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

[Andy Hurley]

I just covered my balcony furniture for the winter and while I was doing that most birds stayed away from the feeders. The Blue Tits weren't phased though and neither was a Marsh Tit. Once I had finished I took a couple of photos as the Collared Doves were back. By the time I got my camera they were gone but the first Black this winter arrived and after looking about wondering what to do, a Sparrow showed it how its done. It really is a bumper year for House Sparrows on my balcony. Well anyway a few pics. There are taken through the balcony door otherwise the birds fly away

Andy

 

[SPINNEYGAL]

I have seen very little of the birds in my garden these last few weeks but just caught a Siskin on the Nyjer seed for the first time at this house and the Long Tail Tits made a welcome return.

 

[roger1234]

1st siskin since january on the feeder this morning.

 

[Cheshire Birder]

.....it's a pity you don't have Northern Cardinals!

If only we did!!

CB

 

[bongofury]

Thought it worth putting a link here to the RSPB advice about NOT feeding turkey fat to birds. http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/300504-..._source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=News

I can't say I've ever fed turkey fat to birds, but I wasn't aware of the dangers either.

 

[earleybird]

thanks for the timely reminder bf :t:

chances of any of our birds getting any turkey after the dog and 2x cats have been at it is fortunately pretty slim

 

[roger1234]

19 goldfinches and a first redwing of the winter this very sunny Christmas eve morning. Could I wish everybody a very merry Christmas.all the very best to one and all.

 

[earleybird]

19 goldfinches and a first redwing of the winter this very sunny Christmas eve morning. Could I wish everybody a very merry Christmas.all the very best to one and all.

nice one ! wish we had redwings :-C

Spotted my first Fieldfare yesterday . I was hanging about the garden trying to get some good shots of all the tits and spotted the Fieldfare ..what a lucky capture .

merry Christmas everyone. :t:

 

[Bananafishbones]

15 Lesser Redpoll here today and a return of the Blackbird that looks like a Ring Ouzel. Well done with the Fieldfare and Redwing guys.

Best wishes to everyone over the Christmas period B

 

[Bananafishbones]

lol.... 9 Redwings now sat in the tree above the feeder

 

[bongofury]

6 LTTs, 2 Lesser Redpolls and 6 Siskins, plus multiple Sparrowhawk visits, ultimately reducing the number of Siskins to 5.

Good updates on the thrushes above.

Merry Christmas to everyone who reads / contributes to the thread. B :t:

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Merry Christmas to you all!!

Much activity today - 2 Collared Doves, Bullfinch, several Goldfinches and Siskins, Coal Tit, Song Thrush, the first Greenfinch i've seen for a while and c60 Redwings flew over.

CB

 

[Bananafishbones]

Redwings now 3 days running *** 16 just arrived, all sat in the same tree

20 Lesser Redpoll ..... numbers slowly building up to last years 47

 

[earleybird]

lots of activity in our garden for the past week or two.

I noticed that a greater spotted woodpecker had returned last week to the fat balls and suet blocks so I drilled a few small holes in the bole of the tree and now he spends 10-15 minutes several times a day digging out the suet from the holes.
Having him on the trunk of the tree makes a great photo-opportunity away from the feeders and suet block hangers. He had a bit of a tussel with a bolshie starling yesterday but he wasn't going to give the suet block up . He spread his wings to increase his size and I was surprised how short and stubby they are for such a large bird !

5x starlings 6x bluetits 3x great tits 2x blackbirds 2x collared doves, 2x coaltits
1x chaffinch 1x woodpigeon 3x goldfinch 2x robin and a smattering of sparrows and dunnocks. Small numbers but a nice spread. :t:

 

[roger1234]

25 goldfinches this afternoon all at the Niger seed

 

[roger1234]

Mistle thrush back this morning,what a beautiful bird! House sparrows, goldfinches,greenfinches,collard doves,blue tits,chaffinches all present in the garden.

 

[Bananafishbones]

3 Redwing, 3 LTT (first for ages), 1 Siskin (f), Rook, 17 Greenfinch and 12 Lesser Redpoll. Loads of Chaffinch but still looking for a rogue Brambling in with them but no luck yet. LBB Gull and Herring Gull (I think) overhead and mixed in with tonnes of B H Gulls

Well done with the Mistle Thrush roger

 

[roger1234]

3 Redwing, 3 LTT (first for ages), 1 Siskin (f), Rook, 17 Greenfinch and 12 Lesser Redpoll. Loads of Chaffinch but still looking for a rogue Brambling in with them but no luck yet. LBB Gull and Herring Gull (I think) overhead and mixed in with tonnes of B H Gulls

Well done with the Mistle Thrush roger

thanks dave,great lesser redpoll count,oh i wish,not seen one yet! it is like middle of summer outside here,where did the winter go?

 

[bongofury]

The warm Christmas didn't bring any surprises here, still male GSW, 6 Siskins, 4 Redpoll, 4 Blue Tit, 4 Coal Tit, 4 Great Tit, 4 Blackbird, 7 Chaffinch, 6 LTTs (seem to visit twice daily) and just a couple of Goldfinches.

Its going to take some harsh weather to get to last year's peak counts.

 

[Bananafishbones]

unbelievably mild.

Here is a list of species and in the order that I saw them on New Years day 2011:

Blackbird
Jackdaw
Robin
Blue Tit
Carrion Crow
Dunnock
Coal Tit
Magpie
Lssr Redpoll
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
B H Gull
Goldfinch
Housesparrow
Starling
Chaffinch
Greenfinch
Feral Pigeon
Great Tit
Redwing
Siskin
Fieldfare
Wren
Lesser BB Gull
Pied Wagtail

I doubt it will be too much different this year