I got closer to it in last two pictures. It was towards evening and used available light button on camera but otherwise only cropped pictures so as not to alter colours. I saw it again today on same branch alone, a slender graceful really brown and slate grey very nice bird that just perches for a while to look around and then disappears off into Ash trees always.
I saw at the closer feeder one really dark sort of all black headed bird today with birds I thought might be Reed Buntings but then a few years ago I had a couple of really black headed ones fairly often. The only birds who resemble the thick striped chocalate/orangey backed birds are well at least I think Sedge Warblers or similar warbler or else backs of some browny Stonechats but I have no idea if either can possibly be in Newry or were ever seen here. I thought Warblers were summer birds so that doesnt help. It sure aint summer.
Gareth cant get your video to open as dying to see Tree Sparrow but my daughter will be able to as home on mid term break from teaching in Belfast thurs or friday.
I saw at the closer feeder one really dark sort of all black headed bird today with birds I thought might be Reed Buntings but then a few years ago I had a couple of really black headed ones fairly often. The only birds who resemble the thick striped chocalate/orangey backed birds are well at least I think Sedge Warblers or similar warbler or else backs of some browny Stonechats but I have no idea if either can possibly be in Newry or were ever seen here. I thought Warblers were summer birds so that doesnt help. It sure aint summer.
Gareth cant get your video to open as dying to see Tree Sparrow but my daughter will be able to as home on mid term break from teaching in Belfast thurs or friday.
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gareth2005
Well-known member
Hi Dolce,
I dont have a video just a photograph uploaded. If something starts to nest and I have the bandwidth on my net connection I will post a live video link of the nest so that people can follow it online
The photos you posted look like a female Blackbird in my opinion...
I dont have a video just a photograph uploaded. If something starts to nest and I have the bandwidth on my net connection I will post a live video link of the nest so that people can follow it online
The photos you posted look like a female Blackbird in my opinion...
Hard to say from the shots Dolce, one looks like a female blackbird, two of the others look like dunnock - when is sits there does it make a single piping call repeatedly?
Went down to lurgangreen after the birdwatching event hosted by the chamber of commerce but no sign of iceland, glaucous or yellowlegged gull, not green wing teal, but there were five pink footed geese grazing on the mudflats and a single male ruff along the riverbank...
gareth2005
Well-known member
Had 2 Brambling today at the feeders, a first for me.
The number of birds in my garden has improved since I installed an underground radio fence to keep the dogs away from the birds.
It also allows me to have a few plants without getting them ripped up
The number of birds in my garden has improved since I installed an underground radio fence to keep the dogs away from the birds.
It also allows me to have a few plants without getting them ripped up
Gareth and Breffni,
By the time I try to get silently down near them of course some birds have moved and so easy to photograph wrong bird. Actually I have lots of lovely little Dunnocks and were not meant to be in pictures as I give up trying to photograph them as move so quickly. The last two pics are this bird and probably first picture as where was when I left kitchen and then it moved. I did think of female blackbird but it was just so thin and long and there was so much of a different paler shade of grey along sides but maybe juvenile. You can see the rich grey on sides on second last or last picture and thought bigger than female blackbird. I have a lot of blackbirds but females more brown than grey usually. I have heard that sound often when sitting nearer trees. The wee Dunnocks and Robins just love dry porridge oats and glad to see two Robins back.
Derek Watters
Well-known member
Well done Gareth. Looking at your location you are only few mins walk from me and a stones trow from Gerry - can you send them our direction - would definately be a garden first for me! Don't know if Gerry has had them in his area before.
Tell us more! Was it Dundalk Chamber???
gareth2005
Well-known member
They came in a flock of Chaffinches who were feeding on a a mixture of Sunflower seeds and Peanuts which I had put on the ground.
Amazed to see two presentations to the dundalk chamber about birdwatching! Brendan McSherry did a talk proposing Dundalk bay and environs as a mecca for ecotourism and the cooleys/gullion complex as a geopark, possibly joining with the mournes. James Orr from Castle Espie gave a very convincing presentation on the real business opportunities arising from a wetlands interpretation centre - caslte espie is now financially independent and generates revenues in excess of 5 mil a year.
