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

[karpman]

Been quiet here from what i have seen:S
Did get Woody the fat pigeon sitting on seed on me bird table, He eats some occasionally too!

Went out birdwatching after work also, Sucked but beat the hell outa working overtime!

kindest of regards
karpster

 

[Oscillate_Wildly]

Once the Starlings have cleared out the buggy nibbles from the window feeder they keep coming back and turning their beaks up at the sunflower seeds. Looks like they're not as greedy as people make out

 

[earleybird]

Once the Starlings have cleared out the buggy nibbles from the window feeder they keep coming back and turning their beaks up at the sunflower seeds. Looks like they're not as greedy as people make out

Mrs Earleybird crushes our sunflower seeds and that seems to help. I think the seed coatings are too hard for some beaks.:t:

Sparrow orgies :eek!: did someone mention sparrow orgies ? just wait until I see them sparrows tomorrow :C

 

[Dan123]

Seems quiet on this part of the forum latley. Everyone ok??

Steady activity yesterday and this morning. The Greenfinches have become the most frequent visitor it seems. Yesterday whenever I looked out the window, either they were there with other birds or they were on their own lol. Some of the Male birds are getting a little fiesty now too. Have seen the Greenfinches flutter around with each other, the Goldfinches, Chaffinches and Wood Pidegons seem to be getting a little frisky Even a Collard Dove was feeling really bold as to try and intimidate a Wood Pidegeon. Didn't work though 8-P

Blue Tits have been fluttering around also. I'm assuming it's the Male, who is flying around to the fatballs or what he can find and feeding his partner. Similar to what the Robins do. Quite sweet, I sense that these two maybe have been together for a while by how they interact :0

Had some really nice flyovers yesterday. Four Canada Geese flew over. Three together and one bringing up the rear. Had four fly over this morning as well. Plus hundreds of Jackdaws all flew over at Twilight last night. I was in the Garden checking on the how much the feeders had been used that day, heard that familar call and hundreds of them all flew over. Then there was another two flocks following. I assume it's all part of the same group, but it was divided into three. It was wonderfull watching because it was so quiet around and all you can hear is there wings and the occasional call. Lovely sound they make Anyone know how to tempt one in the Garden? o

Hope everyone still enjoys coming on here too 8-P

 

[earleybird]

Hi Dan yes it does seem a bit quiet here lately. I think most garden sighting are down significantly due to nesting. I'm amazed you are still seeing all the finches. I haven't seen a finch in my garden for weeks!

I love seeing all the jackdaws coming back from the fields in the late evenings. All jabbering away to each other. I love the way no matter how close they fly they always still seem to stay in distinct pairs. Ahhh.... they are a very sociable birds arn't they.

My boarding school had a huge rookery in the quad outside my bedroom window and most of my childhood I woke and went to sleep to the sound of their raucous calls . its probably why I love the corvids so much. They are superb flyers and on windy days seem to fly just for the sheer fun of it

I often wondeed how the word goes around in the morning as to where they will all be feeding that day ?

 

[Disneynut1973]

I'm still checking in but it's true the garden is a bit quiet at the moment, hopefully the lull before the juvenile storm! We are getting Collared Doves, Woodpigeons, House Sparrows, Goldfinch, Starlings, Blue Tits and Dunnocks regularly though. A pair of Great Tits has been around and the odd Blackbird.

The Robins have completely disappeared. Just got a new camera yesterday so of course the birds will be few and far between, they'll know I'm dying to try it out on them!

 

[michael23]

pretty much the same here, although yesterday i had about 15 goldfinches land out of the blue in the trees, plus im still seeing long tailed tits, the chiffchaffs have been a little quiet over the last days, so im wondering if they are on eggs? My woodpigeon still appears to be happy on its nest.

 

[Dan123]

Hi Dan yes it does seem a bit quiet here lately. I think most garden sighting are down significantly due to nesting. I'm amazed you are still seeing all the finches. I haven't seen a finch in my garden for weeks!

Yes I have been wandering myself if they are also finding time to build nests. I'm sure they are. I know there is at least 1 female Greenfinch but I didn't see her all day yesterday, which is normal for me as there are more Males and they are far more regular. I don't know which one she is paired up with or how it works lol. Maybe she was building the nest yesterday??

But having said that, this morning is more quieter than yesterday. Goldfinches have been in once that I have seen this morning, just a pair of them and one has just been singing on the Pear Tree a second ago, but a Woodpidgeon made it jump and he flew off lol The pair of Chaffinches have been in a bit more today really. But in general, I agree that nesting is there key activity at the moment.

