steve1 Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 Long tailed tits have at last returned to the feeders after a long absence. steve 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium dhjgreen Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26, 2020 (edited) On 14/03/2020 at 15:08, dhjgreen said: We have not previously had good experience with window mounted bird feeders, but a few weeks a go I decided to have another try. Now I have to top up this tray on a daily basis (dried meal worms and suet); all the tits that come here use it, blue, coal, great and LTT. A big advantage is that none of the bigger birds, especially starlings, come to it. The proximity of the main feeding station and the row of bushes between that and the window must be helping. BTW is anyone else entertained by the way LTTs hold the food in one claw and hang upside down from a twig to eat? This is a delight. In our enforced lockdown we see a constant stream of mainly LTTs coming for meal worms. Edited March 26, 2020 by dhjgreen 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26, 2020 When I looked out this morning I noticed that small birds such as tits and sparrows are building nests in a group of bushes where I have never seen them nesting before. The bushes are on the edge of a normally busy footpath intersection. Taking advantage of the empty streets? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
88D Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 Shouldn’t be in this thread really, but at least I am talking about two-winged animals. The animal in question is a bee-fly: looks like a fluffy, buff bee but with two wings and a very long proboscis. I have noticed quite a few in my garden over the last couple of years, but not in the 30 years before! Are they heading north with climate change, or what? BTW, Live near Hebden Bridge. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 26, 2020 Peregrin falcon on Norwich cathedral. https://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/news/peregrine-falcon-lays-four-eggs-at-norwich-cathedral-amid-coronavirus-norfolk-1-6577878?fbclid=IwAR3XP1aHidCvfT9yGFdd6V5jn0z3Bd2hqEgex81W1PKcVWITSlcEiE36e9A 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 (edited) Well, there appears to be a battle between the blue tits and the coal tits for our nestbox. The coal tits had moved in last Friday, but then on Sunday/Monday the blue tits, who have used our nestbox in 2015, 2016 and 2018, decided that THEY would use the nestbox, and Bulleid the coal tits out. This involved somewhat of a dogfight between one of each pair. The blue tits then moved in although they would often hesitate on the entrance hole before going in. But this afternoon the coal tits have reclaimed the nestbox and restarted nest building, although so far I believe I’ve only seen one as the one I’ve seen hasn’t been seen with their partner and uses the same flight routes. I hope we have a coal tit family because they were here first. Edited March 26, 2020 by SVRlad Autocorrect 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kingzance Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 No chance of knocking up another nesting box and finding a nearby and suitable place for it Liam? 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 31 minutes ago, Kingzance said: No chance of knocking up another nesting box and finding a nearby and suitable place for it Liam? Well the previous owners of our house left a nestbox on the right hand side of the garden, and the nestbox which has been used is an RSPB one attached to the wall of the shed on the left hand side of the garden. Currently the old nestbox is buried in undergrowth but if one pair find it then they could use it as a well hidden nesting site. Though I do remember the RSPB website saying that nestboxes shouldn’t be positioned too close to each other as it can lead to conflict. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 Blue tits keep looking at our nest box but dont want to take the plunge..... 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
88D Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 1 hour ago, SVRlad said: Well, there appears to be a battle between the blue tits and the coal tits for our nestbox. The coal tits had moved in last Friday, but then on Sunday/Monday the blue tits, who have used our nestbox in 2015, 2016 and 2018, decided that THEY would use the nestbox, and Bulleid the coal tits out. This involved somewhat of a dogfight between one of each pair. The blue tits then moved in although they would often hesitate on the entrance hole before going in. But this afternoon the coal tits have reclaimed the nestbox and restarted nest building, although so far I believe I’ve only seen one as the one I’ve seen hasn’t been seen with their partner and uses the same flight routes. I hope we have a coal tit family because they were here first. Come on Coal Tits, those Blue Tits are bullies! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 2 hours ago, Phil Bullock said: Blue tits keep looking at our nest box but dont want to take the plunge..... That’s exactly what ours have been doing - they peer in but often they don’t actually go in. Methinks blue tits are rather fussy about where they nest. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 Teri and I went out for our single exercise this evening - a two mile walk around Churchdown. Never seen or heard so many robins - think every garden has one..... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert17649 Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 loads of them seem to have come back .I wonder why// 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 4 hours ago, 88D said: Come on Coal Tits, those Blue Tits are bullies! So after my earlier post there was a rather interesting development - the blue tits and coal tits were simultaneously entering the nestbox! At one point there was a blue tit AND a coal tit in there! One theory I had was that they’ve put their differences aside, reconciled with each other and have now joined forces to have a mixed brood. But that would lead to a very overcrowded nestbox, and add to that four adult birds and it would get quite cosy in there during the night... 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerburnie Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 We have Green finches in reasonable numbers in the village after they vanished for a while, if not in our garden they are looking to nest in one of our neighbours. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted March 26, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 26, 2020 16 minutes ago, SVRlad said: So after my earlier post there was a rather interesting development - the blue tits and coal tits were simultaneously entering the nestbox! At one point there was a blue tit AND a coal tit in there! One theory I had was that they’ve put their differences aside, reconciled with each other and have now joined forces to have a mixed brood. But that would lead to a very overcrowded nestbox, and add to that four adult birds and it would get quite cosy in there during the night... LTTs are very social birds and form larger family groups - any evidence of others doing the same? 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clagsniffer Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 Have just sorted out my bird feeding station today, gave the feeders all a good clean and restocked. Installed an upside down hanging basket at the base of it so the robins and wrens can get a look in without the wood pigeons clearing it all out. So far I’ve had blue tits, sparrows and a single robin so not bad. I used to get dozens of goldfinches but they all seem to have vanished, hopefully they will return. Was a very pleasant day in the garden, took my mind off everything else going on for a little while at least. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted March 27, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 27, 2020 Like the anti pigeon provision - need to do something similar on mine! 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
88D Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 11 hours ago, SVRlad said: So after my earlier post there was a rather interesting development - the blue tits and coal tits were simultaneously entering the nestbox! At one point there was a blue tit AND a coal tit in there! One theory I had was that they’ve put their differences aside, reconciled with each other and have now joined forces to have a mixed brood. But that would lead to a very overcrowded nestbox, and add to that four adult birds and it would get quite cosy in there during the night... So was Darwin wrong? Or is this a cross-species instance of Social Darwinism? The world’s gone mad! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
choo1choo Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 Garden curiously bereft of birds the last few days. Only the occasional Sparrows. Do they know something we don't ? 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 27, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 27, 2020 7 minutes ago, choo1choo said: Garden curiously bereft of birds the last few days. Only the occasional Sparrows. Do they know something we don't ? They might be like the sparrows near me. In their wisdom the local council hacked down some shrubbery alongside my house. The shrubbery was usually used as a nesting site but that has been removed. The birds have now decamped to some shrubs in a front garden that is on a normally very busy street corner but in the present circumstances is very quiet. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
choo1choo Posted March 27, 2020 Share Posted March 27, 2020 1 hour ago, PhilJ W said: They might be like the sparrows near me. In their wisdom the local council hacked down some shrubbery alongside my house. The shrubbery was usually used as a nesting site but that has been removed. The birds have now decamped to some shrubs in a front garden that is on a normally very busy street corner but in the present circumstances is very quiet. No,everything in the garden is as was. The only odd occurrence was our Robin passing away a couple of days ago. Maybe they sense this? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 A couple of long-tailed tits started to show great interest in our back door window...apparently they are attracted by the reflection of the sky. They've been doing this for a few days now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8RQe_vCZGo 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jbqfc Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 28, 2020 it's all go in the garden this morning both the pigeons and blue tits at it making babies John 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprintex Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 Went for a short walk earlier to get some grocery bits from the local shop, and on the way back was treated to a mini-murmuration by approx 250 starlings Went on for a few minutes before they all rapidly descended into the rooftops and trees Paul 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now