Where have all our garden birds gone?

[Downendian]

Swallows returned to South Devon a week or so ago.

Swifts in the Bristol area this week.

[Geoff Endacott]

Swifts in the Bristol area this week.

 

I thought it was scrapped 40 years ago!

 

Geoff Endacott

[DDolfelin]

Bird feeders now very popular again for no reason I can discover.

 

In view of the 'Hooded Crow' confusion above, I thought a picture of the Cretan version might be of interest.

Almost as common as pigeons where we stayed:

 

 

They drank from the Swimming Pool regularly.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I am now getting loudly 'peeped' at by a wren pair in what was supposedly a Robin box on the side of the building containing my layout. The Robins of course won't look at this box, but instead use the incinerator - unless I acidentally Ieave the layout building fanlight window open in a hot summer - and then they nest indoors. Tree creepers have a nest in a 'lean to' stack of spare fence panels, and this year's second brood of great tits are clearly underway at the back of the compost bin. There's a goldcrest pair somewhere behind the greenhouse too; this is very good news as it means I simply cannot get on with repairing the fence until they have gone. More time to play with the layout, ho, ho.

[DDolfelin]

Lots of people reporting Goldcrests.

Must be an increase in numbers - not very often seen before.

[Horsetan]

So far, the following have visited my garden this year:

 

- blackbirds (male and female);

- woodpigeons (probably the same ones);

- magpies (loads - they monopolise the lawn when they arrive, and have got into fights with blackbirds);

- goldfinches

- great tits (I used to see blue tits years ago, but they seem to have been superseded)

- two woodpeckers

- one solitary sparrow

 

....and the neighbours' cats.

[John M Upton]

Pied Wagtails are now appearing on the platform at Barnham, wagging away to amuse the waiting passengers!!

[Downendian]

In the field opposite my cottage I have heard Nightingales in the hedgerows the last two nights. So they have returned, despite the summer gales. Heard but never seen.

Neil

[DDolfelin]

Good news, Neil.

[Phil Bullock]

Goldcrests in Sandford Park Cheltenham and a Goldfinch fledgling being fed in Cheltenham hospital grounds today.

 

Phil

[DDolfelin]

Here's some more birdy pics for those that are interested.

Not necessarily from my garden!

 

http://www.flickr.co...02816@N05/show/

 

The slideshow seems to have picked up other pics. too.

Doesn't matter - just stop when you've had enough!

Edited June 19, 2012 by DDolfelin

[DDolfelin]

I think I've made a mistake.

I bought the remaining stock of wild bird food from a defunct business.

Huge bargain with which I'm generally pleased but ....

It included a large pack of thistle seeds.

Thistle seeds? I can cope with a few sunflowers appearing unexpectedly but thistles I can do without.

it's too late now anyway - they're out in a separate feeder and blowing all over the place.

[MJI]

Our garden

 

Blackbirds

Sparrows

Robin

Pigeon

Goldfinches

Blue Tits

[Peter Bedding]

Et in Arcadia accipiter nisus.............

 

 

So many of us have gone to some lengths to create a paradise for garden birds, it is not really a surprise when a gatecrasher invites himself to the party.

 

We have had occasional sightings of sparrowhawks in our West Dorset garden for a number of years, but in the last few years the sightings have increased in number. Now they are regular weekly visitors to our feeding post, and on one occasion this winter I saw a "kill" from the kitchen window. (Scratch one bluetit.)

 

This morning this rufous chappie arrived at breakfast time and I just had time to grab the camera and get two hurried pictures:

 

 

And then he was gone. Nature can be harsh, but some killers are quite beautiful.

 

PB

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Aft'noon all,

 

I've managed to film 35 of the 38 species seen in our Staffordshire Moorlands back garden over the last 4 years. Unfilmed as yet are the shy Lesser spotted woodpecker, goldcrest and the larger Greater spotted woodpecker. Rarities that did get filmed include: blackcap, redwing, fieldfare, reed bunting, brambling and siskin.

 

Here are a couple of links to my videos of our garden birds

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43564631@N08/page26/   there are a few more in the garden birds set 

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43564631@N08/sets/72157623144255597/

 

 

The lesser redpoll was in the garden but the siskin are at Lake Vyrnwy, however, I've also filmed them in the garden.

 

The Sparrowhawk is amongst those filmed. I take the view that the presence of this lovely bird indicates a healthy presence of potential prey. Also, I've only seen them take feral pigeons....we can probably spare a few of those.    

