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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Very busy at the bird feeder today! (21 Viewers)

Jos, is it simply the very low temperatures that lure your birds to feed indoors? or are they like this all year.... whichever, it is truly incredible.

Temperatures are not very low yet - the minus 10s to 15s of the last week are par for the course, later in the winter should see minus 25, even 30 or less. However, I have never had birds queuing to come in before, they now hop up and down at the windows till I open the door - I think it is just that one learnt, the others quickly cottoned on.

That said, the whole garden seems to be full of very tame birds this winter - Nuthatches and Marsh Tits have allows allowed me to approach within a metre as they feed, but much the same with Tree Sparrows and Great Tits this winter. I'll have them feeding out of the hands by the winter's end - one hovering at finger tips this morning trying to snatch a peanut.


Are they eating the coffee beans?

No, they just throw them on the floor ;)
 
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Well priced sunflower hearts arrived this morning from gjwtitmuss.co.uk just in time. Will let you know how the product is soon.

A miserable morning of mist and cold has seen a flurry of activity outside. 3 Bramblings happy to slum it on the snow covered ground beneath the hanging feeders in company with chaffinches, doves, wagtail and pigeons for all the rich pickings that fall from the predominantly goldfinch-clustered tube feeders. One male brambling seems happy to feed from pole mounted seed tray.

Good to see 4 greenfinches muscling in on the hanging feeders.

And speaking of greenies, I love your snow-lit picture Jos.
 
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My attempt at hand feeding wild birds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xde8-CnOmuM

Superb SB. I've no experience of hand-feeding garden birds, but I remember when I was in the US a few years ago, seeing this product advertised:

http://www.dxtreme.com/birdfeeding.htm

Basically birds hand feed from a preferably seated human dummy sporting distinctive clothing for a week or so while they become acclimated to the situation. Then, hey presto, you displace the dummy from his seat, and wearing exactly the same clothes happily allow birds to feed from your hand.

Such a bizarre yet clever innovation could only come from one country. USA posters, I wonder if you'd had any experience or thoughts on this.
 
2 moorhens back for more this afternoon,pictures later,5 blackbirds,6 chaffinch,8 blue tits,4 coal tits,lost count of the goldfinches,6 starlings,very cold here today but the birds just keep on coming.
 
2 Bullfinch briefly this afternoon, also Pied Wagtail came down onto the snow as well. Had an influx of Robins, reckon I had around 10 this afternoon, as 1 popped up so did another, and so on.
 
Superb SB. I've no experience of hand-feeding garden birds, but I remember when I was in the US a few years ago, seeing this product advertised:

http://www.dxtreme.com/birdfeeding.htm

Basically birds hand feed from a preferably seated human dummy sporting distinctive clothing for a week or so while they become acclimated to the situation. Then, hey presto, you displace the dummy from his seat, and wearing exactly the same clothes happily allow birds to feed from your hand.

Such a bizarre yet clever innovation could only come from one country. USA posters, I wonder if you'd had any experience or thoughts on this.

Haven't tried that particular cut-out. Maybe I could get one of Sarah Palin, though, as a way of scaring away the squirrels.

No chance to bird at home today but saw 25 species on an hour's walk around the campus, plus 5 more on my commute. Best bird was a Hermit Thrush. 30 species on a working day isn't bad!

Jeff
 
Wow, Rather keen on them parakeets!

Superb photos the Greenfinch is a real cracker, Trying out one of them stick on window feeders at the moment 24 hrs up no joy yet. Think the frost is the only thing keeping it stuck to the window to be honest.

Starting to get some half decent numbers of chaffinches back 4 and 5 at a time with odd Greenfinch which seem to have to a massive hit in this area, Waxwings are apparently around about too so heres hoping:)

Karpman


P.s Nice Wildlifelove keep at it they will come:)
 
Had a quick count up of the finches at 08.00am this morning. Very hard as they are all very flighty with the Blackbirds zooming across them.

15 Greenfinch
12 Goldfinch
5 Chaffinch
7 Redpoll

also Pied Wagtail returns again. I have crushed a digestive biscuit and it loves it
 
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Haven't tried that particular cut-out. Maybe I could get one of Sarah Palin, though, as a way of scaring away the squirrels.
Jeff
:-O:-O:-O good one Jeff! ;):t:

I saw those cut outs advertised a few years back when they first "came out" in a mag Birds & Blooms, quite a few subscribers there had tried it and thought it worked great, I think it's name was Bill, lol that it has a name! I thought it was a bit pricey myself, figured I could do the same with a "stuffed Halloween dummy" but never got around to trying it out, maybe I'll give it a try & let you all know if it works :smoke: Just checked that site link Rich, funny they would have that on a software site! :-O

Love your snow lit finch Jos, surprised he wasn't warming up in your kitchen scattering your coffee beans! ;)

As for my yard birds, after about 4 days of almost NO visitors, the snows finally came(well over a foot over night), and so did my birdies! I'm not great at counting them since I have feeders scattered around the house, but at the ones I usually watch I saw approximately the following:
10-15 Black eyed Juncos,
4-5 Nuthatches,
10 Goldfinches,
5 or more Titmice,
4 Downies(2 males & 2 fems!!),
1 fem Red Bellied WP(only saw the male once so far a few days ago),
4 House finches,
8 Mourning doves,
6 Blue Jays,
2 Cardinals,
15 or more House Sparrows,
4 Black Cap Chickadees(constantly moving, so I'm just counting the ones I've seen together, I'm sure there's more but can't tell them apart)
a quick stop by a group of 7 or 8 Starlings on my Pear tree(no Partridge;)
AND a new returning visitor that I was quite excited to see, a different Sparrow(from my common House) that looked to be a Tree Sparrow, it had the dark spot on it's chest and a brownish head. He landed right in front of my window on a limb catching me completely off guard so I couldn't catch a picture, will keep a keener lookout for them today, now that I know they're back. o:)
 
Had a quick count up of the finches at 08.00am this morning. Very hard as they are all very flighty with the Blackbirds zooming across them.

15 Greenfinch
12 Goldfinch
5 Chaffinch
7 Redpoll

also Pied Wagtail returns again. I have crushed a digestive biscuit and it loves it

Just out of curiosity BFB, what is a digestive biscuit? |<|
 

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