The Blue Streak Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 We have a pet Weiro (Cockatiel) and when I change her seed each day, I throw whats left from the day before in the garden. This attracts all sorts of Native birds including Zebra Finches, Crested Pigeons, Twenty Eight Parrots and Pink and Grey Galahs. There is also a pair of Kookaburras and a family of Blue Wrens that hang out in our back yard as well as a few honey eaters and a couple of really cheeky willie wagtails. Usually around Feb or March each year we get inundated with literally thousands of white Corella's which show up for about 6 weeks chew up everything in sight and take off again. Earlier this week we had a 4 foot racehorse goanna out the front. I shall try and get some pics when I remember, 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Yesterday we had what we thought was a snow -bunting in the garden, but eventually decided that, since it was spending time gobbling seeds with the sparrows, it was a semi-albino sparrow with a completely white head and several other white feathers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 One less thrush after an incident this morning. I was raking up leaves when I heard a commotion. A sparrow hawk came round the big walnut tree and at the last moment realized that I was in his flight path. He dropped to the ground about six feet in front of me and sat there giving me a right telling off. He had a few seconds earlier attacked a thrush which managed to escape but collided with a window. The thrush was badly injured around the neck and did not recover. Later the sparrow hawk made a kill, too far away to identify and was last seen sitting high in a silver birch tree tearing his prey apart. The local pair of crows were not happy with the intruder and they joined in the racket. Bernard 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blue Streak Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 (edited) I sat outside for a good few hours with the camera, of course barely a bird came in sight except a couple of magpies and some common garden variety doves. So I gave up and came inside. After less than a few minutes I heard the beep beep of Zebra finches. So I looked outside and saw about 6 or 7 of them and a crested pigeon. I quickly snapped them through the window. Best i could do unfortunately. No sign of blue wrens or kookaburras or the 28's today, I can hear them nearby ,but they will wait until the cameras out of reach before they re -visit more than likely ! I will try for some better pictures later on. Edited November 1, 2015 by The Blue Streak 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 The price neighbors pay for settling for gull nest on roof. The recent damp and fog seems to have encouraged a boatload of moss on pathways and roofs around here, but it is most pronounced where gulls reside... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 (edited) The price neighbors pay for settling for gull nest on roof. The recent damp and fog seems to have encouraged a boatload of moss on pathways and roofs around here, but it is most pronounced where gulls reside... WEB Moss on roof.jpg The cure for that moss problem - particularly prevalent in this area, is a Right-angle copper strip, about 3" on each leg, nailed along the centre ridge. Rain falling on it forms a weak copper sulphate solution and runs down to the gutter. Mine was done 4 years ago and there hasn't been a sign of moss since. Gull droppings form a guano/manure mix and encourage the moss growth. Moss on roofs/rooves and trees is a sign of clean air with little acid rain, so be thankful when I lived at Finningley ladies couldn't hang nylon tights out to dry - if it rained the acid ate them. Edited November 3, 2015 by shortliner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runs as required Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Dunno whether this will work using wife's iPad It's a pic of the Malta flat we are in this morning. They still have sparrows and a cock and his mate arrive to demand breakfast from us each morning. Used to be so common as to be invisible when I was a kid - I think we called them spuggies in the NW. dh 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two_sugars Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 And this side of the great divide. . (Pennines) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I have a garden full of them - at times it is like a moving brown carpet - They roost in next-doors garden - there is the remains of an old cherry tree which was butchered for the wood by a gang of itinerant "tree surgeons" when the elderly lady lived there To cover up the resulting mess it has clematis grown up it which now forms a really thick "top cover" and the racket that comes from it when they return to roost at night, and when they wake in the morning is unbelievable 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff alvey Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 Not in my garden - but - I thought it was just too nice to ignore. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted November 13, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 13, 2015 Don't think I've seen a cuddly toy barn owl before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted November 13, 2015 Share Posted November 13, 2015 An amazing video of migrating birds landing on a ship in the Baltic - https://youtu.be/_MZ7Abmz8rM 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted November 15, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 15, 2015 been a busy day (birdwise) in our garden today. Our two resident robins were seen off by a great tit allowing the blue tits free range of the bird feeders. Then we had a Jay visit, followed by a pigeon or three, starlings (which had virtually disappeared) and magpies, crows and jackdaws. Spuggies galore! Red Kite is no longer in residence so seems like our garden is a bird base at the moment! Baz 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightengine Posted November 19, 2015 Share Posted November 19, 2015 Today we have blue tits, coal tits, gold crests, sparrows, a gold finch, blackbirds and even a solitary magpie. The first 4 are in abundance on the feeders and on the ground underneath. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Mornin' all, Excellent bird day already in our Moorlands garden: 3 bullfinches, starling, sparrow, redpoll, chaffinch, blue tit, robin, collared dove, magpie, coal tit, jackdaw all featuring. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) We have just, at 1450, been visited by a male and female fieldfare on the cotoneaster hedge, gobbling berries , along with 4 blackbirds, here in the land of the Frozen Haggis - stap me vitals - 'tis cold! Edited November 22, 2015 by shortliner 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny777 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) I will keep a look out for the berry gobblers here in the West, as they must be on their way. It is strange here, in that some years we get Fieldfares and some years Redwings, but never both together. Edited to add that I have a Dunnock with a taste for sunflower hearts this winter. Normally the residents skulk along the edge of the grass and are rarely seen near the bird feeders, but this one has perfected the art of hovering by a seed port, then perching for a second or so while grabbing a seed in its beak. I have had occasional Robins which do this, but a Dunnock is a first for me - maybe it has been watching the Robin this Autumn. Edited November 22, 2015 by jonny777 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted November 22, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 22, 2015 Our resident robins and at least one of the dunnocks regularly eat from our seed feeder. There is a tray to reduce spillage so perhaps that helps the ground feeding dunnock? The robins regularly flit in and out with ease. The dunnocks usual position is as sweepers for the messy sparrows. They only seem to go direct when it is quiet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) Evenin' all, A few clips from our garden inc. a Fieldfare, Blackcap, Lesser Redpoll, Brambling, Blackbird and Goldfinch Dave Edited November 22, 2015 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted November 22, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 22, 2015 Lovely birds you lucky boys. However, today we had a female (probably juve) Reed Bunting feeding during the day. There is also a (probably) juve, male Chaffy hanging around most days. Amusingly another Dunnock has appeared this last week and the 'resident' Dun and the new one are spending hours displaying and chasing each other around the hedgerows! This has bemused the Robin who has stopped singing, sadly and is just feeding as much as he/it can. 'Our' pair of Collared Doves have reappeared as well; where do they go for a few weeks I wonder? Phil 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 ...just the two sightings of the reed bunting in our Moorland garden Phil...one during a cloudburst when it was probably forced down. I filmed it but took a while to identify it...so bedraggled but confirmed by our county experts. The second was mobbed by around 6 blue tits who saw off the intruder from their patch...no I wasn't lucky enough to have the camcorder to hand. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightengine Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 It's midnight here and raining a bit. There are birds singing away outside. It feels quite strange, never heard them like this before at this time of night. Deffo a blackbird but also several other types. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDolfelin Posted November 24, 2015 Author Share Posted November 24, 2015 Unusually for this time of year, the goldfinches have returned to the feeders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blue Streak Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Some of the Zebra Finches have bought their just fledged babies to peck at the bird seed out the front. Probably about 6 or 8 young ones I suppose, they look like slightly smaller females but with Black beaks. Didn't get a photo unfortunately, as Mum and Dad are understandably jittery and take off with the young ones at the slightest movement or noise. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blue Streak Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Here's a couple of quick snaps of a Twenty Eight Parrot from this afternoon. Sorry about the quality, as usual it's a bit rushed and through a window. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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