Very busy at the bird feeder today! (19 Viewers)

Bananafishbones · Apr 6, 2009

Hi Paddy, Kal, Jeff... welcome to our garden world of birds

Keep up the reports!!

kestrels & Cardinals in the garden, really cool!!

Kal get some Nyger seed out and watch the Finch and Siskins descend!! Well Hopefully

Dave

Moraybirdlover · Apr 6, 2009

Spent some time watching the feeders yesterday. Not seeing the Coal T's much just now but 4 Greenfinches, 5 Goldfinches, 2 Robins, 2 Dunnock,2 Blackbirds (1m 1f), 2 Siskins both male and 2 Great T'sin the time I was watching.
Very sad later in the day when one of the Goldfinches crashed into the window and died.:-C.I didn't see if there was a Sparrowhawk chasing it, but we have had a small bird of prey swooping in over the last few weeks but not long enough for a positive ID other than it was small with brown wings.

Disneynut1973 · Apr 7, 2009

Oh that's not good about the Goldfinch, do you have anything on your windows to distract them? You can get things to stick on I think though if it was being chased I don't suppose it would have mattered.

Kal, we have a lot of Starlings at the moment too, they love the suet pellets and the fat balls, they fight an awful lot and are so noisy you always know when they are around!

Is is just me or do you always covet what everyone else sees in there garden! I would love to have Siskins or Bramblings, even a Bullfinch or two. Then I look at Jeff's list and wish I lived in the US, to have Cardinals, Woodpeckers or Blue Jays in my garden would be great. :t: I love to read what everyone else sees.

Pam

JeffMoh · Apr 7, 2009

Yesterday

Yesterday brought a Tufted Titmouse to our feeders. We don't see them often in our neighborhood now, probably because so much woodland had been cleared in our area.

We also had an exciting flyover: Swallow-tailed Kite. It has to be one of the most graceful flyers of all birds.

Jeff

Tree Sparrow · Apr 7, 2009

Moraybirdlover said:
Spent some time watching the feeders yesterday. Not seeing the Coal T's much just now but 4 Greenfinches, 5 Goldfinches, 2 Robins, 2 Dunnock,2 Blackbirds (1m 1f), 2 Siskins both male and 2 Great T'sin the time I was watching.
Very sad later in the day when one of the Goldfinches crashed into the window and died.:-C.I didn't see if there was a Sparrowhawk chasing it, but we have had a small bird of prey swooping in over the last few weeks but not long enough for a positive ID other than it was small with brown wings.

Sorry to hear about the Goldfinch. The way my Chaffinch are chasing each other about at the moment I'm fairly certain that one of those is going to be a casualty soon.

My Coal Tits seem to have mostly disappeared too but the Siskins are returning, two males and a female today.

Do you think the small bop with brown wings could possibly be a female Merlin? I had a few visits last year that I really couldn't tell if it was Sparrowhawk or Merlin. Sparrowhawk is far more likely but it just seemed SO small.

TS

Sy V · Apr 8, 2009

Here are a few from earlier today - hope you approve.

Bananafishbones · Apr 8, 2009

Sad news moray regarding the Goldfinch, I had to pick up two Pied Wagtails last week at work that had flown into a window, probably a pair, a real shame, I always think this is the worst kind ogf death as it serves no purpose at all, at leat when a Sparrowhawk gets one it keeps the food chain going.... If you know what I mean!!

Have not seen the Coal Tits for ages now, only fleeting glimpses of the Goldcrest too.

Nice pictures Syv

Jeff, I saw a Swallow today, but not a Swallow tailed kite and I agree with Pam, its nice to see what birds everyone else has

Keep it up

Fozzybear · Apr 9, 2009

Sad to hear about the goldfinch and the pied wagtails. :-C

Had three Collared Doves in the garden when I got home today and two of them were bobbing heads and flapping half-closed wings, either courtship or two males sizing each other up - not sure as I know nowt about dove behaviour and usually have trouble telling male from female too.

The Greenfinches are still visiting, both were in the garden just a few minutes ago along with loads of starlings, sparrows, a blackbird and one of the collared doves trying to get some sleep in a bush.

This morning on the way to work I saw a chiffchaff along the ancient footpath just around the corner from my house - it was singing away really nicely and fluttering around, pecking at the small tip twigs of a tree. Will be listening out in case I get one passing through my garden - that would be cool!

Bananafishbones · Apr 10, 2009

Bit drizzly here at the moment, and also a bit quiet.

Only things to note are 2 Great tits, coming and going and the House Sparrows are franticaly taking the basket linings for the spring clean of their nests, both males and females joining in, right next to the window while i am on the pc.... Good to watch

Dave

Disneynut1973 · Apr 10, 2009

Well it's been quite busy here really today. We've had - 4 Goldfinch (usually there is only 3 looks like they have a new friend!), Collard Dove, 2 Robins, 2 Dunnock, 2 Magpies, 3 Blackbirds, Several Sparrows, 5 Starlings, 2 Blue Tits plus a giant Wood Pigeon which managed to balance on the seed tray on the feeder pole and set off a tidal wave in the water dish when it took off!

