Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....
Blimey Roger, they are good counts :t:
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Very busy at the bird feeder today! (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter Moraybirdlover
- Start date
Blimey Roger, they are good counts :t:
Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....
3 Redwings pre-roosting at dusk in the feeder tree, left just as it got very dark. They just sit there for about 45 minutes.
Hi everyone, I'm new here as the RSPB Community being down for over 4 days now has made me desperate for bird talk!
I spent a very disheartened Sunday seeing absolutely nothing in my garden but two woodpigeons and was about to give up on having anything to report to the big garden birdwatch when 26 goldfinch (I managed to get a picture and count!) literally collected all at once in one of our bare trees. They seemed to enjoy sitting there for five minutes before they all then (all together once more) flew into the tree next to it which is shrubby and seemed to be staying there for the night.
I had never even seen one goldfinch in our garden before last week (we were a strictly woodpigeon-magpie inner city garden) so I was astounded (and charmed!).
Unfortunately I don't see my garden in daylight during the week so I am going to have to wait until Saturday to see any further action.
I spent a very disheartened Sunday seeing absolutely nothing in my garden but two woodpigeons and was about to give up on having anything to report to the big garden birdwatch when 26 goldfinch (I managed to get a picture and count!) literally collected all at once in one of our bare trees. They seemed to enjoy sitting there for five minutes before they all then (all together once more) flew into the tree next to it which is shrubby and seemed to be staying there for the night.
I had never even seen one goldfinch in our garden before last week (we were a strictly woodpigeon-magpie inner city garden) so I was astounded (and charmed!).
Unfortunately I don't see my garden in daylight during the week so I am going to have to wait until Saturday to see any further action.
Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....
Welcome to birdforum and in particular the garden thread :t: a great result with the goldies.
Do you have many feeders in the garden?
We don't have any feeders in our garden, nor next door's, but we do have a lot of tall old trees which the birds seem to like to stop off on between wherever they do feed.
I actually got so excited I went out to buy a feeder (hanging from a tree) but a squirrel has taken to it
I've also bought a table but waiting on a helpful relative with a drill to build it! |;|
I actually got so excited I went out to buy a feeder (hanging from a tree) but a squirrel has taken to it
I've also bought a table but waiting on a helpful relative with a drill to build it! |;|
Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....
We don't have any feeders in our garden, nor next door's, but we do have a lot of tall old trees which the birds seem to like to stop off on between wherever they do feed.
I actually got so excited I went out to buy a feeder (hanging from a tree) but a squirrel has taken to it
I've also bought a table but waiting on a helpful relative with a drill to build it! |;|
Well get him on the job pronto
Cheshire Birder
Well-known member
Forgot to mention it earlier but had a garden mega at the weekend - a Merlin flew through!!
CB
CB
roger1234
Well-known member
Cheers dave,been quite busy lately,goldfinches have always been there and numbers increasing,sadly no redpoll yet as they dominated the feeders last winter until April.
2slo
Well-known member
Snow started falling today (didn't lie thankfully) and this was co incident with the first group of LTTs I've seen this year in my garden. 6 birds in total took turns to feed on suet cake (the type with insects baked into it which is very popular). Got one quick shot of two of the LTTs with a (startled looking!) Bluetit:
bongofury
Well-known member
Superb, CB.
Good to see you back, Mark. Quality shot as always.
2 Redpolls this morning and a Goldfinch this afternoon were today's highlights.
2slo
Well-known member
Thanks Bongo, I've had little time recently watch the garden birds, hopefully that's improved now.
Good to see Redpolls, a species I've never seen in my garden.
Larry Lade
Moderator
Not too much to cheer about today. The temperature is just at the freezing mark; had a slight drizzle, but did have a few birds at our feeders:
Red-bellied Woodpecker -1
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Black-capped Chickadee - 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 2
Dark-eyed Junco - 10
Northern Cardinal - 1
House Finch - 2
American Goldfinch - 10
House Sparrow - 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker -1
Downy Woodpecker - 1
Black-capped Chickadee - 1
White-breasted Nuthatch - 1
Carolina Wren - 2
Dark-eyed Junco - 10
Northern Cardinal - 1
House Finch - 2
American Goldfinch - 10
House Sparrow - 5
Bananafishbones
Incoherently Rambling .....
