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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
OP posts:
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Mummylin · 01/05/2016 15:07

I have just had a quick look and she is just sat there.she is very protective of that egg, but it just seems a long time to me, but hopefully I will be wrong!
I have read earlier that the male is the smaller bird and sometimes sits on the chicks, but it's always the female who sits on them at night !

Mummylin · 01/05/2016 15:08

If you look at shot from yesterday, you can see the three chicks and very clearly the fourth egg.

SheWhoDaresGins · 01/05/2016 16:12

Snapped these 2 hoggies snuffling around under the feeders last night and then this afternoon the shy woody that got scared away the other morning was caught red headed snaffling the peanuts. Not the greatest of photos because it was very nervous and kept hiding round the back of the feeder to have a sly look around.

I keep watching Mum and the chicks, they are doing really well aren't they?

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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Mummylin · 01/05/2016 17:42

I love hedgehogs. We used to have some and the mum bought the hoglets out to show them off.

LilaTheTiger · 01/05/2016 21:05

We decided that hedgehogs are the worst pets ever. Anything that stabs you multiple times when you try to pick it up doesn't want to be a pet Grin

*I didn't have them as pets, they were just staying while they fattened up.

They're so lovely though. I have American friends who were fascinated by them.

Here are my guests from last year.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
LilaTheTiger · 01/05/2016 21:06

.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
LilaTheTiger · 01/05/2016 21:08

Apparently I can only post 1pic at a time

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
SheWhoDaresGins · 01/05/2016 22:23

Aww Lila they are soooo cute. I'm away out to see if mine are back.

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SheWhoDaresGins · 01/05/2016 22:27

They were there! Grin God bless them. Awwwwwww I must get some meal worms for them tomorrow.

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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SheWhoDaresGins · 01/05/2016 22:30

They are under the feeders on the same tree as last night. Would they eat sunflower hearts or are they munching on bugs eating the seed?

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LilaTheTiger · 02/05/2016 07:38

I've found them eating chicken food... But I dont know the scientific answer.

Mummylin · 02/05/2016 08:30

Just taken this shot, I wonder if the egg will be ignored now. Fab pics of your hedgehogs.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
CrepeDeChineWag · 02/05/2016 08:54

Not a bird but saw this little moth? yesterday, never seen a pink one before! Any ideas what it is?

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 02/05/2016 09:10

I wish we got birds in the garden.

Have tried Niger seeds, sunflower hearts, mealworms.

Only thing that works is suet squares but we really only get starlings.

Ive tried the feeder in different places in the garden.

I reckon it's because I have two cats who are often outside so the birds just avoid our garden.

GerundTheBehemoth · 02/05/2016 12:05

The moth's a ruby tiger, Crepe. Here's its page on the brilliant UKMoths website.

Love the hedgepig pics! I've not seen one for years.

CrepeDeChineWag · 02/05/2016 13:38

Oh wow! Thanks Gerund 🌺

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 02/05/2016 18:02

I found an hedghog in in our garden last year and 14yo dd was amazed. Said she thought they were mythical creatures like haggis. Hmm

SheWhoDaresGins · 02/05/2016 18:27

Hedgehaggis, I like it Grin

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LilaTheTiger · 02/05/2016 20:40

Hahahaha! At haggis Grin

Mind you DP didn't believe in Robins til we moved here, and still isn't convinced about bats...

SheWhoDaresGins · 03/05/2016 00:08

2 haggis Wink

Grin
Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
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WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 03/05/2016 06:35
Grin
GerundTheBehemoth · 03/05/2016 08:32

Arf at the spiny haggises Grin

Lila - didn't believe in Robins??

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 03/05/2016 08:47

i would die of the excitement if I had a hedgehog in my garden!

I thought I had posted on here about my tits. fnnnaaar ...I think a pair are in one of the boxes, they were fossicking about in the forsythia the other week and have seen them on the feeder too
Have lots of fat sparrows nesting in the clematis
And this morning the swallows and possiby housemartins are back with a vengence ..I'll go over to my phone and see if I can post a picture.

I spotted the first swallow on the 20th April but since the cold snap have barely seen any but this morning they are back and swooping in to check out the nests that have survived the winter...I think there are a couple at the sitting room window and some over the kitchen
Usually we end up with the housemartins in the nests, and I have a feeling the swallows prefer the farm buildings.

TondelayaDellaVentamiglia · 03/05/2016 08:50

The first swallow of summer... 20th April.

Had a lovely 30 minutes watching the birds in the front garden
GerundTheBehemoth · 03/05/2016 09:32

Beautiful photo, Tondelaya. They are such beautiful birds.

I'm waiting impatiently for the first swift here. I ususally tick them off in the last week of April (just passing through, the breeding ones don't really come in til the second week of May). Most of my birding pals have already seen plenty. I bloody love swifts, and love trying to photograph them!

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