Atricapilla
Still Wandering
Yes, we have 10 trees in the lane outside the house,we also have some peppercorns drying out in the kitchen at the moment,before the birds eat them all !!!!!
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first winter blackcap (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Mary
- Start date
Yes, we have 10 trees in the lane outside the house,we also have some peppercorns drying out in the kitchen at the moment,before the birds eat them all !!!!!
Gomphus
Well-known member
Nice shot Bob! Interesting diet these birds have, in different places!
Interesting to hear of them as far north as Edinburgh too....
Odd really, my male bird in the UK Midlands vanished after two days...Today a female turned up in the same Mahonia!
Oh and yes the Bramblings are in the garden...now we have 30+ buzzing around the feeders, definately the most I have recorded in the garden in over 30 years! Seems to have been a brilliant year for them.
Attached ashot of the male Blackcap taken in poor light and one of the Bramblings!!
All the best
Interesting to hear of them as far north as Edinburgh too....
Odd really, my male bird in the UK Midlands vanished after two days...Today a female turned up in the same Mahonia!
Oh and yes the Bramblings are in the garden...now we have 30+ buzzing around the feeders, definately the most I have recorded in the garden in over 30 years! Seems to have been a brilliant year for them.
Attached ashot of the male Blackcap taken in poor light and one of the Bramblings!!
All the best
Attachments
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Mary
Well-known member
That's brilliant! Do the Brambling take only sunflower, or other feed as well? Could you put a sign up pointing to South Warks, please?:-O
Atricapilla
Still Wandering
Gomphus
Well-known member
Hiya,
Not seen the female Blackcap today.....
The Bramblings are just seeming to feed on the Black Sunflower seed, not really going for anything else, I'm scattering loads on the ground at the moment....
Having said this they seem to have disappeared today:-C
o
Maybe they saw the signs to Warks and Turkeyo
Cheers
Not seen the female Blackcap today.....
The Bramblings are just seeming to feed on the Black Sunflower seed, not really going for anything else, I'm scattering loads on the ground at the moment....
Having said this they seem to have disappeared today:-C
o
Maybe they saw the signs to Warks and TurkeyoCheers
RecoveringScot
Well-known member
I get them just about every winter in Aberdeen, sometimes three or four in a day, but more usually ones or twos.
Cheers,
Mary
Well-known member
There have been Brambling reported only 6-7 miles away, so I keep hoping. Did have a very brief visit 2 years ago, but would like a much better view! Yours should arrive tomorrow, Gomphus ( if they haven't all gone to Turkey! Otherwise I'll have to move to Edinburgh!
The blackcaps have just about finished the Mahonia flowers, so have started on the winter honeysuckle (Lonicera Purpusii, I think). Certainly a flower with lovely scent. And a female has returned to argue with the front garden male.
The blackcaps have just about finished the Mahonia flowers, so have started on the winter honeysuckle (Lonicera Purpusii, I think). Certainly a flower with lovely scent. And a female has returned to argue with the front garden male.
Tanny
Well-known member
The Blackcaps Return
Another winter has come around and again the Blackcaps have started to visit the feeding station more frequently. Both male and female have been feeding on the Pyracanther Berries; I’ve not seen them feed on berries before so am finding it very interesting to observe this unusual consumption. With the abundance of Pyracanthers in almost everyone’s gardens then this must be another adaption for these summer visitors to survive the winter in Britain. Today the male stayed around on and off all day and he fed also on the feeder that contained crushed peanuts. The female, or the Redcap, that’s what I call her, only paid a brief visit to the suet balls. In the past the females were always the dominant ones and would chase any male away so as the winter progresses I expect this will happen again. April the second was the last sighting I had of a pair in the garden and the seventh of November was when the female returned, followed by the male on the eighth.
