captaincarot
Well-known member
juts been on telly it managed -18 in a part of wales last night,
absolutely no snow at all here though, just frost.
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Very busy at the bird feeder today! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Moraybirdlover
- Start date
juts been on telly it managed -18 in a part of wales last night,
absolutely no snow at all here though, just frost.
Goyter
Well-known member
I like the way you slip in with a Garden mega Jeff :t: then slip out just as quietly
welcome back mate
Years of experience slipping in and out Dave !!!!!!!
barnstormer
Well-known member
No snow here down south, but plenty of frost and cold. Blue, great and coal tits in some numbers. Plus robin, blackbirds, chaffinches aplenty and a few greenfinches. Goldfinches and collared doves in huge numbers plus the odd wood pigeon and magpies. Note no sparrows and no starlings - never thought I'd be writing that 30 years ago. There is a local flock of 200+ starlings who perform a miniature version of the amazing waves you see on TV from Somerset Levels etc, and I'm sure they're well fed elsewhere.
Anyway the stars of the show continue to be the ring-necked parakeets, of which there are now 3 hanging out here, looking beautiful against the blue sky. Of course we should be calling them rose-ringed parakeets according to currently accepted terminology.
Interestingly although there are a number of colonies of various parakeet species derived from escapees in America, some of my US bird guides, most notably the Stokes ones, don't even mention them. I guess they are too snotty to embrace these "plastic" birds. Any comments from US posters?
Anyway the stars of the show continue to be the ring-necked parakeets, of which there are now 3 hanging out here, looking beautiful against the blue sky. Of course we should be calling them rose-ringed parakeets according to currently accepted terminology.
Interestingly although there are a number of colonies of various parakeet species derived from escapees in America, some of my US bird guides, most notably the Stokes ones, don't even mention them. I guess they are too snotty to embrace these "plastic" birds. Any comments from US posters?
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
That's a little stunnner - looks dressed up in winter garb, picture on fence tops
It's gorgeous, as are the photos. My feeder is being dominated by 3 starlings at the moment. There are 4 more lurking so I fear it will be a takeover. Mrs. Blackbird is being very forceful with them, at least. If she had been a dog she would have been growling visciously. I also have lots of sparrows, but a lack of anything else except bluetits and the robin. I'm a bit disappointed today.
wildnature
aka Lindy
Richat
Hi Rich,
Lucky for you to have so many parakeets in your area! I use the Sibley's and Audubon field guides for N America, and parakeets are mentioned as more of a tropical bird group which according to them were introduced into the US via South America. It says they are mainly seen in Florida and California, which are probably the most "tropical" areas in the states. I live in the northern US just across Lake Erie from Canada which is not tropical at all, except for a few miserable days in Summer:-O, so unfortunately the only time I've seen parakeets were in cages at a pet store
However, the Sibley's does have your Rose-ringed and 8 others, my Audubon(which is for the eastern US) only mentions Monk & Carolina Parakeets. Sadly, it says the Carolinas are extinct here now, but according to them, they were the only Parakeets to have bred within the US. :-C
And to be honest, I never heard of Stokes until I read your post and looked it up! :-O So I have no idea if they are snotty or not
Anyway, I'm from the US, so there's one:t:
Hi Rich,
Lucky for you to have so many parakeets in your area! I use the Sibley's and Audubon field guides for N America, and parakeets are mentioned as more of a tropical bird group which according to them were introduced into the US via South America. It says they are mainly seen in Florida and California, which are probably the most "tropical" areas in the states. I live in the northern US just across Lake Erie from Canada which is not tropical at all, except for a few miserable days in Summer:-O, so unfortunately the only time I've seen parakeets were in cages at a pet store
However, the Sibley's does have your Rose-ringed and 8 others, my Audubon(which is for the eastern US) only mentions Monk & Carolina Parakeets. Sadly, it says the Carolinas are extinct here now, but according to them, they were the only Parakeets to have bred within the US. :-C
And to be honest, I never heard of Stokes until I read your post and looked it up! :-O So I have no idea if they are snotty or not
Anyway, I'm from the US, so there's one:t:
Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....
Lost a Blackbird sometime today. It looks like its been plucked by a Sparrowhawk rather than a cats kill.
38 Canada Geese in formation right over the garden this morning.
38 Canada Geese in formation right over the garden this morning.
SeacroftBirder
Well-known member
Talking of Blackbirds
Here's one
And here's one with a black beak(possibly a juvenile?)
Oh, and not quite in the garden ;-)
Here's one
And here's one with a black beak(possibly a juvenile?)
Oh, and not quite in the garden ;-)
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wildnature
aka Lindy
Aww, sorry to hear about the Blackbird BFB :-C. I am really amazed at how common the Sparrowhawks are over there in your gardens! It seems like a lot of people are getting great shots of them. I see mostly Red Tailed & Red Shouldered around me, but they keep to the open fields luckily for my bird feeder birds! I've only seen a smallish Hawk darting through the fir trees in front, but never got a good enough look at him to tell what it was, but I'm guessing it was a Coopers Hawk since I know they are in my area.
