RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted May 9, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 9, 2020 Today's dog walk I saw Rooks, Jackdaws, Magpies, Pheasants, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, House Sparrows, Dunnocks, Pied Wagtail, Blackbirds (including one that is part albino), Robin, Wood Pigeon, Great Tit, Skylark, Reed Warblers, Mallards, Swallows and Swans. The Sawn's eggs haven't hatched but the other day she stood up and I think there are six eggs under her. Mr Swan is getting very territorial. I heard the Cuckoo but haven't seen him yet this year. The Yellow Hammer we see most days must be having a day off. And as I was chatting to my friend about the birds I had seen a pair of Kestrels flew over. Isn't being outside enjoying what is around you enjoyable. Later on a Buzzard flew over, that set the Rooks and Jackdaws into a panic. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 Not the best of photos but one of our nestbox guests was helping themselves to breakfast of some peanuts, and then a bullfinch turned up. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted May 10, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 10, 2020 Havent seen a bullfinch for years.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 We sat out in the back yard this afternoon with a glass of wine and watched the various birds around the yard. There was an (American) robin picking up nesting material for the several 'trial' nests it's building under the carport. They part-build several in potential sites, then decide on one and finish it. We try to persuade them not to build there, since none that have tried it have managed to fledge any chicks - there are too many squirrels around. But the site is just so good for nesting that pairs keep trying. Then there was a pair of chickadees dancing around and twittering in the tree almost right above our heads, coming down to the ends of branches, almost within touching distance. That lasted for several minutes. And the finale was a rufous hummingbird that visited several of the blooms on a flowering currant bush, less than 5 feet in front of us. These birds can be very 'tame'. A little girl who lived next door to us once had one try to feed from the flowers on her t-shirt. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jbqfc Posted May 11, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 11, 2020 our blue tits are very busy feeding the young blue tit by john brace, on Flickr 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 Our Blue Tits too, they have 8 on the go and growing fast. We have never previously seen more than 6 fly, so we'll see if this pair can break the garden record. Robins are feeding too, and they have adopted my garden chair as the perch to look around for predators before going to the nest, so I'll be sitting elsewhere for 2 or 3 weeks... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 On 10/05/2020 at 18:48, Phil Bullock said: Havent seen a bullfinch for years.... I hadn’t seen Mr Bullfinch for a few years, but all of a sudden he made a reappearance yesterday morning. He might be scouting feeding locations. Our blue tits are also extremely busy - last night they were still active at 20:30! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 The feeder which has been on our cherry tree for the last 16 months or so has attracted quite a range of birds. However, my wife noticed that the branch the feeder hung from is totally devoid of leaves, while the rest of the tree is fine. It's not as if the feeder is particularly large or heavy and the metal loop it hung by isn't digging into the branch. Is this just a coincidence or could it be down to the bird activity or the feeder? I can't remember what the branch was like before I started hanging the feeder off it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium dhjgreen Posted May 12, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 12, 2020 21 minutes ago, rodshaw said: The feeder which has been on our cherry tree for the last 16 months or so has attracted quite a range of birds. However, my wife noticed that the branch the feeder hung from is totally devoid of leaves, while the rest of the tree is fine. It's not as if the feeder is particularly large or heavy and the metal loop it hung by isn't digging into the branch. Is this just a coincidence or could it be down to the bird activity or the feeder? I can't remember what the branch was like before I started hanging the feeder off it. Coincidence: we have a branch mounted feeder and the branch is growing beyond the feeder. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium dhjgreen Posted May 12, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 12, 2020 We have a crow that has taken ownership of our garden, mate sitting on eggs. Having shown a cat the exit this morning very fast exit by cat, 10 starling eating "his" bread were shown a very good impression of a hawking stoop. They have not been back. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted May 12, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 12, 2020 Greenfinches seem to have made a come back, as well as sparrows, both have been rarities for a few years but this year are reasonably regular visitors to the feeders 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jbqfc Posted May 12, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 12, 2020 green finches and siskins back today for the first time in a couple of weeks the male siskin was looking beautiful bright yellow John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodshaw Posted May 12, 2020 Share Posted May 12, 2020 7 hours ago, dhjgreen said: Coincidence: we have a branch mounted feeder and the branch is growing beyond the feeder. I suspected as much. Back it goes then. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted May 12, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 12, 2020 10 hours ago, rodshaw said: The feeder which has been on our cherry tree for the last 16 months or so has attracted quite a range of birds. However, my wife noticed that the branch the feeder hung from is totally devoid of leaves, while the rest of the tree is fine. It's not as if the feeder is particularly large or heavy and the metal loop it hung by isn't digging into the branch. Is this just a coincidence or could it be down to the bird activity or the feeder? I can't remember what the branch was like before I started hanging the feeder off it. I've seen Sparrows taking leaves (for nesting?) P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killybegs Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 We have a pair of bullfinches who visit from time to time. The house sparrows have started using the bird feeders this year having normally fed on the ground. Nearly got decapitated by a sparrow hawk last week. Came in through a gap in the trees behind me and passed about a foot over my head before climbing steeply away. I was surprised at how much noise and air disturbance it created as it went past. 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted May 13, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 13, 2020 The sparrows get the good parenting prize here this year - Mum had 3 chicks pestering her on th elawn this afternoon. The jackdaws are also trying to police the magpies..... good luck to them! 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium dhjgreen Posted May 14, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 14, 2020 The robin is now bringing 4 youngsters to the window feeder. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jbqfc Posted May 14, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 14, 2020 just had a female blackbird on the suet feeder never seen that before i think the blue tits in our box has 10 chicks it started hacking at the suet block taking bits in to the nest box did this ten times then went back to to looking for insects today we also have had goldfinch green finch siskin robin starling sparrow magpie feral and wood pigeon John 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted May 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 14, 2020 A grim day here ! Over the last few days we lost all six chicks from our great tit nest. The remaining three perished overnight, presumably due to the very cold nights we've had this week. In previous years we've had successful clutches of great tits, blue tits and nuthatches from the same box., so we feel the location isn't a problem, just one of those things. Last year five out of six made it. We spent the rest of the day cleaning out the box (had to be done as flies were already taking an interest) and doing essential maintenance which couldn't be done over the winter as the box has been occupied more or less permanently since the late autumn. On the plus side, for the second time this week a tawny owl landed on our chimney and stayed there for a good five minutes, which went some way to making up for the great tits. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted May 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 15, 2020 On 12/05/2020 at 19:23, melmerby said: Greenfinches seem to have made a come back, as well as sparrows, both have been rarities for a few years but this year are reasonably regular visitors to the feeders Agreed. I'm no twitcher, but this year's visitors include one or more, and that is a first. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jbqfc Posted May 15, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 15, 2020 some pics of our garden visitors goldfinch by john brace, on Flickr magpie by john brace, on Flickr Feral Pigeon or rock Dove by john brace, on Flickr starling by john brace, on Flickr blue tit by john brace, on Flickr blackbird by john brace, on Flickr 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88D Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 2 hours ago, jbqfc said: some pics of our garden visitors goldfinch by john brace, on Flickr magpie by john brace, on Flickr Feral Pigeon or rock Dove by john brace, on Flickr starling by john brace, on Flickr blue tit by john brace, on Flickr blackbird by john brace, on Flickr Brill! The blue tit looks a tad bedraggled! 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88D Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 On 12/11/2011 at 10:09, PhilH said: Possibly there is abundant food everywhere for them? It has been the time of year when fruits, seeds etc., are everywhere in hedgerows, woods etc. so possibly they're eating them. It’s caterpillar and insect time! It’s what the youngsters can digest more easily. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88D Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 2 minutes ago, 88D said: It’s caterpillar and insect time! It’s what the youngsters can digest more easily. Don’t know how a 2011 post came up then,!? Ignore it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmrspaul Posted May 16, 2020 Share Posted May 16, 2020 There is a family of Long-tailed tits in our urban garden, and I caught an adult feeding a youngster beside our feeders. 9 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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