Yes Pam I think your right about the lull, certainly hope so anyway! I've been reading through old posts on this thread from last summer and sounds as if you all had loads of Juvinilles in the garden and was a succesfull breading year. Hopefuly it will be a good breeding season this year too, especially after the harsh winter we are just over. 2 weeks of sunshine certainly would be helping I'm sure

 

[Disneynut1973]

Dan, last year was great for the young birds, had some lovely sights of the Goldfinch feeding their young plus many others too, really hoping for that again!

 

[JeffMoh]

Hope the new camera works well, Pam.

Quiet in our yards here, though everyone around Houston seems to have lots of exciting arrivals.

The college campus has made up for it. Two new campus birds yesterday: Baltimore Oriole and Yellow-throated Vireo. Also Orchard Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Great-crested Flycatcher and Summer Tanagers. One Western Kingbird has returned so I'm hoping I'll get to watch Kingbird babies like last year.

BTW, the big wading birds (egrets etc.) are starting to build nests now. Saw some fantastic sights at the High Island rookery on Sunday and have now put photos on my blog.

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

 

[karpman]

Mrs Earleybird crushes our sunflower seeds and that seems to help. I think the seed coatings are too hard for some beaks.:t:

Sparrow orgies :eek!: did someone mention sparrow orgies ? just wait until I see them sparrows tomorrow :C

LOL, My sparrows seem most content whilst fighting at the moment which is fine by me!Love the action better than when Brunno almost went a few rounds with tyson lol.

Garden a little busier this evening with a good slop of Goldfinch, Great tits are back and loads and loads of sparrows:-O

Karpman

 

[earleybird]

LOL, My sparrows seem most content whilst fighting at the moment which is fine by me!Love the action better than when Brunno almost went a few rounds with tyson lol.

Garden a little busier this evening with a good slop of Goldfinch, Great tits are back and loads and loads of sparrows:-O

Karpman

Snap ! Strolling down my garden this evening I heard the unmistakable call of a goldfinch . Sure enough up in the hazel tree was my first goldfinch in 4 years :t:
Then a very friendly blackbird with no tail feathers whatsever walked across my feet like I wasn't there. Then as I entered the kitchen and looked back I saw not one but two coaltits and they were passing seeds to one another. It looked just like they were kissing.

Why have I never got my camera to hand when I need it ?!

My sparrows haven't started fighting yet but when they do its horror. I saw 5-6 birds all gang up on a single female once pinning it to a window cill and they nearly killed it

 

[Dan123]

Speaking of Sparrows I have just seen a Male fly over and land on the fence in next doors Garden with a feather in his mouth. Also one has been chirping away in the Tree outside my bedroom window. We don't have Sparrows in the Garden, but they do live in the neighbourhood. They actually live at the bottom of the street and you can often hear them in the background. But we haven't had any in the Garden to feed for about 4 years, so am wandering if they will find our garden again in the Summer when they have all their babies. As that was the time that they found us before. We'll have to wait and see I guess

Woke up at 6.15 this morning and opened the curtains downstairs to see three Collard Doves sitting with a Woodpidgeon on the fence, 3 Greenfinches darting all over the place and occassionaly squabbling with each other, the pair of Great Tits flying on the Sunflower Heart feeder and a Robin looking for some Suet Pellets. It reminded me that there was no more out there so had to go out and top that up!

Since then the Chaffinches have been in, the Goldfinches and even saw that Female Greenie today. Seem to be seeing her every other day. The Great Tits and Blue Tits are exploring different parts of the garden so I am glad they all seem to be finding bits and bobs for their nests. No sign of any new additions to the Garden yet, except that Sparrow Scout. Whether he decides to come back and bring friends I don't know.

 

[earleybird]

Speaking of Sparrows We don't have Sparrows in the Garden, but they do live in the neighbourhood. They actually live at the bottom of the street and you can often hear them in the background. But we haven't had any in the Garden to feed for about 4 years, .

Dan we have loads of sparrows in our garden and over the years I've noticed two main factors which I reckon keeps em coming back . The first is undoubtably the hedge and bushes where they roost and congregate during the day when they are not either squabbling or eating and the other is all the holes we have in the stonework of the walls of our house .
If you have the trees and bushes I reckon you just need to offer them plenty of nice places to nest and they'll be flocking to your garden. :t:

 

[Bananafishbones]

Garden species 2010:
No 42. Swallow...... incredibly this is the first one I have ever seen over the garden since I started keeping records 2 years ago.

