Very busy at the bird feeder today! (1 Viewer)

[JeffMoh]

Congrats on the Redwings, Dave! From my guide, looks like a nice bird. I didn't even know there was such a bird.

CC wrote: "once again nothing there this morning, the birds seem to be a bit idle round here you hardly ever see them before 2pm"
Very different in our yards. The busy times are pretty much always 8:00-8:30 a.m. and then 12:00-12:30. Doesn't seem to change much even when the clocks change - which is odd.

The few times I've birded in England, I've been amazed by how many birds are up and singing just after dawn. When I go out early here, I rarely see much before 8:30-9:00 a.m. It was the same in California, too. I guess Californians and Texans are generally laid back.

Jeff

 

[Bananafishbones]

Cheers Jeff, I love all the Thrush family, the markings are often very bold and is always good to see them foraging in the leaves.

My garden tends to get quieter around noon to mid afternoon, but always busy first thing in the morning (first light).

In the spring the singing starts at 4am with the Blackbirds....my partner doesnt find this one bit acceptable to her sleeping pattern, often with groans of [email protected]@dy birds and something about ringing of necks :eek!: followed by my half hiden chuckles :-O:-O

 

[JeffMoh]

In the spring the singing starts at 4am with the Blackbirds....my partner doesnt find this one bit acceptable to her sleeping pattern, often with groans of [email protected]@dy birds and something about ringing of necks :eek!: followed by my half hiden chuckles :-O:-O

Last time we stayed in London, over Xmas, the dawn chorus woke us up at about 4:00 a.m., too. Amazing.

Jeff

 

[Cheshire Birder]

This morning had a brief look, nothing unusual today until these came : 3 REDWINGS SAT IN THE TREE OVER THE FEEDERS, :t: :t:

Congrats Bfb!!

The few times I've birded in England, I've been amazed by how many birds are up and singing just after dawn. When I go out early here, I rarely see much before 8:30-9:00 a.m. It was the same in California, too. I guess Californians and Texans are generally laid back.

Jeff

I always thought that you had dawn chorus' as we do in britain. Maybe it's a southern thing being laid back and all. :t:

Last time we stayed in London, over Xmas, the dawn chorus woke us up at about 4:00 a.m., too. Amazing.

Jeff

Surprised you had a dawn chorus that early. It's not usually light till 7.30am during mid winter and the only bird I can think of that might be singing at that time of year is our humble robin (nice pic btw Bfb!!)

CB

 

[Bananafishbones]

thanks CB / Jeff

No garden watch for me tomorrow (Friday), had to change shift back onto earlies, then off to the pub for a mid - late afternoon of drinking....

Will do some more (garden watching, not drinking ) on Saturday and then hopefully an early start on Sunday to Wallasy / New Brighton / Leasowe for high tide at around 08.50am.

<CB you are more than welcome to join me in the car, I am only going to stay until about lunch if you fancy trip to the coast>
PM me if you do

Dave

 

[Hobbes2]

Hi CC /BW its the opposite way round here, lots before 2pm, then not a jot after 2pm as I am at work

This morning had a brief look, nothing unusual today until these came : 3 REDWINGS SAT IN THE TREE OVER THE FEEDERS, :t: :t:
:

Ooo, nice spot. I've still yet to see my first Redwing of the winter. I love your tubby little Robin - great photo. And the pose/movement in your Starling picture is really interesting. I like it a lot.

This is a busy forum. I can hardly keep up with you all, lol.

Regular visitors today
Coal Tit 2
Great Tit 6
Blue Tit 10+
Chaffinch 6
Dunnock 4
Wren 1
Robin 1
Blackbird 5
House Sparrow 4
Collared Dove 4

My wish list.... Brambling, Siskin, Redpoll....and....'in my dreams'....Firecrest, lol.

Hobbes

 

[JeffMoh]

Congrats Bfb!!
I always thought that you had dawn chorus' as we do in britain. Maybe it's a southern thing being laid back and all. :t:
Surprised you had a dawn chorus that early. It's not usually light till 7.30am during mid winter and the only bird I can think of that might be singing at that time of year is our humble robin (nice pic btw Bfb!!)
CB

Actually, there was bird noise all night, maybe because of all the street and other lights, but it got loud enough to keep us awake from about 4:00. Included an owl, too.

Jeff

 

[Mary]

Our visiting male blackcap is providing lovely entertainment. No matter what the weather is doing, he's quietly singing away deep in one of the bushes in the back garden. As long as he doesn't see us approach, we can get quite close and listen to him warbling for ages. Usually, it's after the new year when we start to hear one, so this year he's very early. Mind you, he doesn't seem to have any competition from another blackcap so far, so perhaps his song sends them on their way.

