first winter blackcap (5 Viewers)

[Sue Wright]

Hi Tintageu,

It works brilliantly and they love them. By the way, that 3 foot stake needs to be sort of window level height and what's best for you. I wasn't thinking when writing, but 3' isn't quite long/high enough....ah well, we females!o

Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year!

Sue

 

[The Raptor]

This female Blackcap (pictured), has been visiting for a few day's now & as the photo shows she loves the fat balls. No sighting of the two males that visited recently. I have seen & heard a fair few Blackcaps, while out delivering mail (xmas cards phew!) on my walk, seems to be plenty about. Merry Christmas all.

ROD.

 

[Tintageu]

Thanks Sue

It works brilliantly and they love them. By the way, that 3 foot stake needs to be sort of window level height and what's best for you.

I can fix something high in the tree. I have a perfect view of it just a few feet from the kitchen window

I wasn't thinking when writing, but 3' isn't quite long/high enough....ah well, we females!

I write as I think, and I prefer to read writing done before thinking; it makes things so much more interesting to read, and guards against a tendency to perfectionism

Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year!

I sincerely appreciate your warm wishes, but feel I should say that it’s been many a long year since I celebrated Christmas ;-)

I opted out of all kinds of calendar rituals (including birthdays, weddings and funerals) a long time ago, and I’m a lot happier for it.

Now I find something to celebrate in every day, and give presents to friends as the feeling takes me throughout the year. And of all the many things that give me a frisson in life, the natural world is the most generous with its gifts

But my friends celebrate Christmas, so I’ll wish you the same as I wish them – that over the holiday period you have lots of time to do things just for yourself………for myself, I’m a female martyr no longer, and am spending today in glorious solitude with a rich choice of wonderful and creative things to do (including time to watch the birds ;-). It’s been a dream to have time to alone for so long, and at last it’s real <g>

Cheers, and thanks again

Tintageu

 

[Mary]

Wishing everyone peace and contentment of their choice.

It certainly looks as though the blackcaps like a wide selection of grub. I like the 'apple on a stick' idea, Sue, as it would make them easy to see from a distance to attract the bird in the first place. (Crab apples even better-Golden Delicious getting more expensive and the blackbirds will get through 4 a day if I let them!)

AlanR-did your blackcap stay around?

Tintageu- I think your idea of using the rhythm of birdsong would be a good aid. The wren's repetition of notes is quite diagnostic, but I reckon there are others, like willow warbler and common whitethroat, that have a distinct rhythm as well as pitch. Hope you managed to stick the sultanas on the tree- and the blackcap found them!

Must go turn the oven on.......!

 

[Tintageu]

Wishing everyone peace and contentment of their choice.

Absolutely

Tintageu- I think your idea of using the rhythm of birdsong would be a good aid. The wren's repetition of notes is quite diagnostic, but I reckon there are others, like willow warbler and common whitethroat, that have a distinct rhythm as well as pitch.

I'll definitely try that, and making up the notation should be a lot of fun. I can't use conventional percussion notation because I never had the patience to learn to read music, which is why I took up an aural instrument like the bodhrán ;-)

Hope you managed to stick the sultanas on the tree- and the blackcap found them!

I couldn't find the sultanas, and today it's pouring with rain. But now I have them, and will dash out when things dry up a bit. The blackcap is very active and still looks in great condition, so I don't feel too guilty ;-)

Must go turn the oven on.......!

My kitchen is full of carpentry tools, wood chips and sawdust, as I've spent all morning fitting a new crossbar to my bodhrán, and making a couple of tippers from found blackthorn branches. I've quite forgotten to eat, so thank you for reminding me

Have a lovely feast,

Tintageu

 

[Atricapilla]

I have found it so strange since moving to Turkey,that birds will not come and eat anything from bird feeders like the usual Fatballs,peanuts etc;they will only feed off the Lantana,Buddleia,Cotoneaster bushes in the garden and of course the ivy berries;but I really do miss the Great tits /Robins hanging off the feeders closer to the house.
I suppose its because there is so much natural food around throughout the winter that they are just not interested, I wondered if anyone else has experienced this!!

 

[Tintageu]

The main 'artificial' food our blackcap likes at the moment is sultanas.

Mary, after three days the male blackcap took the impaled sultanas!

I did get some funny looks from the neighbours though, as I put them out. Picking berries is one thing, but trying to put some back on the bushes is another thing entirely ;-)

Now I'm trying to identify a newcomer to the bird table - a tiny thing that flits about endlessly. Although I've looked at it through bins and noted its physical characteristics, I can't seem to work out what it is, and I won't be able to afford one of those fancy cameras for a couple of years so I can't post a photo of it.

I can't find it in my books, but am still searching on the net for a match. I won't give up

I hope everyone's recovered from the festive season

 

[Mary]

Mary, after three days the male blackcap took the impaled sultanas!

I did get some funny looks from the neighbours though, as I put them out. Picking berries is one thing, but trying to put some back on the bushes is another thing entirely ;-)

Now I'm trying to identify a newcomer to the bird table - a tiny thing that flits about endlessly. Although I've looked at it through bins and noted its physical characteristics, I can't seem to work out what it is, and I won't be able to afford one of those fancy cameras for a couple of years so I can't post a photo of it.

I can't find it in my books, but am still searching on the net for a match. I won't give up

I hope everyone's recovered from the festive season

Pleased to hear your sultanas are appreciated! Tell the neighbours they weren't quite ripe, so you're putting them back for a few more weeks:-O

Can you descibe the little bird? Can you see if it takes any food? The smallest ones that spring to mind are wren and goldcrest- they don't stand still very often!

It will be interesting to see if your blackcap leaves in the spring earlier than the more northern ones.

 

[iveljay]

Our solitary male is now aggresively defending 5 seed feeders against all comers it is still eating the smaller seed in a high energy mix but trys to prevent anything getting to peanuts etc. We shall be trying dried fruit to lure it away before the blue tits give it permanent brain damage from constant attacks!

It is no match for the robin or sparrows who just fling it off the feeders they are going to use.

I went to the hassle of photographing the blackcap thinking it was a one off visit the first day - but have missed one or two birds for which I actually needed a positive ID. Having the camera is only part of the battle!

J

 

[Tintageu]

Pleased to hear your sultanas are appreciated! Tell the neighbours they weren't quite ripe, so you're putting them back for a few more weeks:-O

I love that And I would tell them if I could. But I live on the roughest council estate on our island, and the unwritten rule is 'keep yourself to yourself' which has worked to keep me on good terms with all of them for 15 years, though they definitely think I'm more than a little odd, especially with the home education bit ;-)

When I decided to plant out a wildlife garden a couple of years ago, it was not understood, either by the neighbours, or the Council - they want everyone to aspire to the 'beautiful garden competition' <g> But I held my ground, and now have a glorious tangle of untamed English hedgerow trees and very unlawnlike grass, and the birds flock to it The coming demolition is going to break my heart.

Can you descibe the little bird? Can you see if it takes any food? The smallest ones that spring to mind are wren and goldcrest- they don't stand still very often!

Is it OK to do that on the Blackcap thread? I'm new here and have yet to learn list etiquette. If so, I can post a description tomorrow. I'm an unnaturally early riser, so have to try to get to bed at 6 pm every night

It's not a wren, and is probably something in winter clothing. I don't have a book that covers that yet.

It will be interesting to see if your blackcap leaves in the spring earlier than the more northern ones.

I'll make a note of it's time of departure. I see it every day, so it won't be hard to notice its absence.

 

[Tintageu]

Our solitary male is now aggresively defending 5 seed feeders against all comers it is still eating the smaller seed in a high energy mix but trys to prevent anything getting to peanuts etc. We shall be trying dried fruit to lure it away before the blue tits give it permanent brain damage from constant attacks!

It is no match for the robin or sparrows who just fling it off the feeders they are going to use.

I love your descriptions

I don't know what's up with our Guernsey birds. The ones in my garden all get along brilliantly. I'm wondering if it's because, with our milder climate, they aren't hungry enough to quarrel over the food supply?

 

[Atricapilla]

Here's one of twelve Blackcaps in my the garden filling up on Ivy berries.

 

[Tintageu]

Here's one of twelve Blackcaps in my the garden filling up on Ivy berries.

That's *beautiful*. Better than any painting

(Made my nightcap even more enjoyable, seeing that

 

[Atricapilla]

Thanks Tint,the picture is of the" stroppy"female Black cap who even sorts out the garden Robin with ease on a regular basis.

 

[Fast_falkon]

I've never had blackcaps in my garden

 

[Tintageu]

I've never had blackcaps in my garden

Don't worry. I would have said the same until a couple of weeks ago. I didn't even know what it was and got very excited when I looked it up ;-)

I'm such a novice that I have no idea what the distribution of blackcaps is worldwide. Do you have them in Holland normally?

 

[whomes]

Amazingly (to me anyway) I've just had my very first Blackcap visitor to my garden table. It (a male) fed on the seed on the table for a couple of minutes. On Christmas day a group of Long Tailed Tits arrived, although they haven't visited since.

Two new visitors to my garden within a week seems unusual, as it's usually the mixture of Robins, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Blackbirds, Doves, Dunnocks and House Sparrows.

 

[Tintageu]

Can you descibe the little bird? Can you see if it takes any food? The smallest ones that spring to mind are wren and goldcrest- they don't stand still very often!

Hello Mary,

I’m back with the description of the bird in my garden, as requested. Please let me know if I should re-post elsewhere.

I tried to find most of the right terms, but I’ve probably got the order wrong ;-)

Rounded body and chunky little head. Larger than wren, smaller than a robin, Constantly moving and very jerky. Shy.

Triangle of white at throat.

Legs dark grey.

Beak slender, longish for size and dark.

Forehead, crown, nape and part of neck, extending to just under the eyes, plus mantle, rump, upper tail covert and most of folded wings are the same mid-taupe colour with just a few very dark feathers peeking under the edges of the wings.

Breast, belly and flanks are just off-white and slightly yellowish.

Hardly any tail which stops just under ends of primaries, but doesn’t look as if he’s lost any. Wispy white tail feathers, looks as if he might be growing some.

Comes to table and feeders. Loves the shredded lard most of all, and will also try a bit of cheese. Apart from that, only the cut oranges in the feeder tempt him

Like you, I’m thinking he’s maybe a juvenile goldcrest or firecrest, or something similar, but I have no idea if that’s right. but I’ll leave it to others to decide that. It’s a fabulous little bird. I love watching him

I longed to take a shot of him this morning, to save all this writing, but it will be two years before I can afford to replace my point-and-shoot for a decent camera, and I don’t want to have to make a list like this every time I can’t identify something <g> Can you recommend any good books showing juveniles, genders and winter plumage of British birds? I’m willing to pay a good sum to get something decent

Hope everyone's having a lovely relaxed Sunday. My Garden is alive with birds today

 

[Tintageu]

....forgot to add faint pale eyestripes coming to a v-shape when bird is looking straight at me ;-)

 

[Atricapilla]

'Can you recommend any good books showing juveniles, genders and winter plumage of British birds? I’m willing to pay a good sum to get something decent'
Hi T
I think the Collins Bird guide is probably the best buy,comes in hardback as well as Paperback,and two sizes,I have the small paperback for outdoors and the large hardback copy for the house.
I am still trying workout the ID of your little bird!!!!