I will post pictorial evidence of these birds eating the berries but I must apologize for the poor picture of the male bird, the light was so dark today
Another winter has come around and again the Blackcaps have started to visit the feeding station more frequently. Both male and female have been feeding on the Pyracanther Berries; I’ve not seen them feed on berries before so am finding it very interesting to observe this unusual consumption. With the abundance of Pyracanthers in almost everyone’s gardens then this must be another adaption for these summer visitors to survive the winter in Britain. Today the male stayed around on and off all day and he fed also on the feeder that contained crushed peanuts. The female, or the Redcap, that’s what I call her, only paid a brief visit to the suet balls. In the past the females were always the dominant ones and would chase any male away so as the winter progresses I expect this will happen again. April the second was the last sighting I had of a pair in the garden and the seventh of November was when the female returned, followed by the male on the eighth.
I will post pictorial evidence of these birds eating the berries but I must apologize for the poor picture of the male bird, the light was so dark today
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Tanny
Well-known member
A moment ago as I was sitting at the window sort of recuperating from yesterdays overindulgence, I spotted the Blackcap sitting in the Azalia, looking down at the Bird Bath that's just in front of the window, about two and a half yards away. I grabbed my camera and focused on the bath. The bird then flew down and I was able to take a good sequence of it drinking and taking a dip in the water.
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Bish
Well-known member
Wintering Blackcaps
I had my first Blackcap arrive in the garden on the 16-12-08 & this started feeding on the Mahonia flowers, on 25-12-08 I counted 2 & today there was 3, all males, these have been feeding on Apples, Mahonia flowers, Currants & Honeysuckle berries, This is the first time I have had them in the garden & understand these birds wintering in Britain are all from continental europe.
Regards Bish :t:
I had my first Blackcap arrive in the garden on the 16-12-08 & this started feeding on the Mahonia flowers, on 25-12-08 I counted 2 & today there was 3, all males, these have been feeding on Apples, Mahonia flowers, Currants & Honeysuckle berries, This is the first time I have had them in the garden & understand these birds wintering in Britain are all from continental europe.
Regards Bish :t:
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Robert Dickinson
New member
A male Blackcap has been present in our garden since 6th December. It is feeding on the birdtable and also on apples which I have cut in half and stuck in a Rowan Tree.
It is very territorial and is seeing off Chaffinches and Goldfinches which it does not allow on the birdtable. Has anyone else noted this behaviour towards other species?
There is also a lovely Grey Wagtail which is visiting our frozen pond.
It is very territorial and is seeing off Chaffinches and Goldfinches which it does not allow on the birdtable. Has anyone else noted this behaviour towards other species?
There is also a lovely Grey Wagtail which is visiting our frozen pond.
sheilacheetah
New member
Hi. I am new to posting on this forum, but wanted to say that we (in Glasgow, Scotland) have a male blackcap visiting the garden at the moment, and has been for a week or so. Is this unusual so far north? We get them in the summer usually, but i thought they only visited England in the winter?
My first this winter was a male on 27 October. During December I had a minimum of four -at least two males and two females - with one of the females commanding the hanging fat cake I had put up. From 17 Dec one of the males took over possession of the cake and I have not seen the females since, though the second male still tries to muscle in daily, mostly with little success.
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Mary
Well-known member
Hello Robert and Sheila, glad you found us! It's a great site!
It's good you've also got blackcaps.
I had a look at the BirdTrack maps for winter blackcap in Scotland,Sheila, and there are some reported, though not as many as in England. What is it feeding on in your garden? Do you put any food out?
It's good you've also got blackcaps.
I had a look at the BirdTrack maps for winter blackcap in Scotland,Sheila, and there are some reported, though not as many as in England. What is it feeding on in your garden? Do you put any food out?
Howard King
Well-known member
(Home on leave) Here in Tenby Pembs, I had my first Blackcap today a female, it fed on an apple I had pegged through with a branch.
sheilacheetah
New member
Hi Mary. Thanks for your reply- i'll go check out the Birdtrack maps now. The blackcap in my garden has mainly been feeding on the ground, on the seed that has dropped from the feeders (sunflower seeds). It certainly seems a feisty wee fellow!
