Tree Creeping

Not had much twitching time this week. Had about 20 minutes on both wednesday and Thursday mornings, but it's only just getting light so no chance of getting any photos.
I have had huge(ish) quantities of siskins. I counted at least 15, perhaps 18 of them the other morning. I probably took about 20 goes to count it as they would normally sit at the top of the middle tree and some would go to the bush tree but as I was counting one or two or more would swap places and I'd have to start again, but count faster.
The nuthatch was seen on Wednesday. I used to see him very regularly, but not so much any more, so I was glad to see him. The starling numbers have been down recently too.

I was thrilled to spot a stranger to my garden. I'd caught fleeting glimpses twice next door and I was sure I'd heard him last summer. But I squealed with delight when I saw the greater spotted woodpecker in MY tree in MY garden. Hopefully he's checking things out and will be regular. He only stayed for a short minute then was gone.

Due to the hight volume of siskins I ordered a taller nyger feeder and put it up on Monday. The siskins and finches seem to like it at the short times I've seen, but if this is how much "waste" they are making, I'm bloomin glad that I got a tray. I'm sure that over half of what's gone from the feeder is in the tray. I shall have to dry it off and put it back in.



So I got home in daylight today and there was a lot of activity on the ground outside the window, a lot of what looked like skinny lady chaffinches. But they soon scarpered.
I spotted my tree creeper in the bush tree. He was just sat in the same place for ages and it was so long that I was wondering was he OK?
I slowly opened the window and was hanging out stretching my arm to him to take a photo. He didn't hardly move. He was looking at me, so must have known I was there.

The Morning After The Night Before

Wow, was it windy last night. I'd looked out the window and saw the candle on the floor, but then when I went downstairs to look out the window, I could see that it wasn't the only casualty.
The nut feeder was on the ground a long way from the tree and also the nyger feeder with tray had fallen and somehow the tray had cracked a bit of plastic and the bottom came off the feeder with the seed almost spilling out. So I had to go out and rescue everything. I brought the nyger in to dry and see if I could recover it (I did) and popped the big seed feeder onto a lower branch. because the tree is really a wild bush, it doesn't half sway in the winds which is why the feeders all fell off. Also, the cheap square nyger feeder that I had only filled on Friday was absolutely empty.

So this morning before going out to sort the feeders out again, the siskins were all over the floor and the goldfinches were happy on this feeder.

Hehe, I snapped the robin before he spotted me.

And the collared doves are starting to come close to the house again. For the past few months, they haven't come close (that I have seen) but this last week or so, they've been regulars

New Visitors

I had a new visitor today, and with the help of the lovely people at the GBS forum, I've identified it as a wren. I thought it was one due to it's tail, but it seemed to be very brown rather than the speckly borwn in all my books.

I also spotted my first wood pigeon. I assume they have been here for ever since I often heard them, but it's the first time I've noticed him and, boy, is he a fat bird. (Rubbish pic, I know)

And I also needed help in double checking that this is a crow.

Haha, I snapped the robin before he saw me and flew off

I took my 2 main feeders down to clean and put them back up the other way round. I'd also moved the tray onto the nyger feeder. However, the siskins and goldfinches have stayed away from it. First off, I thought that it was because it was too near the window, but when I swapped them around, they still didn't want to use the nyger feeder. If none has gone by tomorrow, I shall have to take the tray off. I have ordered a taller nyger feeder and tray, so perhaps they'll not mind that.

The collard dove was dive bombing onto the grass and scattering the smaller birds.

And I snapped this nice shot of a coal tit.

The Box Arrives

So after waiting ages for my delivery to arrive, it did last night about 5 minutes after me leaving for the day. The delivery people "Home" are really rubbish. We have an outer door - like a porch, then a locked door that needs swipe access, but there's a buzzer. On Tuesday, one of the guys saw a box outside on his way home - no buzz. Last night, the receptionist heard the outer door going and waited for a buzz, but just heard a sliding/scraping sound then the door again. So she ran down and saw the van dissapear. B*****s. Previously I'd had them delivering an order from Boots and they just said "couldn't find building" bah.



Anyway. 2 big boxes of lovely stuff. I've no idea where I'm going to store it.



I am still waiting on a Droll Yankees A6 and some of the cranberry treats with treat basket. I'd put the stuff out at about 3pm, but no one has been near the fat candle. I hope they like it as I seem to have bought loads.






So I'd decided to get some Nyger seed and I'd no sooner gone in and sat by the window and first a few tits, then a pair of goldfinches. They didn't stay too long. In fact I didn't get too much activity tonight.



Mrs Chaffinch came but didn't stay long.



But before even going out I saw the Gold Crest and managed to get a pic of him. Just as I was starting to sort out my pics, I looked out and there were 2 of them. It was too dark to get a photo of the two of them though.



A lovely looking brown bird who refuse to turn to face the camera


I have put 2 containers for them tomorrow consisting of crumpets, gammon fat, pitta bread, chips and gammon juice.
I gave them that gravied bread this morning, but placed it on a slice of bread. I should have taken a pic as they'd eaten 3/4 of it and left the other 1/4 still nice and tidily sitting on top of a quarter slice of bread.