Goldcrest on feeders (1 Viewer)

[Paul Longland]

I was at home staring out of the window yesterday when I saw a Goldcrest on the garden fence. This is a rare enough occurrence on its own as I have only ever seen one in the garden twice before in the last five years.

As I was watching it was joined by another one and after a short time buzzing in and out of the shrubbery, interspersed with some fly-catching aerobatics they both proceeded to settle onto the feeder containing fat balls. One also visited the sunflower hearts briefly.

I have never heard of Goldcrests coming to feeders before and wondered if anyone else had experienced this. If it were last weekend when we had several inches of snow it probably would have been less surprising, but the fact that they were actively fly-catching (I could see a small cloud of midges hovering around the garden pond) this was certainly not as a result of lack of natural food.

Over the next couple of hours, the birds came and went and each time they visited my garden the same behavior was repeated.

 

[ChrisKten]

Years ago, when I had less birds in the garden, I used to hang miniature trays that I made on the back fence amongst the Blackberry Bush - the trays had Peanut Butter and seeds in, and was meant for the smaller birds. It only worked for a few months until the Pigeons worked out how to cling to them - but during that time, Goldcrests would feed on the Peanut Butter. I've some pics showing this, but I'll need to dig out some old hard drives to find them.

I've also seen them at the Suet feeder, but can't be sure it was the suet mix they was feeding on. So it's not unknown for Goldcrests to visit feeders, just seldom seen and captured on camera.

I'll add a few feeding pics to this thread later... if I actually remember later

 

[pianoman]

Not on feeders, but I have noticed quite large influxes of Goldcrest into gardens the last few weeks. Don't know if it's weather related. Be a nice sight to see one on the feeder!

 

[christine]

Had a Goldcrest in my garden recently, although i didn't see it near the feeders. They're rare in my garden, so i was delighted.

 

[humakt]

We're quite lucky in that we have goldcrests nesting in the spruce trees at the bottom of the garden.
We often see them flitting back and forth.
We also have the bird table and feeders sited beneath the spruce trees.
But I can honestly say I have never seen them feeding at the table! I've often wondered why not and just put it down to the fact that they are both shy and just a species that prefers not to feed at a table.

 

[LesR]

I have many different species visiting the garden and feeders, during the 9 years I have lived here, but have only seen Goldcrest during March 2016. Quite surprised to see them on the feeders.

 

[Paul Longland]

it has become an almost daily visitor over the last couple of weeks now. Always follows the same pattern. Flies in from the adjacent gardens where there are some large conifers, lands briefly on the fence before dropping down into a ceonothus shrub that is near the feeders. After a short forage in the shrub flits up into the fatball feeder (it is a squirrel proof cage type so it probably feels protected) and feeds on the crumbs that have collected at the bottom before doing a circuit of the shrubs and bushes around the edge of the garden. I did even see it visit the bird table that is in the middle of the lawn once albeit briefly. I do think that as more and more people put feeders out the range of species using them has increased. It was not so long ago that long tailed tits would rarely come to feeders yet now it is common.

 

[christine]

I have many different species visiting the garden and feeders, during the 9 years I have lived here, but have only seen Goldcrest during March 2016. Quite surprised to see them on the feeders.

What beautiful photo's LesR, A real treat for someone like me who only gets to see them fleetingly from the kitchen window!

 

[LesR]

Thank you. Glad to oblige Christine.

 

[Haleymay73]

I have a goldcrest that comes everyday and is very friendly, will sing away while I’m topping up the feeders and be inches away from me......he uses my feeders......such a joy to see

 

[jogresh]

Fantastic!

 

[Andy Bright]

I have a goldcrest that comes everyday and is very friendly, will sing away while I’m topping up the feeders and be inches away from me......he uses my feeders......such a joy to see

Welcome to Birdforum, we hope you enjoy the site :t:
Excellent to be able to get a photo of these hyperactive birds.
Goldcrests have fascinated me since childhood.

cheers,
Andy

 

[The-Wanderer]

I saw my first goldcrest yesterday, in the garden....lovely. My wife has seen them before here but she has had more opportunity than I.

It was a good day, yesterday, for the first time in the garden, I saw a tree creeper. In the past I had only seen their backs as by ran up a tree trunk; I hadn't realised how beautiful they are!

 

[fugl]

I’ve had Ruby-crowned Kinglets—one of the Goldcrest’s North American counterparts—come to suet cakes in my suburban backyard on a number of occasions. They’re pretty little creatures and always a pleasure to see.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/405332251/in/album-72157627360056907/

 

[Robert Wallace]

This week I have observed a female goldcrest in my garden, for the first time in many years. I checked my BTO Garden Birdwatch records and it is only the forth time in my garden. The three earlier records would have been in the early days of GBW as I had forgotten seeing them.
The bird feeds on the birdtable which has finely grated cheese and suet pellets available and also a "Peanut feeder" containing suet pellets preferring to consume the debris from the pellets which stick to the base of the squirrel guard.The goldcrest has been observed over the past three days. The feeder and birdtable are close to the dining room window so I have had good views which is why I am pretty certain it is female due to a pale yellow crest. It is interesting to compare it's size against our regular coal tits.

 

[Muso]

Have had one in the garden and saw him 3 times over the last week or so. Posted a pic in the gallery of Goldcrest on the coconut feeder. First time ever in the garden, although I've been all over Scotland looking for them...! Also recently had a Reed Bunting as well as some Siskins, which are not regular visitors - ice and snow maybe bringing them in. Posted pix of these too, which you can view in my member gallery.