Very busy at the bird feeder today! (3 Viewers)

[jasperpatch]

two newbies - ID help?

Oooh - I have badger envy now! Have to see if I can get a shot of the groundhog in the back yard! The dunnock photos are great too - big fan of dunnocks.

Two newbies in the garden this morning, I think the first is a house-finch, not sure on the second.....also just up the road were a golden-crowned kinglet, lark bunting (?) and the beautiful wood-duck....Jeff or anyone else who knows these local birds could you check? Not great pictures but hopefully enough to ID - I have looked through my guide but they're all new to me!

 

[Gretchen]

I think the second picture is a junco. A very nice bird, which I guess may be around all winter for you (perhaps several?). I enjoy watching them. I think the first is a house finch but I'm never quite sure about house vs. purple - sorry. The third I thought was a song sparrow at first, but am not sure - someone else will know. Fun getting in new birds, isn't it?

 

[jasperpatch]

the game is afoot!

I think the second picture is a junco. A very nice bird, which I guess may be around all winter for you (perhaps several?). I enjoy watching them. I think the first is a house finch but I'm never quite sure about house vs. purple - sorry. The third I thought was a song sparrow at first, but am not sure - someone else will know. Fun getting in new birds, isn't it?

Thankyou Gretchen - it is very exciting with new species - especially completely new types of birds like Junco's - it does mean that you have to get used to looking at new sections of the book! It does look like likely, I'l compare the photo to the book again when I wake up properly...
as for the bunting/sparrow, yes I'm not sure now either, he was singing his little heart out but reading the descriptions I'm not sre that narrows it down!


Adding to the black and white animal list, we saw our first skunk yesterday when we arrived back from the cinema - they're huge! (well a lot bigger than expected!)....in the back yard, have to mae sure the dog stays away....also a beaver on the river yesterday afternoon - bliss!

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Pic 2 is a Dark-eyed Junco, Pic 4 is Wood Duck. If you post the pics on the ID forum you will get some definitive answers.

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Three Buzzards circling over Poynton. This follows one in my garden this morning.

CB

 

[ChrisKten]

It's been dull and wet the last few days, which means some birds appear less often in my garden. I've not seen Jays, Crows, or Magpies, much at all.

One thing that hasn't changed is the amount of Sparrowhawk attacks, in fact I think the attacks have increased. The birds have been panicked at least 6 times a day for the last 2 days, although most attacks have been unsuccessful. So my garden is either full of alarm calls, or dead silent, more often than not.

As an example, about an hour ago everything flew off in a panic. I looked out and saw nothing except three Squirrels frantically shaking their tails. Eventually I noticed the reason for the panic and the alarms, I've attached a blurry picture of the culprit. It's impossible to get a decent image in that area even when sunny, the picture was hand-held at 1/10th second, 526mm equivalent zoom, and through the window, hence how rubbish it is. Also, Sparrowhawks in the wild don't just sit and pose for you, they are either dead still and hiding or always looking around for a bird that hasn't flown off, if they just missed a kill (or flying of course). But it gives me a record of what happened.

 

[JeffMoh]

Oooh - I have badger envy now! Have to see if I can get a shot of the groundhog in the back yard! The dunnock photos are great too - big fan of dunnocks.

Two newbies in the garden this morning, I think the first is a house-finch, not sure on the second.....also just up the road were a golden-crowned kinglet, lark bunting (?) and the beautiful wood-duck....Jeff or anyone else who knows these local birds could you check? Not great pictures but hopefully enough to ID - I have looked through my guide but they're all new to me!

I'd say House Finch, Junco, Song Sparrow and Wood Duck.

It's always worth posting in the ID forum, though. You get some real ID experts there and I find they often give some pointers to why a bird is or isn't what you think it is!

Jeff

 

[karpman]

Hey guys

Got the odd birds visiting now on a daily think there more just passing through and stopping for a snack, Had some intresting things in the fields behind my garden this morning 2 x sparrow hawk sitting on a telegraph pole "got some photos when i can find camera lead" and a adult fox passing by made me smile.
Took to sitting in me garden in the morning before work with me first cuppa.
Also ordered 2 new feeders 1 for sunflower seed and 1 for nyjer will let you now how it go'es.

Cheers

Karpman

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Excellent photo ChrisKten!!

CB

 

[wayne1983]

Well ive asked for a camera for christmas so i will be able to post pics then, hops to get some good ones as there appears to be something going off all the time lately hereB o

 

[jasperpatch]

Thankyou CB and Jeff. Having compared the original photos and my guide book again I think i agree....Junco and song sparrow. I will make more use of the ID thread in future - was a little hesitant as I know they are likely to be very common birds and feel a bit of a chump - but sure there's plenty of other new and clueless birders out there who may be helped too!
Thanks again

Great picture Chris

 

[Bananafishbones]

Todays highlight has been the Grey Heron very low over the garden this evening.