Also spotted the rat from next door sneaking down the side of our shed and feeding on the dropped bird seed - really not sure how I feel about that. It's interesting to watch and almost cute, I say almost but it's still a rat!?

Pam

Bananafishbones · Apr 11, 2009

07.45-07.50 (5 minute garden watch)

Whilst waiting for the kettle to boil..........

Blackbird m+f
Starlings 5
Robin
Greenfinch 2
House Sparrows 4
Magpie
Woodpigeon 3
Blue Tit 2
Chaffinch 1m
Wren (could be a regular now :t

One neighbours cat :cat:

Sun coming through now also o

RICHAT · Apr 11, 2009

As of Good Friday, we're still having 10 - 5 redpolls feeding on niger, but siskin numbers are definitely down to single figures. A regular male brambling had not been seen since last weekend, so must have flown north.....or so I thought until he returned yesterday with a mate, looking out of place in a garden overgrown with forget-me-nots. I'm pretty sure he 's the same bird as before as his plumage is distinctly dingier than most males at this time. He also fancied some niger as the rather poor photo below shows. (Excuses like hand-held and poor light will do!).

Bananafishbones · Apr 12, 2009

2 Redpoll flew in yesterday and enjoyed the nyger, they look like mealys to me (but wouldnt put my life on the positive ID), they are back again this morning. Siskins not been for nearly a week now, maybe nest building somewhere.

Again nice and sunny today, hopefully get a few new visitors while we are having this warm spell.

JeffMoh · Apr 12, 2009

Carolina Wrens

Our current crop of 14 in-yard birds moved to 15 yesterday when a pair of Carolina Wrens brought a juvenile to our feeders.

We used to have Carolina Wrens in our yards all the time but I'd seen one only once since Hurricane Ike came through here in September.

Jeff

Bananafishbones · Apr 12, 2009

Year first this evening:
2 Pipistril bats flying around the garden catching insects, these displayed every night last spring and summer, hopefully they will be joined by others soon. They get very close to the house and cover every inch of the garden space.
I wont attempt a pic

Today:
Highest ever count of garden Magpies with a very loud cackling group of 7 this afternoon, quickly followed by a Sparrowhawk flyover. 6 feral pigeon including a very nice light brown coloured one, clumsely scaring everything away from the feeders.

Male & Female Chaffinch, 4 Goldfinch, 4 Greenfinch, 3 Blue tits (another highest year count), 2 mealy Redpoll that stayed for the entire morning.

Robin, Jackdaws, Male & Female Blackbirds, lots of Starling and the 8 or so House Sparrows.

Cats passing through :cat: and the first show of the year from the Grey Squirrel.

Not bad for a quiet day in!! :t:

Bananafishbones · Apr 13, 2009

Male Sparrowhawk over and circling the area twice this morning before returning for a third time but this time with his partner. Both circled directly above the garden and then moved on. (Female a flyover First)

Now I think the Redpoll is a lesser, I got a better view today.

A pair of House Sparrows mating in the bush next to the house.

2 Canada geese over (a first...I think!! cant remember seeing them flyover before). The brown Pigeon returned as did a single Dunnock.

All usual suspects in and around the garden today, enjoying the warm sunshine.
Dave

Disneynut1973 · Apr 13, 2009

We've had a steady parade of birds the past couple of days despite the neighbours being out and about gardening quite a bit. An hour doesn't seem to go by without the Goldfinch showing up on the feeder.

Yesterday evening as the sun set the birds were queuing up for the seed tray on the feeder - first a Woodpigeon, Collard Dove, Blackbird, Starling, Robin one after the other. Quite entertaining to watch, one would sit on the fence waiting for the other to finish |:d|

Nice to have the bats Dave, I've spotted them flying about in the yard over the road but nothing closer. In our last house we used to get a few flying about, very nice to sit in the garden and watch.

Bit off topic but I did see my first two Swallows on Saturday on a trip to a local garden centre, we'd pulled up at lights and they were sat on a wire, best view i've ever had of them.:t:

Pam

JeffMoh · Apr 13, 2009

Photos

No new yardbirds for the past couple of days. Managed to get some decent photos of Carolina Wren and Chickadees in our yard on Sunday, though.

If you're interested, you can see more photos at: www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

Jeff

Disneynut1973 · Apr 14, 2009

Jeff, you have some beautiful photos on your blog! Aren't the Vultures impressive, not sure if i'd want to get close enough to get such a shot!

Pam

JeffMoh · Apr 14, 2009

Vultures

Thank you, Pam.

The most recent photo on my blog is of a Black Vulture. If you think they're big, you should see our Turkey Vultures!

BTW, I don't get all that close: my camera has a 10X zoom.

Jeff

Very busy at the bird feeder today! (19 Viewers)

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