My Back Garden (1 Viewer)

[ChrisKten]

I think I'm starting to get the hang of my new Camera, so I thought I'd post a few pictures. They are all through double glazing I'm afraid.

 

[ChrisKten]

I forgot two. In the Sparrow one you can see the female with a feather, all the Sparrows have been nest building the last few days.

 

[ChrisKten]

Well, in my last post I typed, "In the Sparrow one you can see the female with a feather", well you can't, it's a male.|=)| I'm surprised nobody corrected me.

In my garden one of the Crows is determined to kill one of the Magpies. The Magpie has had a close call 3 times in the last 2 days. The Crow is even swooping into the tree to get the Magpie, then waiting in the tree for it to come back.

I only see the Crows this determined when they have young in the nest. At other times the Crows don't seem to care as much, although they will scare the Magpies off.

Starlings and Sparrows are still collecting feathers for nesting material, seems a bit later this year.

I've attached 2 rather poor quality pictures to show they are still collecting feathers.

 

[ChrisKten]

I've just seen a Mistle Thrush, it wasn't quite in my garden, but on the fence at the back of it. It's the closest one has come to my garden, so if I'm lucky it will be back.

I was much to slow to get a picture this time.

 

[ChrisKten]

As I'm sure most of you are aware, Starlings love water. They are always noisily splashing around in my bird baths. They all have their little habits, but when it comes to bathing, they are all pretty much the same.

Well I noticed a Starling that was different to all the rest. It is the only one that holds on with one foot while washing. I'm assuming it's a lack of confidence in the depth of the water, but whatever the reason, it's the only one that does it.

I've attached a picture of it doing it; you can see it's left foot clinging to the upright in the bird bath. The picture is taken through double glazing I'm afraid.

 

[ChrisKten]

I thought I'd post an update on Crow vs Magpie.

Yesterday the Crow was the closest it's come to actually getting a Magpie. I think it got Magpie feathers, but the Magpie escaped. I've never seen a Crow this determined to kill a Magpie, at least not on a daily basis.

The Crow is trying ambush (hiding in the tree) or swooping into the tree after it. Once it's missed the Magpie it flies off until it comes back for food, or to try for the Magpie again.

 

[ChrisKten]

Here's a picture (through double glazing) of an odd looking Starling.

In case you haven't guessed it's just had a wash and isn't quite dry.

 

[Birdy Trish]

Just seen this thread. Really interesting. I take photos through double glazed windows as well. I see rooks, crows and blackbirds together in my garden. I've also seen a rook eating a blackbird. It's interesting how birds eat birds. I suppose that's how nature made them.

I mean you don't get different breeds of dogs or different breeds of cats eating each other do you?

You've seen a crow after a magpie. The magpie in turn can fly along a hedge and take eggs and young out of many nests. Woodpeckers try to get eggs and chicks from nests. Robins can fight each other to the death.

It's not safe and secure in bird wold is it? Really enjoyed reading through this thread.

 

[ChrisKten]

Just seen this thread. Really interesting. I take photos through double glazed windows as well. I see rooks, crows and blackbirds together in my garden. I've also seen a rook eating a blackbird. It's interesting how birds eat birds. I suppose that's how nature made them.

I mean you don't get different breeds of dogs or different breeds of cats eating each other do you?

You've seen a crow after a magpie. The magpie in turn can fly along a hedge and take eggs and young out of many nests. Woodpeckers try to get eggs and chicks from nests. Robins can fight each other to the death.

It's not safe and secure in bird wold is it? Really enjoyed reading through this thread.

Hi Trisha,

No it's not safe in the bird world at all, but it's never dull for the observer. I only watch the wildlife in my garden, but I've learned more in the last few years than in the previous 50 odd. I suppose watching the garden for at least 6 hours a day (long story) has helped.|=)|

As to birds eating birds, I've also wondered about that. I know lions will kill cheetahs, but I don't know if they eat them afterwards.

Maybe it's about our perception of birds; maybe we should compare bird eating bird to mammal eating mammal.

