Very busy at the bird feeder today! (7 Viewers)

[ChrisKten]

Do you mean monkey nuts? and how do you offer them? scattered or in a feeder of some type?

Massive heavy shower has just passed and have loads of activity again:
Song Thrush just shoood off the lawn by female Blackbird, reluctantly flew to the tree.
Male Bullfinch back on the feeder
Blue tits galore..... on the floor and the feeders
Greenfinch, Dunnocks, Starlings, Chaffinch, Robin and Juvenile, Goldfinch, can also hear the great tits calling for food. ***Update*** This is actually Blue tits calling for food, I have just seen the adults feeding 3 newly fledged. This should be another exciting week here in East Cheshire, pity I have to go to work shorlty, but role on the mornings.***

Just got a lovely shot of the oldest Juvenile Blackbird that has just come for a sit on my bench :t:

Lovely picture Dave, is the bird injured, or is it just how it's perched. It's right toes look bent over?

As to the Nuts, yeah Monkey Nuts, I get them for £32.50 for 20kg. That's cheaper than the bags at supermarkets and also they are uncooked, which they prefer.

I feed some loose and some go in home made trays that I hang in the trees. I'll go take a few pictures so you can see where I hang them, and what the trays look like.

I'll be back in a few minutes.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Lovely picture Dave, is the bird injured, or is it just how it's perched. It's right toes look bent over?

As to the Nuts, yeah Monkey Nuts, I get them for £32.50 for 20kg. That's cheaper than the bags at supermarkets and also they are uncooked, which they prefer.

I feed some loose and some go in home made trays that I hang in the trees. I'll go take a few pictures so you can see where I hang them, and what the trays look like.

I'll be back in a few minutes.

Cheers Chris

The bird is fine just the way she is perched, curently with her family hopping about the lawn:t:

 

[Disneynut1973]

Lots going on with you two this morning! Dave I can't believe you get so many Gulls. I've seen them flying over the house in the distance but never had them anywhere near the garden even if I have bread out.

Chris how lucky to get the Jays they are quite beautiful birds.

My garden is fairly quiet still and we have rain here too. There have just been a couple of Robins in the garden, one I think was maybe a youngster as it had some of the red feather but not as full a plumage as the other. The other chased it off in the end but not before they both had some of the seeds. I've had a couple of Blue Tits too. Plus and adult and juvenile Blackbird. A couple of Goldfinch on the nyjer seeds but that's about it at the moment.

 

[ChrisKten]

OK, here's the pictures, first is both trays how they are in the tree. The other 2 pictures are a closer view of each tray.

The trays are just the plastic tops of CD/DVD spindle cases that CDs/DVDs come in. I just trim them to the size/shape I want, make holes in the bottom for drainage, and make holes to attach old washing line for hanging. Incidentally, the Great and Blue Tits, and Squirrels, also take nuts from those trays. (it's quite funny watching a Blue Tit flying off with nuts twice their size, it just look like a flying Monkey Nut, lol)

I also use them for trays in the tree for the Collard Doves and birds that don't like feeders. For these I use the bottom of the spindle case for a base. I'll take some pics of those a bit later (it's raining ATM and I need to go outside to photograph them.)


Pam, yes they are beautiful birds. I'll never forget how excited I was the first time I saw one in my garden, I couldn't believe we had a native bird this distinctive and colourful.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Cheers Chris, I will look later when I finish work.

Hi Pam

Enjoy the afternoon you two!

 

[ChrisKten]

Cheers Chris, I will look later when I finish work.

Hi Pam

Enjoy the afternoon you two!

You too, I'll be back later as well.

 

[Pam_m]

A bird house picture sent to my OH from States, thought it was interesting! All plants are alive and growing.

What a brilliant idea!:t:

 

[JeffMoh]

Back from NYC

I'm envious of the garden birds y'all have been seeing lately. As I've been away, I don't have any garden news to report. Had a good couple of hours at Jamaica Bay refuge in New York, though. Highlights were nesting Ospreys (photos on my blog) and three new life birds: Fish Crow, Willow Flycatcher and American Black Duck. I'll be checking out our garden over the next few days to see what's happening there.

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

 

[ChrisKten]

A bird house picture sent to my OH from States, thought it was interesting! All plants are alive and growing.

Sorry, I missed your post earlier. That's certainly different; I wonder if it has any residents.

 

[ChrisKten]

Dave, I didn't need to go outside as I found a couple of pictures I'd already taken. The black bottom is just the spindle case bottom. I drill holes for drainage in the bottom, and a larger hole near the top of the spindle to bend a piece of wire coat hanger through.