 

[Disneynut1973]

Dave, great to have the Redwings about - it's a bird I always seem to miss!!

Plenty of activity here and and and extra day off today means we have been watching the Magpie and Squirrel battle to see who can get the most peanuts at once! The Blue Tits (usually three together now) have been sneaking in inbetween.

There have been Dunnocks, Starlings, Blackbirds, Sparrows, Collared Doves and the odd Goldfinch. Two Robins approached the garden from different sides yesterday but I think one suddenly realised the other was there and flew off pretty quick.

Just had the one Robin today!

 

[Disneynut1973]

Mary, I've seen a Blackcap once, just after Christmas last year, it hung around in the garden a short while but I haven't seen it since!

 

[TheSeagull]

Finally! After several weeks of nothing the birds returned like buses! As well as my usual House Sparrows there were Starlings, Great Tits, Robins and Blackbirds!

 

[Disneynut1973]

Update - had my first pair of Long Tailed Tits since last winter in the garden earlier. Very nice to see!

 

[JeffMoh]

Glad to hear you're seeing lots in your garden, Pam. Long-tailed Tits are great birds, aren't they? I saw a couple when I was in Barcelona.

Couldn't be more different here. It's 10:00 on a crisp, blue sky day. I've looked out into our yards every 10 minutes or so over the last two hours and haven't seen a single bird. Very odd.

Jeff

 

[Bananafishbones]

Pam /Mary

Blackcap.... well jealous, only seen a male and had to travel 80 miles to Leighton moss (jeff had to travel 3000 to see one,..... I even had a work collegue take me to his fishing spot where he saw 4 and for 2 hours this particular day I saw none!!

Great garden bird that is not mentioned on this thread very often.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Update - had my first pair of Long Tailed Tits since last winter in the garden earlier. Very nice to see!

Pam
You throw in some very sneaky ones now and again

Good for you :t:

 

[captaincarot]

birds everywhere

4 blue tits,
3 great tits,
1 colared dove,
1 wood pigeon,
3 magpies,
9 jackdaws,
1 gold finch,
1 robin.
1 blackbird and 3 squirrels all in the garden at the same time at one point.

plus a couple of song thrush a bit later.

nice tally for a back garden day

 

[Bananafishbones]

Ooo, nice spot. I've still yet to see my first Redwing of the winter. I love your tubby little Robin - great photo. And the pose/movement in your Starling picture is really interesting. I like it a lot.

This is a busy forum. I can hardly keep up with you all, lol.

Regular visitors today
Coal Tit 2
Great Tit 6
Blue Tit 10+
Chaffinch 6
Dunnock 4
Wren 1
Robin 1
Blackbird 5
House Sparrow 4
Collared Dove 4

My wish list.... Brambling, Siskin, Redpoll....and....'in my dreams'....Firecrest, lol.

Hobbes

Cheers Hobbs
I only put the pic of the Starling on as it has been fighting and lost its balance, not in focus at all but like you said just caught it at the right moment.... better than a boring pose!!

 

[karpman]

Update - had my first pair of Long Tailed Tits since last winter in the garden earlier. Very nice to see!

Awesome!
So love long tailed tits there were some at work today today, There a very rare visitor to my garden:-C

Looks like some great lists of birds coming in now hobbes has a most impressive tally for sure!.

I'm getting the usual suspects in my garden at the moment which I'm more than happy with!:t:

Am
2 x Blackbirds
1 x Robin
1 x Dunnock

Pm (break from work)
Starlings Lots and Lots of starlings there eating five large fat balls or so a day, They had pizza chips and baked beans one's today lol.
7 x Greenfinch and numerous chaffinch.

And managed half an hour to rattle off a few shots with the camera.

Note the feeder station at the start full of fatballs this was taken this morning the starling photos around 1pm lol.
cheers:t:

karpman

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Our visiting male blackcap is providing lovely entertainment. No matter what the weather is doing, he's quietly singing away deep in one of the bushes in the back garden. As long as he doesn't see us approach, we can get quite close and listen to him warbling for ages. Usually, it's after the new year when we start to hear one, so this year he's very early. Mind you, he doesn't seem to have any competition from another blackcap so far, so perhaps his song sends them on their way.

That's quite strange. I've never heard of over-wintering Blackcaps singing before. Might be worth posting on the birds & birding thread to see if others have noticed it.

Update - had my first pair of Long Tailed Tits since last winter in the garden earlier. Very nice to see!

Well done. They really are lovely birds. Even just hearing them brightens my cold winter day!!

CB

 

[captaincarot]

this morning

1 blackbird
our now resident in the tree all day colared dove
3 jackdaws.
robin
wren
2 magpies.

this afternoon should be interesting as we're raptor watching at parkgate. hopefully bornwild might have some decent photo's, probably of a barn owl, and stone chat.