Starlings 60-100 putting on a great aerial show and the now nightly 000s of Jackdaw noisily going past (sometimes directly over, other times 200 yrds away).

Fat balls not being touched at the moment but the Nyjer busy with Goldfinch (11 today) and the Sunflower seeds with the Greenfinch.

2 X Coal tits still busy busy busy.
A single Robin and 2 Dunnock

Oh nearly forgot 2 Mallard directly over at 5pm ish

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Thankyou CB and Jeff. Having compared the original photos and my guide book again I think i agree....Junco and song sparrow. I will make more use of the ID thread in future - was a little hesitant as I know they are likely to be very common birds and feel a bit of a chump - but sure there's plenty of other new and clueless birders out there who may be helped too!
Thanks again

Great picture Chris

Don't worry about the pictures being of common birds. That's what the id forum is for, to help everyone, all ages and abilities. We are after all a "community" on the internet.

CB

 

[Bananafishbones]

CB........... Crossbills

CB, Just noticed on maccrspb that 30 Crossbills in forest on 5th :eek!:
You dont have any upto date info do you?

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Bfb,

Make sure you have the window open while your near the garden. If I hadn't had the window open i'd never have known the Buzzards were flying over this lunchtime. They were calling loudly.

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

CB, Just noticed on maccrspb that 30 Crossbills in forest on 5th :eek!:
You dont have any upto date info do you?

Nope. Spotted that the other day but not had chance to go up there. Its one of their favourite areas of the forest. May try tomorrow morning first thing before breakfast. Will let you know if I see them.

CB

 

[ChrisKten]

Thanks for your comment on the picture, CB.

It's strange that I can never get a decent picture of a Sparrowhawk unless it's killing or eating. Although if you think about it, it makes sense. Once they've got the prey they no longer need to hide, so they are often in reasonable light (but still with a degree of cover). Whereas, like the one I just posted about, even if their attack fails, they stay in reasonable cover in case there are any stragglers.

Changing the subject a little, I went to my local Reservoirs on Monday for an hour or so; it was very dull and drizzly. As soon as I realised how bad the light was I knew my camera wouldn't manage many decent pictures, but my eyes still worked, so I stayed as long as I usually do.|=)|

Funny thing was that I saw a bird I've not seen before, Egyptian Goose. OK I know they've just been added to the General Licence as a "pest", but I thought that the pair I saw looked quite pretty/colourful. I've attached pictures of the male, and of the female, plus a juvenile Great Crested Grebe, and a Mute Swan.

As you can see, my camera doesn't like dull and drizzly, but the Swan and Grebe pics aren't too bad considering the conditions.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Nope. Spotted that the other day but not had chance to go up there. Its one of their favourite areas of the forest. May try tomorrow morning first thing before breakfast. Will let you know if I see them.

CB

Cheers CB
I will get to read the BF after 14.30, if you deliver good news I will be on my way by 14.35
Dave

 

[Bananafishbones]

Thanks for your comment on the picture, CB.

It's strange that I can never get a decent picture of a Sparrowhawk unless it's killing or eating. Although if you think about it, it makes sense. Once they've got the prey they no longer need to hide, so they are often in reasonable light (but still with a degree of cover). Whereas, like the one I just posted about, even if their attack fails, they stay in reasonable cover in case there are any stragglers.

Changing the subject a little, I went to my local Reservoirs on Monday for an hour or so; it was very dull and drizzly. As soon as I realised how bad the light was I knew my camera wouldn't manage many decent pictures, but my eyes still worked, so I stayed as long as I usually do.|=)|

Funny thing was that I saw a bird I've not seen before, Egyptian Goose. OK I know they've just been added to the General Licence as a "pest", but I thought that the pair I saw looked quite pretty/colourful. I've attached pictures of the male, and of the female, plus a juvenile Great Crested Grebe, and a Mute Swan.

As you can see, my camera doesn't like dull and drizzly, but the Swan and Grebe pics aren't too bad considering the conditions.

Cricky Chris that Swan looks mighty close and ready for a sudden lunge at you
All good photos mate :t:

 

[ChrisKten]

Just to say that I've got way behind on the posts here. There's been some great pictures posted by everyone (well not Wayne as he hasn't got a camera and not karpman, yet |=)|). I don't think I welcomed you to the thread, Amy, so welcome.|=)|.

I'll try and catch up on what I've missed maybe tomorrow, but if you miss a few days it's easy to lose track.