That will take some trumping this year, a quality bird CB :t:
Moral question: all respectful input appreciated. European starlings are a non-indigenous bird. They are troublesome for many domestic birds. Especially the eastern blue bird. It's not unusual for 15 to even 25 to raid my feeders daily. They chase off other birds. Are one of the most wasteful birds. Ie... Knocking food to the ground. There is just nothing positive to say about them. Should I kill them? Simple BB gun one at a time. Many kill them on sight. As a birder I somewhat feel nature will take care of its own. However, eastern blue birds are being pushed out of their habitats. Etc. others thoughts?
stonechat1
New member
Wrong.
1. They are very beautiful in breeding plumage and therefore beautiful to look at.
2. They are very smart
3. They can imitate other bird voices and sounds of their environment
4. They are able to maneuver in flocks of thousands without crashing together.
JoeRawles
Feathers Wild Bird Care
Over here they are on the red list and are still one of the highest declining species in gardens in the UK. Still, many of our customers actively discourage them with caged feeders etc to prevent them accessing foods for the reasons you mentions, e.g. chasing over birds off and wasting food. I love them though, and certainly, regardless of whether they are a pest or not, wouldn't have the heart to shoot them. I kind of understand how you feel, we have domestic white doves that have adopted the Oast House next to our feeding area which are a real nuisance. Anything that goes down for the ground feeding birds gets gobbled up instantly but again I would do nothing more than shoo them away, if that.
Somewhat resent this: first it assumes I did not take the different variables of the group into account. I believe I led off the discussion topic with "moral question." Secondly it appears, feel free to correct me here if I am wrong, that I am not as serious a birder as some. I could defend this but I won't. I will say I have enjoyed birding most of my adult life. I built my very large feeding station with my own to hands. I belong to 3 birding forums. Ohio birds on Facebook, ohio-listserv. Hosted by the ohio ornithological society hosted by Miami university. This topic has been on the other two. I consider this my home group. Have read nearly every post since I joined. It is a respectful passionate group. Anyone remember the cayenne pepper and squirrel eyes discussion? Yes, it's a painful idea. When does man have a right to fix his mistakes at the cost of life? Eastern blue birds are slowing being pushed from our region.
I respectfully stand by my question.
Ps. If senior moderators request I remove the post I of course will do so.
stonechat1
New member
Stilt, you consider yourself a serious birder, right?
How can such a person then write in a forum like this sentences like "Should I kill them? Simple BB gun one at a time."?
I doubt that the decline of Eastern Bluebird´s in your area is only the fault of this species.
How can such a person then write in a forum like this sentences like "Should I kill them? Simple BB gun one at a time."?
I doubt that the decline of Eastern Bluebird´s in your area is only the fault of this species.
Although I personally do not kill birds, I don't see any problems with Stilt's original comment. After all, it is not unusual to kill invasive species. Several US states kill Mute Swans and NY plans to eradicate them. Rock Doves are routinely killed in many areas in the USA and elsewhere. I know an avid birder in Texas who traps and kills House Sparrows, and the biologist at the college where I work regularly kills Starlings which nest in our Purple Martin houses. Neither person would dream of killing those birds if they were in the UK.
However beautiful some of them may be, invasive bird species are a problem.
BTW, for readers who don't know the USA, I should perhaps say that the four species I mention above were all deliberately introduced into the USA from Europe. This sets them apart from nonnative species which, like Cattle Egrets, made their own way here.
Jeff
However beautiful some of them may be, invasive bird species are a problem.
BTW, for readers who don't know the USA, I should perhaps say that the four species I mention above were all deliberately introduced into the USA from Europe. This sets them apart from nonnative species which, like Cattle Egrets, made their own way here.
Jeff
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