 

Cheers

 

Dave   

Edited February 9, 2013 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[Phil Bullock]

Fantastic barn owl encounter this week on small country road from Hucclecote to Churchdown

 

Flew in front of car and then along hedge at side of road - I managed to adjust speed on empty road to pace it and watch it out of drivers window, flying along not 5 yards away from me for about 100 yards before it peeled off and cut in front of me again.

 

What a privelidge!

 

Phil

[hmrspaul]

When this topic began I disagreed with the title, however after the past year it is now an accurate question for my urban garden. Where we used to get through a tube of niger every 48 hours I have only half filled it once since August - and only caught sight of pairs of goldfinch twice in that time - they used to queue up, up to a dozen at a time. Collared doves - used to be two to four almost permanently in the garden, not seen one for months. OK we have a steady 8 - 12 sparrows, a few black birds, a few woodpigeons - admittedly there is a roost of them building up once again in the town garden opposite us. Starlings - none, feral pigeons - very occasional. Robin rare, not seen a Wren in months .... All very sad.

Paul Bartlett

Edited February 9, 2013 by hmrspaul

[Ashcombe]

Since we've only lived here for 18months, I can't really say what the normal level of take up for bird food would be but it certainly seems to be lower here than in our garden in Staffs. However, that was in a large village whereas now we border farmland where there may well be more natural food sources for the birds. That said, we regularly see blue tits, a wagtail and a robin and occasionally jays, pigeons, magpies, finches and the odd seagull!

[Downendian]

Feeders currently being cleared on a daily basis.

Nyger feeders by Gold and Greenfinches

Lots of blue and Great tits and occasional coal tit.

Flocks of Chaffinches (mainly picking up spoils on the ground), along with Robins and Dunnocks

Yesterday a flock of beautiful long tailed tits moved in (see pic)

Also lesser spotted woodpecker and believe it or not a Jackdaw on the peanuts

Sorry for pic quality only iPad to hand.

Neil

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Mornin' all,

It can't be just in the Staffordshire Moorlands....the increase in garden bird activity over the last fortnight has been dramatic. There are 4 - 6 goldfinches on our niger seed feeders almost continuously with redpolls taking turns. This morning 3 male siskins in fabulous yellow and black were perched on the same feeder around 12 feet from where I'm working on the layout in the conservatory. 

 

Cheers

Dave Edited April 13, 2013 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[Fat Controller]

Here in rural Kent (edge of large village, with farmland bordering garden), it's relatively quiet for days on end, but then several species arrive at once. Over the last few days, we've had Coal, Blue and Long-tailed Tits,a robin, jackdaws, collared doves,sparrows, and a couple of finches. The feeders are in a tree just outside the window, just below eye-level from the first floor; the cats will sit and make noises through the glass at them. Yesterday, a Collared Dove sat on the window-sill; if I didn't know better, I'd say it was sticking its tongue out at them, though both were either asleep (or pretending to be).

[DDolfelin]

When I started this thread, our usual avian visitors weren't to be seen.

Now things are back to normal with all the expected suspects and a few exotica.

[melmerby]

Back here in Worcestershire the increase started a couple of weeks back.

 

We had a residual population of Blackbirds, sparrows and tits over the winter which only seemed to venture out on the better days but all are now out most of the day and in greater numbers (lots of young 'uns) Plenty of other birdsong audible as well. There is also a Heron which comes over regularly

 

We had a comment earlier about Jackdaws on the peanuts. (Even the Woodies have had a go, but they can't hang in the right position to benefit!)

I have been fighting mind games with the Jackdaws to try and stop them using the peanut feeder!

I keep modifying how the feeders are hung and what type.

I now have "squirrel-proof" feeders for seed and peanuts and that seems to have stopped unwanted customers, including the foxes. The feeders are hanging on cords, suspended from a line which seems to have solved all the problems. (so far the Jackdaws haven't figured a way around that.)

 

The Jackdaws also used to eat the fat balls which were hung on a line, by sitting on the line, and then pulling the cord up in their beak and holding it in a claw, bit by bit, until they had got hold of it (Clever birds these Corvids)

 

Another bonus of the sudden increase in temperature is lots of bees, which we hadn't seen any signs of since February but no butterflies around yet, since a small number seen in February.

 

Keith

Edited April 13, 2013 by melmerby

[New Haven Neil]

Plenty of birdlife here too today, robins, various tits, finches, couple of doves, blackbirds, bloody jackdaws....the tree creeper has been spotted too.  One or two honey bees about, but haven't seen a bumbler yet.  No flutterbyes.

[Horsetan]

..... robins, various tits, finches, couple of doves, blackbirds, bloody jackdaws....the tree creeper has been spotted too.  ......

 

 

Relatively quiet on today's "twitter feed".......