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Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden

300 replies

SheWhoDaresGins · 22/04/2016 09:43

Firstly Mr Pheasant came calling quite literally, so I threw some feed out on the grass for him then in the 30 minutes I was standing at the kitchen window watching him hoover it up I saw...

1 daddy black bird feeding his chick in our conifer trees. The mammy hasn't been seen for nearly a week now so has probably been nabbed by a cat or a sparrow hawk.

Chaffinches having a nosey, having a bit to eat then buggering off.

Every now and then a lesser redpoll turns up then disappears.

A black cap.

Sparrows that have taken up nesting in the swift box we have in the eves.

Several blue tits coming and going.

2 coal tits pulling the fibres off the underlay on top of the guinea pigs hutch. There are little bald patches emerging and now know the culprits.

There have been 6 or so Goldfinches on the sun flower hearts.

There are great tits fighting over the sunflower seeds.

The resident Robin is perched on the edge of the bucket waiting.

Nut hatches swooping in between the great tits and nabbing the seed of its choice and dropping the ones it doesn't want. I think there was a fledgeling on at one point because it didn't seem to know what to do at first but then awkwardly got the gist of it and left happy.

There's a pair of wood pigeons on the ground getting what ever is dropped.

Then there is a pair of Dunnocks scratting around in the grass and a little Wren shows it's face every now and then.

Then the Jack Daws casing the joint to figure out how to get at the seeds but they are too big to fit between the bars on the feeders.

Then to top it off and I love these a pair of long tail tits. Little fluff balls with tails.

I could stand here all day just watching them. Shame I have house work to do really.

Grin
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Mummylin · 23/04/2016 13:18

For all of you who love watching birds. Our town has nesting peregrine falcons and the local uni students have set up a web cam as the first egg ( of four ) is due to hatch. You may like to watch it. I have just seen an egg as the parent moved !

HERE

Mummylin · 23/04/2016 13:27

Sorry I should of posted the story in today's paper too

HERE

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 23/04/2016 14:35

Ours is nice and chunky need, definitely looks like an adult. And the bit of grass he was in had a lot of cover - should I be concerned though? I'm loathe to put down cat food for him, because the nearby cats already love to poo in my garden, and we get birds...

SnakeWitch · 23/04/2016 20:32

Ooh Peregrines! I had an amazing moment last year, some Peregrines nested on a tall structure in our town which was very exciting, and one day I was in a car park in town and heard a kerfuffle overhead. It was one of the Peregrines and a Raven having a disagreement and the Peregrine flew down so low I could see its beautiful facial markings. I was Shock I could have watched all day but I was taking my poorly sister home so had to leave them to it. It was fab.

Mummylin · 23/04/2016 20:50

One has hatched now and I was amazed to see the parent drag the broken shell and then proceeded to eat it. So now there are three eggs and a baby.

TooOldForGlitter · 23/04/2016 20:53

I love our birds. I even had a garden bird related name on here years ago. We are in a town but close to water and back onto a railway line so lots of mature trees and scrubby undergrowth. My faves atm are the nuthatches and the goldfinches going mad for the nyger seed. Hoping Woody (the woodpecker) comes back this year too.

TooOldForGlitter · 23/04/2016 20:55

and I know it's a bit evil of me but we have resident peregrine falcons in our town and occasionally they sweep down the backs of our houses picking off collared doves. It's amazing to watch them do their thing.

GerundTheBehemoth · 25/04/2016 08:52

In April 2012 there were a pair of ravens that must have been nesting somewhere near the old town end of Hastings because I saw one or both of them whenever I visited my dad there. One morning I watched a raven and a carrion crow having a tremendous dogfight all over the town, it went on for ages and I am sure they were doing it for fun. You can really see how huge the raven is compared to the crow in my pics. Have not seen the ravens since then though.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
GerundTheBehemoth · 25/04/2016 08:53

When the raven was too close to fit in my lens Grin

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Mummylin · 25/04/2016 10:08

There are now two eggs that have hatched on my peregrine watch. It's fascinating.

SheWhoDaresGins · 25/04/2016 10:34

These were taken last year and the pheasant was very tame and think it's the same pheasant who is coming twice a day now and stands by the front door calling till someone goes out to chuck him some feed. His patterns are almost identical. We nicknamed him Chicken.

Saw a mistle thrush pair in the garden yesterday. They are quite big!