And I also saw a flock of Canada Geese fly overhead this morning, but didn't think to count them, guess I was too busy watching them trying to decide which direction they were going to choose o
feeders been mega busy, from what I have seen anyway, 2 Song Thrushes today, a nice large group of chaffinches in and out all day, also magpies have been having a peck around the garden. Not seen a lot due to being ill,
Checked the tem and its -11c again, the highest its been today is -7!!
Checked the tem and its -11c again, the highest its been today is -7!!
theconstantwalker
http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_constant_walker/?
Had a nice but very cold day. Goldcrest was the highlight. The pics i took are too big for here so please view here. http://rambleswithacamera.blogspot.com/
Cheshire Birder
Well-known member
Thats one cool looking robin!
Get well soon. Gives you a good excuse to watch the garden birds tho. The temperature actually reached above freezing today (from -10C at night).
CB
Cheshire Birder
Well-known member
SeacroftBirder
Well-known member
Here's an action pic from this morning
SPINNEYGAL
Well-known member
Well There Has Been A Lot Of Action For You All Over The Weekend, But Not In My Garden. Quite Quiet Really. One Thing Puzzled Me Though. I Filled A 12 Inch Peanut Feeder Up On Thursday Night And It Was Gone On Saturday Dinner. The Culprit Turned Up Yesterday After I Had Filled It Up Again. A Jay, It Has Enlarged The Bottom Holes Enough To Get The Nuts Out. Got A Picture Which I Will Try And Post Tomorrow.
We Have Just Had Our Usual Visitors. Not Huge Increase In Numbers Though.
Some Fab Shots Already Posted You Have All Been Very Busy..
We Are Struggling With The Water Situation. We Keep Hens And Even Putting Buckets With Lids On Inside With Them They Freeze Over, Not Thick But We Have To Break It Every Morning At The Moment And We Take Hot Water Down With Us.
I Try For The Birds But That Just Freezes Again After A Few Minutes, But I Do Not See Them Trying To Drink From It.
We Have Just Had Our Usual Visitors. Not Huge Increase In Numbers Though.
Some Fab Shots Already Posted You Have All Been Very Busy..
We Are Struggling With The Water Situation. We Keep Hens And Even Putting Buckets With Lids On Inside With Them They Freeze Over, Not Thick But We Have To Break It Every Morning At The Moment And We Take Hot Water Down With Us.
I Try For The Birds But That Just Freezes Again After A Few Minutes, But I Do Not See Them Trying To Drink From It.
Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....
great Robby Barnstormer.... well hidden whilst its snowing, a little less so when its not. I hope its elusive if any Raptors are around.
a flock of 30 Goldfinch just flown over, looked as if they were disturbed very close by, but they continued to fly on and havent returned. 2 Redpoll at the moment.
7 House Sparrows are happily chirping away in the bushes next to the patio
Dave
Spinneygal: As soon as I had unfrozen the bird bath yesterday a line of Starlings queued up for a bath.... crazy birds!
a flock of 30 Goldfinch just flown over, looked as if they were disturbed very close by, but they continued to fly on and havent returned. 2 Redpoll at the moment.
7 House Sparrows are happily chirping away in the bushes next to the patio
Dave
Spinneygal: As soon as I had unfrozen the bird bath yesterday a line of Starlings queued up for a bath.... crazy birds!
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The last two of our "normal" winter yardbirds turned up on Saturday afternoon, when a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Pine Warbler flew onto the feeders outside our livingroom windows. They flew onto the feeders at exactly the same time - and when I was standing two feet away (indoors).
Had a nice morning's birding yesterday at a newish (to me) local site. Warm and sunny and 34 species in two hours. Confirmed for me that I much prefer winter birding here to winter birding in the UK!
Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com
Had a nice morning's birding yesterday at a newish (to me) local site. Warm and sunny and 34 species in two hours. Confirmed for me that I much prefer winter birding here to winter birding in the UK!
Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com
Disneynut1973
Well-known member
The snow brought out the birds again yesterday - Blue, Great & Coal Tits, Half a dozen Goldfinch, Starlings, Collared Dove, Sparrows, 3 Blackbirds, Magpie, Dunnocks, Robin, Greenfinch, 2 Female Chaffinch and a lot of BH Gulls and Crows flying about overhead too.
Jos Stratford
Beast from the East
Rather cool here, minus 21 now forecast for a couple of days time.
Pygmy Owl at the feeding station again yesterday, a right stunner. And a Sparrowhawk harrying the birds at the feeders in my garden. Bird numbers up and up, Impressive numbers of Willow Tits, almost outnumbering Marsh Tits at my cabin site.
Pygmy Owl at the feeding station again yesterday, a right stunner. And a Sparrowhawk harrying the birds at the feeders in my garden. Bird numbers up and up, Impressive numbers of Willow Tits, almost outnumbering Marsh Tits at my cabin site.