 

[ChrisKten]

I've never seen a Crow splashing about in the Bird Bath, until 10 minutes ago. I've attached some pictures, all pretty poor quality. I didn't want to disturb it so I took the pictures through the window with the worst light at this time of day. So the pictures are more for proof than anything else.|=)|

One thing I found interesting was the Crow's bathing routine was identical to the Magpies. Wash, fly to fence and shake, then back in bath, repeated 4 times.

 

[ChrisKten]

I posted previously about how a Collard Dove kept harassing Magpies, well one Magpie got his revenge.

The Collard Doves (and also the Pigeons, who learnt from the collys) feed from the trays I hang in the trees. What usually happens is the ones feeding are pecked on the head from above, by the ones who want to feed.

So yesterday a Collard Dove was feeding when a Magpie decided it was his turn. Instead of pecking, it grabbed the Collard Dove by the scruff of the neck. I don't think the Magpie intended to kill the Collard Dove at first, but once it got a grip it changed it's mind. So the Collard Dove was dangling from the Magpie's beak, being violently shaken. Somehow the Collard Dove escaped unharmed (I didn't bang on the window, honest|=)|).

Just goes to show how opportunistic Magpies are.

 

[ChrisKten]

I was watching the Collard Doves fighting in the tree today. I decided to take a sequence of 30+ shots continuously to capture the action. When I looked at all the photos I was not so sure that they was fighting, they could have been mating.

There was lots of wing slapping and it seemed like the bird on the bottom was submissive, but also trying to fight off the bird on top.

Anyway, I've posted 5 pictures from the sequence to give an idea of what they were doing.

What do you think, fighting, mating, bullying?

 

[ChrisKten]

Well it appears that either nobody knows what the Collard Doves were doing, or nobody cares.|=)|

I guess I'll have to observe them more and make up my own mind about what is happening.

 

[ChrisKten]

OK, I've watched the sequence many times; I think the Collard Doves are fighting. In fact not just fighting, but the one on top appears to be bullying.

Unless I hear different (not likely as nobody responded), I'll settle for fighting.

 

[s. james]

Difficult to see in them pics! Looks more like mating or attempted mating to me tho but really not sure.

 

[ChrisKten]

Difficult to see in them pics! Looks more like mating or attempted mating to me tho but really not sure.

Thanks for replying.

I have another 30 odd pictures but it's more of the same really. The only action not in the pics I posted is when the bird on top turns gradually full circle. It looks like it's dancing on the back of the bird below, and the bird below doesn't look happy.

The thing is this carried on for some minutes, I only took a couple of seconds of pictures. If it was indeed mating, it's very different from other birds I've seen mating.

Maybe I'll video the whole thing if it happens again.

 

[ChrisKten]

I think the first youngsters I see each year are Starlings or Sparrows, but this year it's a young Wood Pigeon.

I've attached two poor quality pictures of it:

 

[ChrisKten]

I finally got a couple of half-decent images of the Magpies. The first is drying itself after washing in the Bird Bath.

Both pictures are taken through the window as usual. I'm hoping that one day I'll get lucky and take some pictures before the Pigeons make the windows dirty.|=)|

 

[ChrisKten]

Seen the first House Sparrow fledglings this evening. I've only noticed 2 so far, but it was quite late and starting to get dark. They were being fed by the parents in the tree, close to the feeders.

Hopefully I'll see more tomorrow, and maybe get some pictures.

 

[ChrisKten]

I think one of the Wood Pigeons that visits my garden has had enough, I think it's suicidal.

It just chased away a Crow, and not just any Crow either. Charlie (yes, I gave him/her a name to get it to respond to when I throw food out) thinks of my garden as his territory. So he landed on the fence at the same time as the Wood Pigeon. The Wood Pigeon gave him a look as if to say, "Oi, you can't come here". I threw some bread and Charlie flew down, gathered it up, and flew back on the fence. Usually he makes sure the bread is secure, then flies off. The Wood Pigeon flew at him before he had the chance to check the bread was secure in his beak, and Charlie flew off.

I suppose the Wood Pigeon may have been warning the Crow off, as there's a juvenile Wood Pigeon about that's only been out of the nest for a couple of days. Although the juvenile was nowhere to be seen at the time.

Anyway, I expect Charlie won't forget, and will get his own back.|=)|