Who is the bravest bird in your garden ? (1 Viewer)

[Nerine]

Hi from Guernsey, Channel Islands. Bravest birds in my garden are House Sparrow and Dunnock. They watch from Eleagnus and Berberis, quite patiently, while neighbouring cats prowl. Once cats have moved on they venture to bird table/ feeders/patio. I do admire them, they are my favourite birds in the garden! Nerine (this is my first post).

I think this is a fantastic site - have been looking in for a long while, learning all the time. I am a novice bird watcher and love it.

 

[AnnieW]

Great question Vicky - I must have missed it when you first posted.

There are several different answers in my garden. For real bravery (or total stupidity) it has to be the pheasants who have made friends with the fox (see my snowy day post). They are, however, totally terrified of me and will run squawking from the garden as soon as either of us appear !!

In terms of lack of fear of humans, it's definately the long tailed tits at the back of the house. This is quite ironic, because they were one of the most reluctant to stop at the feeders when I first put them out. They will now wait on a branch above me as I fill the seed feeder chattering away. They are now also quite happy if the dog accompanies me on the filling rounds !!

At the front it is a very friendly robin, who sings it's heart out in a bush right next to where I park the car - he seranades me on my way out to work in the morning and welcomes me cheerfully back in the evening. He sits arms length away, and stays while I start the engine and drive off.

 

[christineredgate]

Hi,Nerine,welcome to BF,(what a delightfully unusual name you have).Glad you are enjoying the site,certainly lots to read and view.
Vicky,as to your question re the bravest bird." weeks ago,I would have definitely said Charlie ,our regular Blackbird,but he has been ousted from his top spot by a most handsome Thrush ,who seems to spend most of the day,sat in the feeding tray,keeping all others at bay,esp the Starlings,even in a group ,Tom Thrush sorts them out.In fact I have a small pic of him eating a piece of cheese ,will see if I can find it.
Have just found the pic,not brilliant ,taken through a window,with a small Olympus digi camera,if one does get too near the window the birds do fly off,also the pic can come out very blurred. Also one of him perched on the edge of the feed tray,keeping away all the rivals.

 

[rogerk]

I remember when I was a boy we had a cat called tigger. One day, tigger was out in the garden bothering the birds and suddenly a male blackbird swooped down and pecked him firmly on the rectum!! That's one brave birdie!!

 

[Bluetail]

Your robin is different from ours. Is your nuthatch the same as ours?

Hi Tammie

No, our Nuthatch is different too, though less different than the robins. Ours larger than your Red-breasted Nuthatch; it's pretty nearly the same size as your White-breasted.

Jason

 

[Bluetail]

Currently none of your birds are very brave (haven't got any Robins). The bravest one ever was a Woodpigeon last year which became as tame as a Feral Pigeon. - though actually I think it was being not so much tame as possessive of the seed feeders.

Jason

 

[Edward]

I'd vote for Redpoll. Check out the photo on this website of Redpolls in an Icelandic garden a few days ago (scroll down)
http://www.galdur.is/fuglar/tmp1.php?pid=67
The owner of this website regularly changes the photos so if the picture is no longer there, sorry! But it should be on for a couple more days!

E

 

[Angie]

I have lots of brave birds. They seem to get brave when they realise where all the magic food comes from.
Blue & great tits and robins are probably the bravest. I have a trellis outside the back door where the tits congregate when they see me and get fed individually with nuts. Nobby a great tit with a bump on its head is always first. It was funny to watch them when this strange green bird (ring-necked parakeet) started monopolising their favourite sunflower feeder but after a few days they started feeding together. The robins come very close and will let me know when their seed has run out. They also come close when gardening and I dig up a worm and throw it their way.
A very brave pheasant used to visit the garden, come right up to me and talk to me. We had lots of mm mm conversations. Don't know what we said to each other but I'm sure he told me off when he had been kept waiting. Of the current 2 pheasants, one has got quite brave and now looks through the back door for food, and no longer runs away at the sight of me.
The jays and blackbirds have got pretty brave this winter and no longer squawk and fly off.
One parakeet (Charlie) is quite brave but hasn't connected me with her food yet. I bring some of the feeders in at night, but as the mornings get lighter, the feeders go out later. Yesterday, Charlie appeared before I put the sunflower feeder out. She didn't like it when I hung it up, flew off and didn't return again for the rest of the day. This morning she saw me and has stayed around. So perhaps she will make the connection.
The greater spotted woodpeckers quite happily attack the peanut feeders with me watching through the window so they are quite brave. The green woodpeckers still peck at the grass when I go outside.
So I think I have lots of brave birds.

 

[jordan]

Without question, here in my neck of the woods it would have to be the Chickadees.

 

[Steve T]

The Coal Tits every time. When the Sparrowhawk has scared everything off, the first to break cover and come to the feeders is the Coal Tit. Though I suppose that as one of the smallest, it's needs are greatest. So perhaps this is not bravery. I admire thier spirit all the same.
Steve

 

[Sven W]

Pine Grosbeak, without competition. But its probably stupid rather then brave. Will not move even if you are within 2 meters of them. They simply doesn't associate humans with anything dangerous. We don't get them in any larger amounts every year though. Scarse this year but last winter we hade them in groups of hundreds.

Another bird which normally doesn't care if you are at least 5 meters away are northern long-tailed tit.

 

[Nerine]

Another brave bird is the Goldcrest. He does not mind me peering at him from just a foot or two away while he flits through the hedge. So TINY but seemingly unafraid. Quite wonderful.

Nerine

 

[AnnieW]

Another brave bird is the Goldcrest. He does not mind me peering at him from just a foot or two away while he flits through the hedge. So TINY but seemingly unafraid. Quite wonderful.

Nerine

How lucky - I've only ever had one in my garden VERY briefly, but he was a really pretty little bird.

 

[Nerine]

Hello Annie, yes, very lucky! To be honest I have only seen Goldcrest twice in the garden but each time a brave one!!!

Nerine