Very busy at the bird feeder today! (10 Viewers)

[Marmot]

This spell of bad weather has harrdly shifted for us up north since pre Christmas and snow has been on the ground for almost all that time apart from 2 days when it thawed.
We have had all our usual birds but the new additions we have had are Fieldfare, Redwing [now gone since they cleared the berries], Mistle Trush, Bullfinch, a female Brambling that has been here since Christmas Eve and the strangest one yet was yesterday...a Reed Bunting.

Luckily my friend who owns a bird food supplier came last night with a new sack of 25kg of Sunflower hearts, 75 fat balls and 3 kg of nuts...should keep me going for about another 2 weeks.

 

[Disneynut1973]

It's been snowing here since about 6.30 and it's still going. Tried to go to work but no chance. So back home and cleared off the feeders a little. So far Goldfinch, Collared Doves, Woodpigeon, Dunnocks, Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Robin, House Sparrows, Starling and a Greenfinch.

The snow is covering up the feeders again already!

Here's a pic of the feeders you can just see the Greenfinch!

 

[JeffMoh]

Nice birds, Larry. Our birds look pretty cold here and so I can't imagine how cold your birds feel up there.

My year list just jumped to 51 when several people pointed out the Northern Harrier shown in my blog was actually a White-tailed Hawk. Oops! Sorry about that.

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

 

[captaincarot]

we've been a walk to tesco's in stead of trying to find the car an faffing about. it's only about 1/4 of a mile away so no hardship. an on the way we got a local patch first.

here's a pic of the graden this morning

bornwild feedeing a new friend

and our local patch first

 

[Disneynut1973]

Quick update - just had a record 4 Greenfinch on the feeders. Plus a Great Tit and a Wren in the bushes. Still snowing too!

Nice pics CC, the snow is great when you don't have to go far!

 

[Bananafishbones]

Wow!! so much going on in the gardens, this weather is going to spring a suprise sooner or later. I will attempt to catch up with all the topics later on, just caught a glimpse of a few topics...bums in the air and frozen geese..Lol

Just incredibly busy here, back off to watch it all going on, MEGA snowfall too

Species 31 .... Male Bullfinch

Quick question when the female arrives does that become 31b with the male changing to 31a?? I wonder how the Serious tickers record male and female, it could be 6 months aprt from seeing a male and a female?? Just a thought

Catch you later

 

[Bananafishbones]

One by one...here goes.

Karpman, stunning pics, simpliciy is sometimes the key, as CB states very atmospheric although pic 4 is the best in my eyes

Bornwild / CC, brave girl feeding the Canadas, I once got a nasty suprise when it thought it had caught 4 fish and a thumb.... PS whatch it out there its slippy!!oops

Michael: you have a good number of species upto now :t:

Pam: Great stuff when you know you have a record count, sometimes just as good as a new visitor... like you Snow is still falling here very heavy too.

Marmot: Garden mega Reed Bunting, I know how you feel

Larry: What an array of birds, however the Squaw Creek evokes all sorts of John Wayne stuff, just love that place name. Sounds a bit better that my local Teggs Nose :-O

Seagull: I cant imagine no birds :eek!: I would be somewhat depressed, It wont last thats for sure!! do you have a Sarrowhawk hidden in the back of the garden?

and Jeff, Its a good job you wernt relying on me to ID your Northern Harrier, stunning bird nonetheless mate.

No Fieldfare this evening but loads of Redwings, Chaffinch (desperatly scouring for a Brambling again), Goldfinch, Greenfinch, but only 1 Redpoll.

Funny sight 1
Black headed gull on lawn trying desperatly to get a piece of Fruit loaf in its beak, fruit loaf a little too big, juggle juggle. Jackdaw sidles up close watches, gets a bit closer, BHG juggles some more.... Jackdaw calmly steals fruit bread without a word, calm as you like...

Funny sight 2
Very large Carrion crow swoops down for Fruit loaf, picks up and makes off with prize assett, < now go back to funny sight 1>... Miffed BHGull now takes off after very large Carrion crow... ensuing fight in mid air both drop the bread and Starling on the ground win.

Patience my dear sir, patience

Really pleased with the Male Bullfinch today, takes me to 31 species this year in the Garden

 

[Marmot]

Mentioning funny sights there was an adult male House Sparrow having a snow bath on the ground this afternoon......he probably does the Boxing day dips in the North Sea as well....must want the reputation as a hard man.

 

[karpman]

Awesome this thread gets better or as good should i say with age!

Just in from work snowing like hell here too got some more pics if they have turned out ok not looked yet!
Seems ya all having fab times and getting the birds too! As for bornwild having a tumble i had a little chuckle hehe.

karpman

 

[karpman]

Right guys,

Highlights from my garden to included all the usual + more of the same and the long tailed tits were back!
They seemed to like my home made fat balls i put out last night fazing the shop ones i was given out note the starling picture.