The clear top is exactly the same as the first trays but minus the holes for fixing, and with one hole the width of the spindle in the centre. I just slide the tray down over the spindle, then fit the wire through the hole in the top of the spindle. I don't fix the tray to the spindle as I need to take it apart to clean it.

I then just bend the wire coat hanger and hook it over a branch.

That's not exactly a step by step guide, but when you look at a spindle case you'll see how simple it is.

As you can see from the pictures, even a few of the smarter Pigeons get food from them. Usually the following birds use them:

Sparrows, Starlings, Collard Doves, Magpies, Pigeons, Chaffinches, Robins, Tits, Dunnocks (not seen this year), Goldcrests (maybe just for the insects) and one of the Wood pigeons.

I put a mixture of seed, crumbled bits of wholemeal bread, tiny bits of apple, and sometimes a few peanuts. I have to refill them (only about one third full each time) at least 4 times a day at this time of year.

Obviously I could make the trays deeper, or I could fill them fully. But if I do that, and a Pigeon gets to a tray first, it's empty in minutes.

Don't forget Dave, if this helps you have to send me a few Rooks.|=)|

 

[Cheshire Birder]

I can get upto 60 BHGulls around the area, often converging into the garden if I pu enough bread out. One or two have been over the house in the last week, yesterday alot of aerial fighting and commosion and I saw 6+, today 12+.

Dave,

The failed breeders are moving back inland now. You should also get LBB Gulls going over. They pass through regularly in July.

CB

 

[Bananafishbones]

I'm envious of the garden birds y'all have been seeing lately. As I've been away, I don't have any garden news to report. Had a good couple of hours at Jamaica Bay refuge in New York, though. Highlights were nesting Ospreys (photos on my blog) and three new life birds: Fish Crow, Willow Flycatcher and American Black Duck. I'll be checking out our garden over the next few days to see what's happening there.

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

As ever Jeff a cracking addition to your blog :t:

The skyline over to manhatton has just reminded me of my arrival last year into Newark airport................... ah if only work would pay for me to go again

 

[Bananafishbones]

Dave,

The failed breeders are moving back inland now. You should also get LBB Gulls going over. They pass through regularly in July.

CB

Hi CB

You are a mind of information, especially for me in my local area. Its very much appreciated (still much to learn but getting better by the day). Your comments are giving me a bit more of an understanding of what is going on locally such as breeding and birds passing through over my garden.

Thanks :t::t:

Dave

 

[Bananafishbones]

Cant remember the last time a G S Woodpecker visited us but it certainly isnt this year, until this morning.

Only a very fleeting stop though

<eyes peeled now>

 

[ChrisKten]

Cant remember the last time a G S Woodpecker visited us but it certainly isnt this year, until this morning.

Only a very fleeting stop though

<eyes peeled now>

Morning Dave,

Yes, they only visit my garden now and again, last time was 31st May. I was hoping a juvenile might visit with the female.

 

[ChrisKten]

Funny how much you pick up from watching birds in the garden. You sort of develop a sixth sense of when something is about to happen. You notice how the birds behave daily, and when there is just a small change, you anticipate what's about to happen.

Here's an example of what I mean, this happened just now:

I was watching the birds as usual when I noticed a Starling perched in a different spot. It was constantly looking up and around. I thought there might be a Sparrowhawk in the air, but I couldn't see anything. The birds had been spooked earlier, but I thought that was the Jay.

So, a few minutes later and another Starling joins the one on lookout duty; both searching the sky. The Pigeons are down feeding, but there is only one Starling feeding in the tree (which is unusual in itself).

Then 2 Magpies appear and feed on the bread amongst the Pigeons, but the Starling lookouts are still there watching the sky. Suddenly a Crow appears from nowhere after the Magpies, spooking some of the birds, including the 2 Starling lookouts.

So I'm thinking that must have been it, when a female Sparrowhawk swoops onto the fence from one of my trees. By this time, thanks to the Crow, there wasn't many birds left in the garden, so after a very brief scan of the garden she flew off. In fact she just stayed long enough for me to turn on my camera, but too quick to take a picture. Which is annoying, as she is one of the cleanest, sleekest, Sparrowhawks I've seen.

I think the Crow coming after the Magpies spoiled the Sparrowhawk's ambush, although she did wait until after the Starling lookouts had gone.

So something happened, I knew something was going to happen, but I didn't get a picture.|=)|

 

[Bananafishbones]

Hi Chris
Yes I agree, I am now understanding more of the calls, alarm calls, Feeding calls and the contact calls. Then as you say if you learn about your own garden you see the habits of the species on a daily basis, and it is soon easy to see things out of the norm.

