Very busy at the bird feeder today! (41 Viewers)

[Ben Markham]

A juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker caught out in the rain. He stayed for quite a while, defending the bird feeders from both adult and juvenile Starlings.

 

[2slo]

Good shot Ben.
It seems several GSWs have fledged at a similar time based on what I've seen and others I've spoken to today. Here's a shot of our junior GSW sitting on our bird table this morning. When I got home tonight, looking at how much suet has been eaten today it seems the Woodpeckers haven't lost their appetite:

 

[hollis_f]

I've read about the intelligence of corvids and yesterday I got to see it in action. We've had a Carrion Crow visit the feeders on and off for a month or two. It can't actually get anything from the feeders, but sometimes goes after the stuff on the floor.

Yesterday it perched on top of the feeder station and was eyeing the fat-ball feeder. But it just couldn't get into position - so it grabbed hold of the metal loop and tried pulling it off the feeder hook! It had several tries of this, but the hook is one of those that turns back on itself, so it was unlikely to succeed.

Frustrated, it flew off - only to return a few minutes later and try again, with the same results. I wish I could have got a picture, but the slightest movement behind the window will scare it off.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

The garden is full of birds today. Nothing rare though nice to see the big girl back.:t:

 

[2slo]

I wish I could have got a picture, but the slightest movement behind the window will scare it off.

Tripod mounted prefocussed with a narrow aperture and remote shutter release?

 

[Brian2]

garden full of young birds today

Blue and Great Tits
Green and Goldfinch
House Sparrows
Starling
Robin
Wood Pigeon
all brought their brood to the feeders today which is good to see.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Sorry for the poor quality pic but I've just taken this and it's through a window which needs cleaning. If I can think of any more excuses I'll add them later.o

Rich

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Mum and Dad just turned up. Shame it wasn't a little earlier with better light:king:

 

[Cheshire Birder]

Youngsters galore today visiting my parents garden - Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit and unfortunately Magpie!!

CB

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Few from this morning.

Rich

 

[bongofury]

Few from this morning.

Great shots:t:

Siskins are emptying 2 feeders each day at the moment. Also a couple of Redpolls visiting regularly.

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Great shots:t:

Siskins are emptying 2 feeders each day at the moment. Also a couple of Redpolls visiting regularly.

Hi BF. For the first time since we've moved in the Lesser Redpolls are visiting here as well. I was wondering how come the niger seed was disappearing so quickly.

Congrats on your Woodcock a while back btw. Great birds.

Rich

 

[JeffMoh]

EVen though it's been very hot here, birds stopped using the birdbath in our backyard. I put a little solar-pwered bubbler/fountain thing in the bath to encourage visitors but still had no takers. Then I realized the problem was that one of our cats had taken to hanging out near the bath. So I raised the bath by standing it on part of an old tree trunk. I also put some thin wire fencing around the trunk to make sure the cat stays back. Seems to have worked because birds have started coming to drink.

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

 

[earleybird]

Mum and Dad just turned up. Shame it wasn't a little earlier with better light:king:

lovely bullfinches clark you lucky devil..:t: and a cracking Nuthatch too

Seems like everyone has seen their juvenile GSWoodpeckers in the same week this year.

Mum and juvenile fought like cat and dog the whole day over a tiny tree in the garden and ignored the suet . I think there must have been a lot of ants on the tree.

 

[earleybird]

EVen though it's been very hot here, birds stopped using the birdbath in our backyard. I put a little solar-pwered bubbler/fountain thing in the bath to encourage visitors but still had no takers. Then I realized the problem was that one of our cats had taken to hanging out near the bath. So I raised the bath by standing it on part of an old tree trunk. I also put some thin wire fencing around the trunk to make sure the cat stays back. Seems to have worked because birds have started coming to drink.

Jeff
www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com

I bet the cat really appreciated the bubble fountain in this hot weather :-O

I guess birds must feel very vulnerable whilst drinking and bathing . we have 8x cats that frequent our garden (yard ) and so we have had to be very crafty about positioning our feeders . we've put our bird bath slightly under some shrubs to give protection from the sky also

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

lovely bullfinches clark you lucky devil..:t: and a cracking Nuthatch too

Seems like everyone has seen their juvenile GSWoodpeckers in the same week this year.

Mum and juvenile fought like cat and dog the whole day over a tiny tree in the garden and ignored the suet . I think there must have been a lot of ants on the tree.

Cheers EB. Nice Woody there. I've just been for a walk around Penclacwydd with my 2 year old and the amount of juveniles around was incredible.

Rich

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Seems like everyone has seen their juvenile GSWoodpeckers in the same week this year.

Think you're right EB:t:

 

[earleybird]

Think you're right EB:t:

ahhhhh mum and sprog.... Seems like the female GSW is very protective of their offspring even after fledging, when the young are clearly able to feed themselves

nice capture :t:

 

[catbasket]

Still no juvenile GSWs here :C

However in the last week to ten days we've added great tit, greenfinch and magpie to this year's juvenile list.

 

[Socar MYLES]

To my great irritation, a peregrine falcon ate the one and only starling visiting my feeder, grabbing it right off my balcony. I HAD wanted a closer look at the falcon, but, seriously, my starling? Why couldn't it help itself to a pigeon? Got loads of those....

I haven't seen the falcon again, since the grab-and-run, but I had quite a lovely little serenade from a pair of house finches, this morning.