Very busy at the bird feeder today! (10 Viewers)

[Bananafishbones]

garden count for year now 25 and a very rare garden bird appeared this morning a REED BUNTING.kept to the ground for a while picking up spare seeds that had fallen from feeders,brightened my sunday morning up!!!

Very Nice Roger :t: A few people are suprisingly still getting Reed Buntings in the garden even with the current milder weather.

Just had a single LTT

 

[Bananafishbones]

Just had a male Pheasent on top of the Houses calling out. Beautifull bird but totally random and unexpected lol

Great tick Dan:t:

 

[Dan123]

Cheers Dave, goes to show expect the unexpected!

Greenfinch numbers have suddenly doubled, managed to count 16 but there were more in the trees but difficult to count them all as they are flittering all over the place and become alot more agreesive with each other, and with the other birds ntoo.

 

[Bananafishbones]

Cheers Dave, goes to show expect the unexpected!

Greenfinch numbers have suddenly doubled, managed to count 16 but there were more in the trees but difficult to count them all as they are flittering all over the place and become alot more agreesive with each other, and with the other birds ntoo.

Dan this is another of those species that I have come to really appreciate in the garden especially when I get such large numbers of them. Alot of people up and down the country just dont get to see these birds in the garden at all

attached a couple of images of one of the males from the other day

 

[jpscloud]

I've just pre-registered for the garden birdwatch next weekend and downloaded the sheet ready to fill in. I noticed they don't have pied wagtail on the list, which is a shame - the juvenile pied wagtail has been back today and hopefully will be around next weekend too.

 

[Dan123]

Dan this is another of those species that I have come to really appreciate in the garden especially when I get such large numbers of them. Alot of people up and down the country just dont get to see these birds in the garden at all

attached a couple of images of one of the males from the other day

Very true, in fact I was one of those people that didnt get any for quite a some time. This time last year, I was longing for Greenfinches and then started to hear and see them around the area, but they never came down for seed, which was frusterating. Now I have had on more than one occassion since then 30+, and like with everything, its easy to take something for granted when you see something so regular.

I certainly would notice and miss them tremendously if they all vanished and never returned.

Lovely images by the way

 

[bongofury]

I've just pre-registered for the garden birdwatch next weekend and downloaded the sheet ready to fill in. I noticed they don't have pied wagtail on the list, which is a shame - the juvenile pied wagtail has been back today and hopefully will be around next weekend too.

I normally complete mine online and you can add additional species that aren't on the standard list. Lesser Redpolls for instance:t:

 

[Cheshire Birder]

first light: Mealy Redpoll, 30 Redpoll (I should get a new garden highest count in a while as they were all disturbed by a few magpies and I still hadnt counted the ones in the tree that had not come down to the feeders 32 or more needed!!) and 1 male & 2 Siskin

***update new garden record 32 Redpoll.... CB i could have done with another pair of eyes...lol they are a bit flighty!***

I will be dong my rspb count early on Saturday

3 Redwings have just paid a short visit but were outnumbered by the agressive female Blackbirds

I would have been out if you had rung. Went to the Wirral today - Hen Harrier, Peregrine, Merlin but no Short-eared Owls tho.

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

garden count for year now 25 and a very rare garden bird appeared this morning a REED BUNTING.kept to the ground for a while picking up spare seeds that had fallen from feeders,brightened my sunday morning up!!!

Nice! I've had Reed Bunting visiting during the mild weather this last couple of weeks but usually they visit in really cold/snowy weather.

CB

 

[Cheshire Birder]

No41 - Buzzard. Must have heard me complaining yesterday. At this rate i'll have done my years target by the end of the month!!! :-O

CB

 

[SeacroftBirder]

Saturday:
Usual suspects, with a Jay flying over head, a wren hopping through my garden into next doors, then a solo Long Tailed Tit nibbling on a fat ball

Sunday:
I was just looking out of the kitchen window, when a Sparrowhawk swooped into the garden, and sat on the fence. All the little bird sought refuge in the dogwood bush at the other side of the fence, with alarm calls ringing out.

Then, the Sparrowhawk FLEW into the Dogwood bush, in pursuit of it's quarry. It was quite a sight watching the hawk chasing through the bush!.






I don't think it managed to get any lunch though!

 

[Bananafishbones]

Nice sequence Seacroft.... a persistant male, nice one

 

[jpscloud]

I normally complete mine online and you can add additional species that aren't on the standard list. Lesser Redpolls for instance:t:

Aha! I think this sheet is just for handy reference anyhow - if only the redpoll would visit me again!

 

[Bananafishbones]

Lesser Redpoll record for the garden smashed now... 42. I know there are more I just coundnt get any more of an accurate count than that.

Mealy Redpoll here also

9 Goldfinch, but no Siskin yet

Another garden record late last night with 17 Carrion Crow sat in the oak tree

 

[birdbrainer]

Last Week

Over the last week I've had coal tits, blue tits, great tits, house sparrow, dunnocks, blackbirds, pair of collared doves, pair of wood pigeon, starlings,chaffinch,bullfinch x3 and greenfinch x 2, which are all my regulars.
I used to get a lot of long of long tailed tits but only get one now and again now. Goldfinch have returned but only one or two.
My biggest wow was a pair of bramblings over the last few weeks! This is a garden first and first sighting for me too. :t:

 

[Jos Stratford]

Good mammal selection around my feeders of late - Roe Deer and Red Fox seen, but all the rest by tell-tale tracks in the snow - Red Deer, Elk and Racoon Dog, also a presumed martin of some sort. Should have paid more attention - probably Wild Boar too. Two of my feeders also got very bright europaea Nuthatch too at present.

 

[Missyburd]

Now got the garden species count up to 28 so far this year! Added Heron and Wren to it this morning, not seen the heron at all over this winter (not surprising as the pond's been iced over!) but he landed in a tree and was quickly seen off by a couple of crows. The wren I hardly see due to the awkward angle I see my garden at from my watching spot, but today it was pecking about on the patio, much to my delight, my second favourite!

Seen a bird of prey 3 times this morning, must be the sparrowhawk but each time I've seen it it's looked a lightish brown, not a slate blue or dark colour. I'm just assuming from its behaviour its a Sparrowhawk

I've also noticed the blue tits have suddenly got far more aggressive, spending most of their time chasing and fighting each other. Must be getting to that time of year again!

 

[SeacroftBirder]

I've also noticed the blue tits have suddenly got far more aggressive, spending most of their time chasing and fighting each other. Must be getting to that time of year again!

A touch of PMT (Pre Mating Tension) lol!

 

[Nature__lover]

I've also noticed the blue tits have suddenly got far more aggressive, spending most of their time chasing and fighting each other. Must be getting to that time of year again!

I've noticed the exact same thing! blue tits constantly chasing eachother in loops in the air. and battling at the bird feeders. they have been investigating my bird box too. even had one roosting for a couple of nights

 

[Busybee]

In our garden it is more the chaffinches that are squabbling, but the blue tits are looking very smart now.
We had a male greenfinch this morning, I am pleased to say. I thought I saw one last week but nothing since so it was good to see him.
We also have had a wren scrabbling about near the patio.:t: