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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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SheWhoDaresGins · 27/04/2016 08:52

I think Exits idea is a brilliant idea. I shall leave it to Exit or yourself Gerund or like Exit suggested getting this one moved.

I didn't think starting my thread would get so many replies or fabulous pictures and it would be a shame for all the pictures to be lost in 90 days I suppose. How do we go about it?

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GerundTheBehemoth · 27/04/2016 08:58

Oh, yes, we can just move this one rather than start again. I have reported the thread to MNHQ and asked them to move it...

SheWhoDaresGins · 27/04/2016 09:02

Fabulous.

I have been trying to get a snap of the Gold finches but as soon as I get my phone they bugger off. With all their beautiful colours you'd think they'd pose wouldn't you Grin

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GerundTheBehemoth · 27/04/2016 09:19

They are flighty blighters Grin Maybe you need to build a birding hide in the garden...

lavendersun · 27/04/2016 09:29

This is a lovely thread. We recently moved from one very rural location to another. Quickly installed our bird feeders. Within two days of them going up the garden's pheasant population had increased from two, Mr and Mrs, to twenty.

I was woken up by pheasants and when I looked out of the window I couldn't believe it - twenty of the things. They have really torn up the grass in the way my chickens used to (just by the feeders though) and left pheasant poo all over the slabs, same as chickens but without the benefits!

We have tons of different birds here to the last house though, a daily visit from a heron and we have lapwings who fight with the crows.

A pair of robins have made a nest in a hole in the wall by the back door (fist sized bit missing off the electric meter box), when you open the door you have to pause because otherwise there is a danger of them flying into your head! They whizz past in a panic, I have 'felt' their wings mm away from my hair several times.

Interesting how garden birds are so different in one location to another. We have got our bird books on the kitchen table in a bay window and are constantly looking at them right now.

Gerund, when I lived in the US, on a bay, we had ospreys nesting at the bottom of our garden - will try to find a photo.

Mummylin · 27/04/2016 09:54

Have just looked at web cam and it's clear the fourth egg is still there. I'm hoping I will be able to catch when it's hatched,but I have to go out so I may miss it ! Feeding time seems to be around 11am so I may be lucky before I leave.

SheWhoDaresGins · 27/04/2016 10:11

lavender yet to have that many pheasants, mind saying that when I look at where my lawn used to be in the back before we got our 2 hens, I am glad it is just 1 pheasant Grin

Here's Mr P having a snack Grin

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
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SheWhoDaresGins · 27/04/2016 10:12

I'm bobbing out to Mummylin but will check before I go and when I get home.

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Mummylin · 27/04/2016 10:40

Feeding time, the greediest is on the left, the egg is hidden by the chicks. I missed the food arriving.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Bohemond · 27/04/2016 11:02

Hello everyone - so pleased to have found this thread.

My binoculars are installed on my desk so I can double check the markings on the birds coming to the feeders outside my office window. We have fat balls, nyger seed and usual seed and I had 12 different species yesterday including a greenfinch and either a redstart or a whitear (I wasn't quick enough to check the colour of the tail!).

Our little wren has been collecting fluffy foliage but I don't know where they are nesting.

Top tip for finches is to buy an expensive nyger seed feeder - we had a cheap one last year and no birds came as I don't think they could get the seeds out. DH is refusing to fill that one up today as the goldfinches (8) went through a whole tube yesterday - he says that they need to finish what's on the floor first Grin.

We have many pheasants in the garden as there is a shoot next door. Our favourites are a pair named Jack and Vera (guess our surname) - Vera must be off nesting as she hasn't been seen for a couple of weeks. Jack as lost his tail feathers so is instantly recognisable strutting around with his fat belly.

Bohemond · 27/04/2016 11:04

Forgot to mention that I have a lovely bird book called Spotting and Jotting Guide - Our British birds by Matt Sewell. He is an artist so all the birds are hand painted. I find it much easier to navigate around than some of the more detailed books.

We also have his calendar!

GerundTheBehemoth · 27/04/2016 11:04

lavender, how amazing to have ospreys at the bottom of the garden Grin

Hope the last peregrine egg hatches today. It'll have some catching-up to do though - the chicks are already looking bigger and stronger.

I am so busy with work at the moment but hope to find time to go and look for spring butterflies sometime soon. I'm near the North Downs and there are some pretty scarce species to see through late April/May. I photographed this not-at-all-scarce but very beautiful peacock butterfly at the weekend.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
lavendersun · 27/04/2016 11:13

I can't find a photo, only of the stick with the platform they used to nest on (was there when we moved in).

We had peacock butterflies everywhere last week when it was ten degrees warmer than it is today. I cycle a mile down a private road on the school run and they were all over it, basking in the sun. A few of them almost hit me as they flew off as I rode by. I don't suppose the snow and sleet of the last couple of days would have done them much good Sad.

GerundTheBehemoth · 27/04/2016 11:21

They should be OK with the weather - they have survived the whole winter after all. As long as they find shelter they'll just go back into hibernation mode.

Mummylin · 27/04/2016 12:40

Not sure if it has now hatched. Have to go out now so will have to look later

SheWhoDaresGins · 27/04/2016 14:52

Mummy I have similar pics taken around the same time. Did you see when the 3rd chick stretched up for food and keeled over backwards. I was rooting for him to get back up Grin

Off to have another look.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
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SheWhoDaresGins · 27/04/2016 15:07

Still 1 egg to go. Just sat and watched her wrestle the egg and all 3 chicks underneath her. Took her a while but she managed Smile

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
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Mummylin · 27/04/2016 16:33

I see the egg is still there. I notice one of those chicks isn't getting hardly any food, it was the same this morning .just taken these shots

Mummylin · 27/04/2016 16:41

There are two that seem to get all of the food and the other is being missed out ! I'm hoping we will still see the other egg get to hatch, but beginning to think maybe it won't.

SheWhoDaresGins · 27/04/2016 17:28

Was thinking the same. It's been to long now. Fingers crossed it does though. I'm sure the 3rd chick will get his food once he is strong enough to stand up to his siblings Grin

Fascinating to watch though.

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GerundTheBehemoth · 27/04/2016 22:11

It wouldn't be so bad if the fourth egg doesn't hatch. The last-hatched in a brood of four can often struggle. Parents should be easily able to provide for three though.

Mummylin · 28/04/2016 09:13

Well the fourth egg is clearly not hatched in shot I just got. The parent sitting on the chicks was calling to her mate who flew back but without any food ! The other one then flew off and got her own !

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Mummylin · 28/04/2016 09:16

Oops forgot one. There are the three chicks and the egg in this one

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
GerundTheBehemoth · 28/04/2016 14:26

Who's for some lagomorphs? I was on Havergate Island a couple of weeks ago, took tons of pics of the brown hares there. They are really unworried by humans, not like on the mainland. The baby bunny is from Connah's Quay on Deeside.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Mummylin · 28/04/2016 14:38

Goodness that looks huge ! I have never seen one like that before.
Here is screen shot from 5 mins ago. Still one egg

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