Good to see all the birds people are getting away from home too smashing photos for sure!

karpman

 

[JeffMoh]

All you people in snowy climes are doing well. Bit slower down here. Our yardbirds might pick up soon, though, as Thursday night is forecast to hit 19F/-6C.

Two more new birds on my way into work: American Crow and Lesser Scaup.

It's odd how bird distribution even of resident species changes for no apparent reason. Until last year, we always had Red-bellied Woodpeckers in our front yard and Carolina Wrens at the college. (By "always" I mean virtually every single day.) They were probably two of my first 10 birds last January. This year I'm up to 53 species and haven't seen either bird. Very strange.

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

 

[Cheshire Birder]

we have about a foot of snow out there now.

bornwild has just fallen off the steps up to the back garden falling about 4 feet and landing on her face in the snow with her bum sticking up in the air.
fortunately she's not badly hurt so it's now funny.

there's a mass of birdlife out in our winter wonderland will give a few updates later.

Glad to hear she's ok. You got it pretty bad up there. We had 6-8 inches today.

Just incredibly busy here, back off to watch it all going on, MEGA snowfall too

Species 31 .... Male Bullfinch

Quick question when the female arrives does that become 31b with the male changing to 31a?? I wonder how the Serious tickers record male and female, it could be 6 months aprt from seeing a male and a female?? Just a thought

Catch you later

Congrats on 31 Bfb. And stop trying to stretch your garden list!! :-O

CB

 

[Bananafishbones]

Glad to hear she's ok. You got it pretty bad up there. We had 6-8 inches today.



Congrats on 31 Bfb. And stop trying to stretch your garden list!! :-O

CB

Lol... your getting to know me too well CB :t:

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Lol... your getting to know me too well CB :t:

:-O:-O

CB

 

[michael23]

Nothing new in the garden, but did add lapwing onto my list of vistors and flyovers today, so 30 now. I am very surprised i have not seen the bullfinches for a while, they are certainly overdue.

Just had all the usuals in good numbers again. But even in this harsh cold and lovely snow and ice, they are not touching much of the fat balls or suet blocks.?

May have 3 moorhens visiting now, i was almost convinced today when a 2nd bird came in and the other had a little argument with it, this has not happened before when 2 have been in together, they had a mixed diet today of brussel sprouts and meal worms, thats each day of the new yr they made an appearence so they must be happy.

Bunged out some raisins too, i had about 6 blackbirds and 2 song thrushes eating those up, hoping to entice the odd redwing and fieldfare down, but no look so far, although i must admit to thinking that fieldfare numbers are down, i have seen a greater percentage of redwings, say 90% and 10% for fieldfares flying over.

 

[karpman]

Hey guys,
Your lists are sure shooting up! i'm counting year lists at the mo but added a new specie to the garden lifer lol
Gonna check ya blog later jeff ain't been over for a while 31 bfb and 30 michael guessing im around 15ish with is still awesome

karpman

 

[Mary]

Help!....we all need to win the lottery to pay for all this bird grub!! I'm already halfway through a £26 sack of suet pellets I got last week Will Mr Brown give us hard weather bird food payments?!
2 song thrushes returned to front garden after long absence, so did a female bullfinch... but the seed feeder is in the back perhaps she'll come back.
But it just shows how hungry they must be to be searching out food where they perhaps wouldn't normally go.
Keep up the good work, eveyone, you're much appreciated!

 

[hectorzaza]

My garden list is up to 23 a first time ever for the garden today three Lapwings flying over,plenty of birds on feeders had 3 Dunnocks today which is unusual normaly most we get is two.going to get some cheap apples tomorrow and stick them onto the branches of our rowan tree the berries went along time ago.this seems to work for a lot of you so thought I"d give it ago

 

[karpman]

Help!....we all need to win the lottery to pay for all this bird grub!! I'm already halfway through a £26 sack of suet pellets I got last week Will Mr Brown give us hard weather bird food payments?!
2 song thrushes returned to front garden after long absence, so did a female bullfinch... but the seed feeder is in the back perhaps she'll come back.
But it just shows how hungry they must be to be searching out food where they perhaps wouldn't normally go.
Keep up the good work, eveyone, you're much appreciated!

Lol no what ya mean there eating nearly 1 kilo a day of seed i rekon at the minute or at least it seems like it!:-O:-O

Still rolling from the Mistle Thrush that decided to feed on my lawn today no photos i left him to it, I did snap my greedy Fieldfare who is going through apples like no tomorrow:eek!:

I turned over some snow and soil before work and the Blackbirds seemed to appreciate it for sure.

Heres the best of today.

cheers
karpster

 

[captaincarot]

grat pics about as usual.

our garden list has expanded once more with the addition of 2 canada geese flying over