My favourite Sparowhawk warning is the House sparrows "bush drop". What happens is there is always a male sat in the gutter on look out, I dont get to see him from the house as he sits above the doorway, but he chirps merriy. The others flit to and thro from the eaves to the bushes for feeding or sunshine, when a Sparrowhawk is close and they get the warning from the male lookout, everyone of the Housesparrows drop 2-3 feet into the bush in complete unison, they dont fly, climb, flit.... they drop verticallyin a blink of an eye.... Very cool and good to watch.

Anyway it has stopped lashing it down at the momment although it looks very dark beyond.

Lots of activity again with 20 starling on the lawn, 14 Jackdaw and a juvenile in with them (the first one I have seen but I am sure there will have been more in this regular visiting flock).

I have just counted the juveniles that have visited my garden this spring, unbeleivable!!

I have attached the list from my spreadsheet that just gives the date first seen and how many seen on the first sighting:

Juveniles
Robin 2009 May 10th
Dunnock (2) 2009 May 10th
Housesparrow 2009 May 16th
Starlings (4) 2009 May 24th
Greenfinch (2) 2009 May 31st
Coal Tit 2009 June 5th
Magpie 2009 June 01st
Song Thrush 2009 June 5th
Carrion Crow 2009 June 6th
Woodpigeon 2009 June 7th
Blackbird (m) 2009 June 7th
Blackbird (f) 2009 June 15th
Blue Tit (3) 2009 June 20th
Great Tit 2009 June 20th
Goldfinch 2009 July 03rd
Jackdaw 2009 July 7th

Blackbird (f) 2nd fledglings 2009 July 06th
Blue tit (3) 2nd fledglings 2009 July 06th

 

[ChrisKten]

Hi Chris
Yes I agree, I am now understanding more of the calls, alarm calls, Feeding calls and the contact calls. Then as you say if you learn about your own garden you see the habits of the species on a daily basis, and it is soon easy to see things out of the norm.

My favourite Sparowhawk warning is the House sparrows "bush drop". What happens is there is always a male sat in the gutter on look out, I dont get to see him from the house as he sits above the doorway, but he chirps merriy. The others flit to and thro from the eaves to the bushes for feeding or sunshine, when a Sparrowhawk is close and they get the warning from the male lookout, everyone of the Housesparrows drop 2-3 feet into the bush in complete unison, they dont fly, climb, flit.... they drop verticallyin a blink of an eye.... Very cool and good to watch.

Anyway it has stopped lashing it down at the momment although it looks very dark beyond.

Lots of activity again with 20 starling on the lawn, 14 Jackdaw and a juvenile in with them (the first one I have seen but I am sure there will have been more in this regular visiting flock).

I have just counted the juveniles that have visited my garden this spring, unbeleivable!!

I have attached the list from my spreadsheet that just gives the date first seen and how many seen on the first sighting:

Juveniles
Robin 2009 May 10th
Dunnock (2) 2009 May 10th
Housesparrow 2009 May 16th
Starlings (4) 2009 May 24th
Greenfinch (2) 2009 May 31st
Coal Tit 2009 June 5th
Magpie 2009 June 01st
Song Thrush 2009 June 5th
Carrion Crow 2009 June 6th
Woodpigeon 2009 June 7th
Blackbird (m) 2009 June 7th
Blackbird (f) 2009 June 15th
Blue Tit (3) 2009 June 20th
Great Tit 2009 June 20th
Goldfinch 2009 July 03rd
Jackdaw 2009 July 7th

Blackbird (f) 2nd fledglings 2009 July 06th
Blue tit (3) 2nd fledglings 2009 July 06th

I'll check the dates of my photos and post them. We can see how they differ, although I have less species than you.

 

[ChrisKten]

OK, here's my dates of first sightings:

Magpies: 4th June, 4th July (second brood or different family)
Pigeons: Every week |=)|
Sparrows: 21st May (first brood)
Starlings: 21st May (first fledglings a few days before)
Wood Pigeons: 13th May
Blue Tits: 29th June (first juvenile I noticed)

EDIT: I forgot the Crows and the Blackbirds:

Crows:27th June (first juvenile I noticed)
Blackbirds: 23rd June (again, first juvenile)

 

[Bananafishbones]

Ok Chris Log them now and compare again next year!

I guess there must be a garden watch organisation somewhere out there? I bet this info is good for regional statistics.

I have a Hedgehog wandering around the lawn at this minute! hopefully finding a few stray slugs. I bought a "hogitat" a while back and it has not got a resident yet so hopefully he may find it and make it his own.