Still fairly quiet here with the Coal tits now back and 2 Canadas just gone over also

Dave

 

[Disneynut1973]

Hope the new camera works well, Pam.

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

Thanks Jeff, loving it so far, just posted a few pics on the blog and looking forward to trying it out some more at the weekend.:t:

The garden has been a bit busier today, upto 3 Collared Doves about, 2 Woodpigeons, 3 Goldfinch, 2 Blackbirds, few Starlings and House Sparrows, Blue and Great Tits, 3 Dunnocks, really missing the Robin though, haven't seen it in quite a while.

Dan, the House Sparrows spend a lot of time in the hedge in our garden too, they have a little dust bath at the bottom too!

Dave, nice tick with the Swallow!

 

[Bananafishbones]

Dan we have loads of sparrows in our garden and over the years I've noticed two main factors which I reckon keeps em coming back . The first is undoubtably the hedge and bushes where they roost and congregate during the day when they are not either squabbling or eating and the other is all the holes we have in the stonework of the walls of our house .
If you have the trees and bushes I reckon you just need to offer them plenty of nice places to nest and they'll be flocking to your garden. :t:

agreed eb, simple but dense bushes for cover and I also put a tray of seed fairly close to their congregating bush, they dont have to venture over to the feeders too much. mine are fighting a little at the moment... especially the females. Havent seen any newly fledged yet, but can hear them in the roof.

 

[Dan123]

Interesting notes about the Sparrows. Funningly enough I saw another Sparrow on top of next doors Conifer Tree leaning over the Garden. A scout like before, so they do seem to be exploring newer areas more for some reason. We do have qutie a bushy and Tree Garden, though not as much as what it has been in the past. We had about 6 Conifer Trees and a Plum Tree and a few other dense shrubs at one point, but they all had to be removed as roots were doing damage to the garages that basically are our garden wall on the left handside lol As you can imagine, years ago we had loads of different bird types but I was too young to remember them really, but I do know one of them was House Sparrows. But never mind, we still have quite a few mature shrubs and a couple of mature Trees left, including the last Conifer that is in next doors Garden. Though I am expecting it to have a bit of a haircut soon by our neighbour But like I said before, we have planted another Tree and 12 more shrubs so in a couple of years there shall be a bit more cover back, so you never know what may turn up Man nature in one's back Garden certainly brings alot of joy doesn't it

As far as the birds are concerned, this morning I got a nice surprise. Just like you Dave, the Coal Tit is back! Haven't seen him/her since Feburay when the Blue Tits kept chasing him away. I don't know if it is the same one, but this one has been flying around the garden all morning taking as many Sunflower Seeds he can find and hiding them amoung next doors ivy lol He has been exploring other feeders too, but he seems to be only eating the Peanuts, whilst hiding the Sunflower. Blue Tits have actually spotted him and have tried chasing him, or at least trying to show their dominance, but that isn't putting this little guy off. Quite funny really, he leads the Blue Tits into a shrub, flys out the other side and goes straight back to the seed. I'm hoping he shall stay, he was singing earlier and such a sweet song he has. Lovely surprise when woke up this morning

Aside from that, it has been quieter this morning. Blue Tits and Great Tits have been in, as has the Robin, Blackbird, Collard Doves and Greenfinch. I'm taking this as a good sign that they are all building nests and hopefully will shall seem some real cutie chicks this year.

My update from Hertfordshire

 

[Disneynut1973]

My Robin was back this morning :t: very pleased to see it on the seed tray for a while. Blue Tits, Blackbirds and House Sparrows all appeared before I made my way to work too.

Dan you're right - nature in the garden really does bring a lot of joy!!

 

[Azzy]

There's been the usual activity in the garden here lately. They abandoned my bath for a while because of the rain and cooler weather, but they've been doing a few pescribed burns lately and I reckon the smell of the smoke and the ash in the air encouraged them to come back to it and I've seen the blackbird and the honeyeaters bathing in it again which is nice. There's a small group of welcome swallows that must have some nests or something nearby, because they never used to be a regular presence around our house but now they're flying over several times a day, hunting for insects.

The grey-shrike thrush has been making appearances again lately too, which is great, because I love hearing its call. Otherwise, nothing new.