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

[bongofury]

2011 Garden species - No. 59
Goosander

4 just flown over ..... a nice end to the year here in East Cheshire

Very nice tick. Well done.

I see you got a Smew at Pitsford too:t:

 

[Bananafishbones]

Very nice tick. Well done.

I see you got a Smew at Pitsford too:t:

Cheers Bongo
Yes got the Smew a few miles from my sisters house down in Northamptonshire.... it was a female would have been better if a male had been in tow with her.

Still doing well for Redwings, at least 2 showing daily (currently 5 sat in the tree) but they havent come to ground for the apples yet. My experience with the Thrushes is that the Redwings are to most nervous species and are the frist to be seen off by the resident Blackbirds, whereas the Fieldfare, Mistle and Song thrushes tend to stand their ground a bit more.

Great stuff to watch in the garden isnt it :t:

 

[earleybird]

I got a large tub of fat balls when shopping yesterday, placed out this morning but little interested so far.

My plastic feeders do not seem to last that long, so now trying a metal style one.

Welcome to the forum earlyworm

we have used the popular Chappelwood range of feeders which are all metal and beautifully made. The sunflower hearts feeder is excellent value and with a nijer seed feeder should draw in the beautiful finches`.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=chappelwood+feeders&x=12&y=19

 

[bongofury]

Cheers Bongo
Yes got the Smew a few miles from my sisters house down in Northamptonshire.... it was a female would have been better if a male had been in tow with her.

Snap, my only Smew was a female. RSPB Lochwinnoch usually gets a male each winter, so if it appears again this season, I've made an early new year's resolution to make the effort.

Just back from shopping and the garden has sprung into life. The LTTs dropped in again, along with good numbers of blue, great & coal tits. Plus 5 Redpolls and 5 Siskins.

 

[Bananafishbones]

I got a large tub of fat balls when shopping yesterday, placed out this morning but little interested so far.

My plastic feeders do not seem to last that long, so now trying a metal style one.

missed this..... thought it was Eb
Welcome aboard earlyworm :t:

Snap, my only Smew was a female. RSPB Lochwinnoch usually gets a male each winter, so if it appears again this season, I've made an early new year's resolution to make the effort.

Just back from shopping and the garden has sprung into life. The LTTs dropped in again, along with good numbers of blue, great & coal tits. Plus 5 Redpolls and 5 Siskins.

Managed to get 2 Siskins after lunch.

Best wishes to one and all for 2012 - Happy New Year B

I guess we shall all be getting a new list ready for the garden species of 2012

2011 Last bird(s) out .....1000+ Jackdaw going overhead to Roost
2012 First bird in ..... depending what time I get up but probably Blackbird

 

[trauco]

I have a pair of feeders, one in my backyard and the other in my garden, most of the time they are frequented by mourning and common ground doves and sparrows. This year a pair of sharp-skinned hawks nested in the remaining of a pine reforestation across the street and now I have five sharpies lying around my feeders. Today morning was raining mildly enough to make things worst for birds of prey and the things got really hot when an aplomado falcon arrived to the garden's feeder.
The three youngest ran to the pines and the two adults attacked the falcon really hard putting it on the run. The young birds stayed on the threes just hooting all the rest of the morning until the adults returned with some food.

I'm fascinated by these small hawks, no bird of prey enters their territory, I have seen road-side hawks, plumbeos kites, caracaras being put to run.

My feeders? Well, nowadays they have very few customers...

 

[Cheshire Birder]

2011 Garden species - No. 59
Goosander

4 just flown over ..... a nice end to the year here in East Cheshire

Nice tick. Not even on my garden list!

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Happy new Year to all the garden bird contributors old and new!!

Here's to a great year!! B B B

CB

 

[Bananafishbones]

Thats the first 20 on the list:
Magpie
Feral Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Collared Dove
Jackdaw
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Woodpigeon
B H Gull
Lesser Redpoll
Greenfinch
LBB Gull
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Starling
Dunnock
Robin
Coal Tit
House Sparrow
Sparrowhawk

now for a walk around the local pool for the Mallards, Coots etc my excuse to the family for some fresh air

 

[bongofury]

Happy New year to everyone on hereB

Nice start to the year list for you BFB. How many were on your 2011 garden list in the end?

I have decided not to do a year list this year (garden or otherwise). There's lots of other things happening this year and I would rather spend what time I have on seeing new birds. Having said that, 17 species seen this morning in the garden, including 6 LTTs again and cracking views of a male Sparrowhawk perched on the nest box. I hope he doesn't use that too much as a resting place.

 

[roger1234]

Happy new year to all, rain here as dominated proceedings,not much to see only 14 species seen,however went to see the great grey shrike near where I live about 8 miles away and successful I was, what a great bird to see!!

 

[Mary]

Happy New Year one and all!

Joi, I've compared my week's garden bird counts for last week (2011) with the same week 2010. No prizes for guessing which one is which! What a difference 10C makes :t: It's also surprising how some bird numbers are pretty similar.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Happy New year to everyone on hereB

Nice start to the year list for you BFB. How many were on your 2011 garden list in the end?

I have decided not to do a year list this year (garden or otherwise). There's lots of other things happening this year and I would rather spend what time I have on seeing new birds. Having said that, 17 species seen this morning in the garden, including 6 LTTs again and cracking views of a male Sparrowhawk perched on the nest box. I hope he doesn't use that too much as a resting place.

well done with the perched Sparrowhawk - and good luck with the twitching this year, its something I aim to do a bit more of. 2011 finished with 59 species and today finished with the 20 species (No Goldfinch or Redwing today :eek!

Happy new year to all, rain here as dominated proceedings,not much to see only 14 species seen,however went to see the great grey shrike near where I live about 8 miles away and successful I was, what a great bird to see!!

Nice one roger. I got to see one at Flam headland a couple of years ago

Happy New Year one and all!

Joi, I've compared my week's garden bird counts for last week (2011) with the same week 2010. No prizes for guessing which one is which! What a difference 10C makes :t: It's also surprising how some bird numbers are pretty similar.

Brilliant record keeping Mary :t: intresting details that are easily overlooked in day to day life so it is good to look back to compare and understand the finer details of weather changes \ Bird counts in your garden

 

[Cheshire Birder]

21 Species for me today. Not a bad start to the new year!!

CB

 

[bongofury]

Joi, I've compared my week's garden bird counts for last week (2011) with the same week 2010.

Wow, 49 Blackbirds! Great comparison, Mary.

well done with the perched Sparrowhawk - and good luck with the twitching this year, its something I aim to do a bit more of. 2011 finished with 59 species and today finished with the 20 species (No Goldfinch or Redwing today

Cheers, BFB. If the forecast remains good, I'm off to try for SEOs tomorrow. No Goldfinches here today either.

 

[will562]

.......hoping the cold weather will bring some more birds in, its been so quiet lately!

 

[Bananafishbones]

.......hoping the cold weather will bring some more birds in, its been so quiet lately!

Its been miserable here for 4 days running with constant rain and dark clouds, its been very dark all day.......however today no clouds in the sky, bright sunshine and a cold night expected. Just in time for me to go to work and miss all the thrushes descending on the garden

 

[Bananafishbones]

2012 species No. 21
male Siskin

No. 22
Common Gull

No. 23
Redwing

 

[roger1234]

Opened the curtains this morning to find the returning bullfinch at the feeders,great start to the day.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Opened the curtains this morning to find the returning bullfinch at the feeders,great start to the day.

Very nice roger, its a very rare visitor for me