The gold finches are still hanging around they are so brightly coloured.

Then above the woods I watched a buzzard being chased by 3 crows. I live the noise they make though I watch the guinea pigs like a hawk when out in their run. Mr Whiskers looks like a nice hearty meal Grin

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
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BathshebaDarkstone · 25/04/2016 10:39

DD's the resident birdwatcher chez Darkstone, I'll ask her what she's seen when she comes home from school, although we did see a pied wagtail in the school playground (London) a few weeks ago. Grin

SheWhoDaresGins · 25/04/2016 10:43

Mummylin she has turned her back to the camera now. I keep having a look but I haven't been lucky enough to see anything other than Mum on the nest. She keeps shifting around but I'm yet to see the chicks.

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Plomino · 25/04/2016 10:45

We have two pairs , possibly 3 pairs of owls living with us ! A pair of barn owls living in the owl box we put up in a field shelter at the end of our field , a pair of tawny owls very close by another old outbuilding , and my neighbour has little owls in his roof . And then last summer we had this little chap learning to fly in our field , whilst mum kept a beady eye nearby

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
GerundTheBehemoth · 25/04/2016 10:50

The pheasant is so stunning :)

There are peregrines nesting on my old uni, there's a cam looking at them. They have four eggs. I had a morning photographing the ones on Norwich Cathedral a couple of years ago (from the ground! But they sometimes flew quite low).

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
SheWhoDaresGins · 25/04/2016 10:51

Aww bless Plomino that's a brilliant photo, what a cutie Grin

I am loving all the photos. Gerund yours are fantastic!

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GerundTheBehemoth · 25/04/2016 10:52

Gorgeous little owl-let!

RobinsAreTerritorialFuckers · 25/04/2016 10:53

Oh, this is a lovely thread!

My partner is really keen on birds and has masses of feeders for them. I had been wondering what Mr Blackbird was doing scratching about under our peonies and why Mrs wasn't around, but now I know thanks to that RSPB link. We think one of the robins must be sitting too, as only her mate is about. And we had the first decoy eggshell (a blue one) dumped in the middle of the flowerbed the other day - not sure which bird that came from.

We also have a pair of very stupid (but pretty) collared doves, who squeeze their entire bodies into the tiny perspex window-clip feeder we've got for the robins, and then look confused. We caught one of them repeatedly trying to peck seeds through the perspex roof the other day. Hmm

NeedACleverNN · 25/04/2016 11:05

Ours is nice and chunky need, definitely looks like an adult. And the bit of grass he was in had a lot of cover - should I be concerned though? I'm loathe to put down cat food for him, because the nearby cats already love to poo in my garden, and we get birds...

Sorry just saw this.

If they are out in the day time it usually means something is wrong. So just keep an eye on him. If you are worried go and give him a little poke. If he balls up nice and tight he's fine. He is very limp, delays in balling or there's an obvious gap in the ball again there is something wrong.

If you wanted to leave food for him couldn't you cut a hole in a plastic box big enough for him to get in but not a cat and then weigh it down?

How can I encourage the birds?

GerundTheBehemoth · 25/04/2016 11:06

Found a fab little bird over the weekend, a male redstart, on his northward migration. I've now seen 156 species so far this year

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
SheWhoDaresGins · 25/04/2016 11:09

Finally found my bull finch picture. Not the best of pictures but it was the best I could do armed with a phone and a nervous bird.

My window feeder has gone untouched up to now. To be fair there are that many feeders in the trees they probably haven't even spotted it yet.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
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ExitPursuedByABear · 25/04/2016 11:11

There is what looks like a black pheasant round here. Will try and get a photo.

The crows are always attacking the herons. Very territorial.

SheWhoDaresGins · 25/04/2016 11:13

NeedACleverNN we just put feeders up with different feed in.

Niger seed
Sunflower hearts
Black sunflower seeds
Fat balls
Mixed wild bird seed

It took a couple of weeks but we get loads now. I have to top them up every day. I buy from the local allotment, it's cheaper than the pet store.

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NeedACleverNN · 25/04/2016 11:23

I've had feed and everything up since beginning of September. Still won't touch it

GerundTheBehemoth · 25/04/2016 11:25

Raw pastry is a really good bargain bird food. Lard and plain flour bound with water, then you can roll it into lumps and treat like fat balls. And can be jazzed up if you wish by adding seeds/nuts/dried fruit/grated cheese.

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