Here I've seen a Blue Jay pack up to 24 sunflower seeds into its mouth before flying off to eat (or stash) them. Are your Jays equally greedy?
Jeff
hi chris and dave----i was up macc forest on sunday evening[mainly for a nosh and a pint or two at the leather Smithy] Loads of swallows around the the 'res' opposite the pub and large flock of swifts[i'm sure there is a collective name for that], presumably ready for the off.-----Highlight of the venture up in the the hills[apart from the wildboar casserole] was seeing a Sparrow Hawk nab a a dozing wood pidgeon in a field on the way back to sunny Macc. [at least it did'nt know much about it]---Not much on the water apart from a weary pair of Tuffties and our mates the mallards.Getting back to the thread i'm dead chuffed that the Nuthatch is as regular as the usual garden birds [or is that worrying in terms of natural food supply?] Had a Red- legged partridge rooting around the lawn at breakfast time[a juvenile i think]--A family of great-tits scrapping around the feeders are a cheery sight first thing in the the morning.
It's been very quiet really in comparison with a month ago, the Collared Doves are still coming to the garden (and spotted two young doves here yesterday that were begging from an adult!), still plenty of Starlings and House Sparrows and the one young Dunnock that seems to have adopted my garden, but very few sightings of the Robins, Greenfinches and Tits.
I think the Robins are going into their summer quiet period, keeping out of sight for the most part. I saw one (and heard it calling) just now in the garden but it is very timid indeed. I still have a Hedgehog visiting as I found its poo outside my back door this morning, and sitting outside earlier I saw a Grey Heron fly over, which was great to see. Am pretty sure there have been a number of Sparrowhawk attack runs here recently, sometimes I'm out in the garden and all of a sudden all the birds in the local area will go absolutely bezerk and as one fly up into the air in a panic and fly around and around.
Very busy on the feeders yesterday morning with the following seen in an hours watch.
Greenfinch 2
House sparrow circa 12 max
Goldfinch 4
Blue tit 3
Great tit 2
Coal tit
Long tailed tit 3
Bullfinch 1 (male)
Plus the following species feeding on the ground table feeder.
Chaffinch 5
Blackbird 3
Song thrush
Dunnock 2
Wren
Starling circa 10 max
Collared dove 2
Woodpigeon 2
Dave.
Fozzy dont the Grey Herons look even bigger when flying over rooftops
....Getting back to the thread i'm dead chuffed that the Nuthatch is as regular as the usual garden birds [or is that worrying in terms of natural food supply?] Had a Red- legged partridge rooting around the lawn at breakfast time....
They really do - I wondered what on earth it was for a moment! I don't look enough but I know my house is on a route that these birds take as walking near the river just across the main road I've seen birds flying that same flightpath before so if I'm lucky I might get a Little Egret or Cormorant sighting.
My garden has been very very quiet this week! Had the odd Goldfinch, Blue Tit, a few House Sparrows, a Starling and a 4 Collared Doves! There are plenty of birds flying about they just aren't stopping for food.
I think my neighbours must have really scared them at the beginning of the week :eek!:
Pam,
Dave, I think you must have the most inefficient Sparrowhawk ever.|=)| I've never seen so many failed attacks without a few successes in between. It must be killing elsewhere, if not, it will be dead soon.
Your right Chris, could be dumb-bird the Sparrowhawk.....
It is getting closer with its attacks now, or a better description is that its getting more serious with its attacks, swooping lower, and more frequent, and while we are in the garden
I am enjoying the thrill of the chase :t:
Yeah, it's exciting, but the children won't want to see a successful attack, not if they are young. It takes quite a bit of getting used to, seeing a bird eaten alive. I still find it difficult to watch, and I've lost count of how many times I've seen it.
I suppose if the children are young you could say the birds are play fighting, then take them inside before the blood starts.|=)|
I try not to have the young kids around to often, it costs me ice cream money![]()
Cormorants typically use the rivers to navigate between local feeding sites. that said however they also regularly fly in a straight line between key sites. So if you are on a direct flight line between two large reservoirs you have a much improved chance of seeing one.
A good day for me - Buzzard, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch, Jay!! Needless to say this is because i've spent quite a bit of time by the window today.
CB