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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Halesowen Garden sightings (1 Viewer)

20 / 07 / 2019 -

This morning between showers had a beautiful young magpie with a great looking green tail feather with the end looking like it had been dipped in oil.
2 Juvenile Jays, 3 Juvenile Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 Juvenile Coal Tits & my first Juvenile Song Thrush.

Over a possible Harrier largish bird of prey with a long straight tail feathers but due to weather was unable to get 100% identification.

2 Cormorants over flying in general direction of the fisheries.
 
25 / 07 / 2019 -

Green woodpecker juvenile on feeders, House sparrow numbers now quite low as young have moved on.

Very quiet today in the garden bird wise butterflies in the garden include Large white, comma, peacock, Red admiral, gate keeper, holly blue, small tortoiseshell and Cinnibar moth.
 
As some people know I will be refurbishing my garden over the next few months and I am now looking for help in knowing which plants/shrubs will be best for birds and insects.
I currently have 4 metal feeding stations, 1 bird table and 1 water bath I would like to attract more winter birds to the garden as I have to wait and see what shuffles through the trees at the bottom of the garden in the winter so any help would be brilliant.
 
Hi Adrian,

There are of course many species of plants that are beneficial in attracting wildlife to a garden, but the ones I note below are purely taken from my own experience-

-Holly, Hawthorn and Cotoneaster all hold berries in winter, which brings in the winter thrushes

-Apple or Crab Apple trees also attract thrushes due to windfalls; I can remember once a large flock of Fieldfare in my grandparents' garden after a heavy snow shower all feeding on the fallen fruit

-Wild Teasel provides structural interest and its' seed heads are taken by Goldfinch in late autumn and winter

-Honeysuckle is good for attracting pollinators as well as the Hummingbird Hawkmoth

-Lungwort (Pulmonaria) in my garden attracts Hairy-Footed Flower Bees in spring

-Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii) is as the name suggests a magnet for butterflies

There are undoubtedly many more species but the above are plants that I know deliver the desired result. The addition of a log pile (preferably using deciduous wood) and a pond of any size would greatly benefit both insects and birds respectively.

Hope this helps,

Chris
 
29 / 07 / 2019

A very early morning garden watch today as having to go to appointments 4am start and what a morning

100+ Large gulls over mainly LBBG
50+ BHG
20+ Canada goose
A young Buzzard calling over the back of the tree's
not so many young birds around these days but have had a green woodpecker and jay in the garden this morning.
A male Pheasant now starting to come back in the bottom of the garden.
Yesterday saw my first wild rabbit in the garden, Female sparrowhawk sitting on my fence watching the feeders.

Hopefully should have a few butterflies to watch later.
 
30 / 07 / 2019 -

Chiffchaff in garden tree, Green woodpecker on ground, Swifts over, 3 very young Blue tits possible second breeding.
 
31 / 07 / 2019 -

Jackdaw numbers flying around have now decreased down to just the odd few not like the numbers in June & early July.
I have a new family of adults and Juvenile Blue Tits 2 adults 2 youngsters visiting the feeders.
The coal tits seem to be sticking around as at one time this morning I had 5 Coal tits in the garden at one time.
I know I may not have any MEGA birds but only the common birds everyone can see but thought I would start this thread as in years to come you never know there may not be many of these common garden birds around and other species may well have taken there places.

I will be doing an OWL listening session tonight from 23.00 to 01.00 hoping to hear both male and female tawny owls.
 
06 / 08 / 2019

Sorry about the delay in updating the Owl listening night but only Tawny Owls around at the moment 2 males and 1 female heard calling will be doing another Owl night shortly.

On the feeders this week not to much to report other than a second or late breeding of House sparrows around this week not many young now left around SWIFTS still doing well numbers starting to dwindle down to around 15 these days.
Large gulls now starting to grow in numbers they appear to be heading to roost from around 7pm to 10pm nightly mainly LBBG but have had a couple of large gulls presumed GBBG
 
09/ 08 / 2019 -

A good garden watch today with a large flock of House Sparrow's returning many times during the day.
A female Sparrowhawk visited the garden 3 times today but she didn't take anything on any of the visits.

Species list for today -

Tawny owl, Blackbird, Wren, Chaffinch, Blue tit, Great tit, Dunnock, Robin, Great spotted woodpecker, LBBG, Black headed gull, Greenfinch, Long tailed tit, Carrion crow, Magpie, Wood pigeon, Feral pigeon, Pheasant, Jay, Blackcap, Swift, Starling, Song thrush, Collared dove, Sparrowhawk, Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Coal tit, Green woodpecker, Goldfinch, Grey heron, Bullfinch, Swallow, Mallard, Jackdaw, Canada goose & Mistle thrush.
 
Last edited:
14 / 08 / 2019 21.45pm

2 Tawny owls currently calling from the tree's at the bottom of the garden.

Earlier highlights -

Sparrowhawk, Coal tits, Large flock House Sparrows, 3 Jays, Nuthatch, 2 Chiffchaff, Grey heron over & Pheasant
 
15 / 08 / 2019 -

6.30am start just for a quick half an hour Tawny Owl last heard calling around 6.45am, Male Sparrowhawk over, Pied wagtail over, 2 Mute swans over.

Number of garden birds now seem to be decreasing as the young disperse
 
25 / 08 / 2019 -

Coal tit's up to 4 in garden at same time, large bird of prey over high wasn't a Buzzard as it had a long tail but couldn't make out the colouring of the bird due to the light.
2 Yellowhammer under the feeders first for a few days a lack of Finches these days with hardly any Greenfinch and just a few goldfinch but Bullfinches have increased in numbers.
Grey heron doing the rounds and we now have a small flock of LBBG's patrolling the street first thing in a morning (6am- 6.30am)
 
27 /08 / 2019 -

Pair of Tawny Owls calling in the dark of a cluster of tree's at the bottom of my garden.

Highlight of the day a Pair of Tufted ducks over this morning.
 
30 / 08 / 2019

TAWNY OWLS calling early morning from around 00.30am at least 2 possibly 3 but still 2 calling around 5am this morning

On my feeders this morning a Chiffchaff on the bird table, Coal tits at least 4, Green woodpecker on lawn, Jay, GS Woodpecker, Goldcrest in trees at bottom of garden.
 
01 / 09 / 2019 -

5 Buzzards over at the same time today, 7 Swifts did wonder if they had gone, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, first Greenfinch for a few days, 16 Canada goose over 06.15am, LBBG & BHG in large flocks before 06.30am, ALBINO HOUSE SPARROW still around first sightings for a few months.
 
03 / 09 / 2019 -

Swallow x1 over latest record for me in the garden. Nuthatch back on feeders, hardly any gulls around this morning just a couple of LBBG's
 
04 / 09 / 2019 -

Not too much around today except a juvenile Buzzard hanging around the tree's at the bottom of the garden.
3 small stout gulls over early unknown species looking to see if anyone reports any small gulls.
they had greyish upper body and white under body with light grey wings and black ends to them any idea's please?
 
09/09/2019 -

Highlights in the rain this morning -
Chiffchaff, Jay, Green woodpecker, Pheasant, Greenfinch & Mistle thrush

First Mistle thrush for some time on the ground in my garden.
 
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