Collared Dove and friends

The collared dove had decided that he didn't want to eat off the floor. So he started jumping on to the feeder tray to munch.
Then he sussed he could easily reach the ports.
The feeder was quite solid on the branch with its' metal handle, so I took it off and tied it to the branch with some string, thinking that when he lands it will swing and he'll lose balance.
The next morning, I looked out to see him happily munching away, no problem.
So I moved the feeder to underneath the bush, thinking he'd not get enough room to fly to it.
But I came home to see him munching away. Although I did see him try to get on later on. If he didn't get it right, it would be a bit awkward for him and he'd give up. So a part result.




I have now got 3 greenfinches, although they won't stray from this feeder.


I now have a male and female goldcrest. The male has an orangy stripe while the female's is yellower.


I also have the two nuthatches flitting in and out all day.






"I'm looking at you"


I was especially pleased to get my monthly visit from the bullfinches.

Spring Equinox

The warmest day of the year so far. The car said it was 18 degrees. Very nice.
I have seen a pair of gold crests in the garden most days this week. They even came and fluttered about while I was in the garden stocking up the fat feeders.


The siskin numbers are very low now. I'm not sure there are half a dozen at any one time. Perhaps they have moved on, or someone else is feeding them good stuff.


This starling was sitting on next door's gutter most mornings. I thought he was a (big, fat) baby who wanted to join in with the other ones, as he would just sit there, cawing to them and shrugging his wings. But then he'd fly over to this telegraph pole and just sit there until he went back to the gutter. I'm sure his nest is there. Next door must have a good half dozen nests in his eaves and gutters.


I'm getting the jackdaws on my lawn more and more now.


The dunnock is usually seen on the other (out of sight) side of the garden, but he came to by the window today.

I got some lovely pics of a Mrs Blackbird.

New Year

I haven't posted a bit as I've been away for Christmas time and New Year, but I'd taken these pics just before Christmas and so here are a few

The gold crest is still a regular visitor


And I do like this pic of Mrs Blackbird


Blue tits are so fluffy

But not as fluffy as long tailed tits

The gold finches are regulars now. In fact I moved this feeder so next door could enjoy them while I was away.

The robin is still elusive. Mind you, I was out the back today stocking up and he flew up looked at me and flew off

Friday

I was bored in work and 10 minutes in the morning wasn't giving me a good enough fix, so I finished early.
It was bloomin cold yesterday, this was the frost on the roundabout.


I have been seeing the black cap every morning since first seeing him this week. In the mornings I tend to get the tits and the dunnock and blackbirds, although I didn't see any blackbirds this evening. Always see starlings haha.

I managed to get my best goldcrest photo so far.

And a not so good one.

My robin photo taking is just dreadful. He is the one I am determined to get a good pic of. They say robins are tame, but the ones in my garden are ever so nervous.

I took a few pics of the tits having dinner

A starling joining the tit for some fat. But it is probably the other way round.

The starling just arriving.


The longtailed tit likes the fat ball I have in the vine
One side:

And his better side:

Although they like fat balls wherever they are

This is not a good pic at all, but is appaerntly a pied wagtail in the middle of a car park (thanks again Sheila)

I thought he was a LTT but is a bit fat for one, I suppose

Friday night, so I get two days bird watching and trying to get good photos. Although it's giving rain for the morning, so I won't get any good pics through the glass. It is windy tonight and the ground feeders will probably have a feast awaiting them in the morning.

Saturday

The morning after the stock up the day before.

I was fully expecting loads and loads and loads of birds. But it seems less than normal.
I didn't see anything on the nyger feeder. I think it's because it's on the starlings' tree.
Also only a lone tit has been seen on the fat candle.

So I went out and rearranged a bit. I moved the fat cake to a tree the other side of the garden hopefully to encourage the starlings over there. I moved the nyger feeder onto the tree outside the window. That now has a total of 6 different feeders/foods on it. One great tit didn't know where to settle. The nyger has had one or two visitors including the greenfinch, but mostly a coal tit.

I did see the goldcrest a few times and also, after a lot of poring over books and pics, I now know the brown bird I've been seeing is a dunnock as he had grey "flashes" over his eyes and rather a nice pic of him too.









Mrs chaffinch is still a scaredy cat, especially when the starling chases her off.



I'd read that you should pack a bit of fat into the tree nooks and crannies for tree creepers and the like, so I scraped the fat candle up a few brances and trunks. The starlings love it and are scrapping over it. It was also a nice treat for the very bird who I put it there for, the tree creeper who visited at dusk and went the other side of the branch when I approached him.




Sightings today
starlings
great tit
coal tit
blue tit
3 long tailed tits

dunnock
robin
mr and mrs chaffinch
mr and mrs blackbird
gold crest
gold finch

tree creeper
wood pigeons



Not seen a nuthatch today though. They are usual visitors, so I don't know where they are today.



I'm sure this is the same bird as I was wondering about yesterday and is definately mrs blackbird






There were a few bugs on the window and I tried a macro shot of them. The camera seemed to zoom in on different bits each time. Well cool if I say so myself