Pair of Siskin on our sunflower hearts at 12.45

Single Siskin with me still - a female and 7 redpolls over the weekend including one mealy. Last sighting of the overwintering Blackcap was 02 March.

-- Edited by Vaughan Evans at 10:32, 2009-03-09

Spot of garden watching this afternoon produced Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Tits blue, great and coal, Nuthatch and three Siskin (1m, 2F) all tucking in to the sunflower hearts until Mr Sparrowhawk joined the party

Going back to the last century now but, when a birding mate & I shared an attic flat on Chorlton Green in the 1970's, one night we counted at least eight birds in the area, by hanging out of the front and back windows, checking 'landmarks' on our peripheral vision to prevent overlap, and counting the chimney pots that either moved or hooted. We reckoned there was 1 on every street around

-- Edited by Mike Chorley at 00:40, 2009-02-25

Good numbers of Tawnies Sid.
It often suprises me how they live at such density as they are meant to be aggressive things. I think there are 2 pairs near me in Hale Barns, hard to pin down but both pairs live quite close to each other.

c20 Redpolls reported to be in my garden still which is annoying as I want to pick out that Mealy or 20 Mealies but can't when 300 miles away!

Cheers. Henry.

It's a bit wild outside our house at the moment with 3, possibly 4 Tawnys calling non-stop for the past 20 minutes or so - they are up towards Park Road/Delahays Road from the cemetery.
Had a female Redpoll on the sunflower hearts this morning.

Ian Newton's book "Finches" which I happened to be reading last nightstates that Bullfinches do occasionally hover.

Yep Henry, on occassions our feeders do tend to get a little busy. This female Bullfinch however generally waits until it's all clear before she dives in or should I say hovers in.
Sid

It sounds like there is so much competition for feeding space at the feeders Sid that this behaviour is a response to it. The ones in my garden do the same infrequently, they seem to be the species most happy to do it. Stunning when the males flitter about though.
Good to hear you've got a decent flock building up there Sid. Gardens are becoming important habitats for this species.
Henry.

We have 5 or 6 Bullfinches that visit our feeders on a daily basis. Most of them sit there on the feeder arms noshing away on the sunflower hearts until they've had enough or are disturbed. There is one female however that fancies her chances as a Humming Bird and hovers away from the feeder taking the seeds one by one - is this common behaviour for BFs or do we have an oddball? Ideas anyone please.

Male and female Brambling in the garden this morning - first this year. Plus a Song Thrush and all the usual visitors.

Thanks Sid,

I do hear tawnies quite regularly and have had a couple in the garden on one occasion a few years ago - I'll keep alert!

Just called in on one our elderly neighbours and there was a Tawny in her back garden!! - same as ours backing on to Hale cemetry. Keep your eyes and ears open Vaughan

Redpoll numbers increased to 20+ on Saturday though only 4 remained on Sunday. Also 10+ Siskins, a Bullfinch pair, the male Blackcap (since New Year), a single Fieldfare and Sparrowhawk plus a Goldcrest.

-- Edited by Vaughan Evans at 09:35, 2009-01-12

The cold weather has meant a fairly active holiday period in the garden, with the best being 11 redpolls over the weekend along with up to 20 siskins. Others included a male blackcap and a fieldfare. Still no bramblings and only one greenfinch.


-- Edited by Vaughan Evans at 12:27, 2009-01-05
-- Edited by Vaughan Evans at 12:29, 2009-01-05

-- Edited by Vaughan Evans at 12:30, 2009-01-05

Hey Jas .....

I use sunflower and nyger, but even though im only a few hundred yards from Sid, I haven't attracted any Bramblings this year... And don't be cheeky!

Jason

Sunflower hearts it is!!!

Sid A

jason atkinson wrote:

---

Better not get onto the subject of garden bird sightings, for risk of upsetting Vaughan !

Just a question about your visiting Brambling Sid .... is it coming to feed on sunflower hearts ?? Seems to be the bird i cant attract.

cheers
jason

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Better not get onto the subject of garden bird sightings, for risk of upsetting Vaughan !

Just a question about your visiting Brambling Sid .... is it coming to feed on sunflower hearts ?? Seems to be the bird i cant attract.

cheers
jason

Having made the acquaintance of that most unpleasant species, the " Greater Speckling Noro Virus" earlier in the week and having no interest in anything to do with living for a couple of days it was nice to look out into our garden this morning and find a Stock Dove feeding on the lawn - that may not be too exiting for most of you but it was a first for our garden and was certainly better than anything else I had achieved this week!! The Brambling was still there as well.

-- Edited by sid ashton at 17:29, 2008-12-19

Vaughan went past a couple of times today - there were 4 Mistles on the yellow berry tree at around 11.00 otherwise nothing - I shall keep trying.

Had that Sparrowhawk in my garden again this morning at 08.40.

Sid A

-- Edited by sid ashton at 21:10, 2008-12-16

Thanks Sid,

the Rowans are at your end of the road

Vaughan

I'll keep my eyes open when I'm passing

Sid A

Vaughan Evans wrote:

---

24 Siskins, a male Sparrowhawk at 09.30 prompt on Saturday and Sunday, several Redwings, a Fieldfare and a couple of Goldcrests. No Bramblings or even Greenfinches ..... There are two Rowan trees on my road - one yellow and one red which are attacting thrushes at present, so here's hoping they may catch the eye of a lost waxwing or two. I only get to see them in the dark during the week (the trees not the waxwings), so will have to wait till next weekend to see....

---

24 Siskins, a male Sparrowhawk at 09.30 prompt on Saturday and Sunday, several Redwings, a Fieldfare and a couple of Goldcrests. No Bramblings or even Greenfinches ..... There are two Rowan trees on my road - one yellow and one red which are attacting thrushes at present, so here's hoping they may catch the eye of a lost waxwing or two. I only get to see them in the dark during the week (the trees not the waxwings), so will have to wait till next weekend to see....

Henry

Perhaps we take our gardens for granted and it's only when we have a good look (on wet days) that we see what's actually there or overhead.

I do see the Sparrowhawk around fairly often - but never sitting on my feeder!!

Sid

Henry Cook wrote:

---

Garden watching is the way forward Sid! On these wet days I always think the chance of a fly-by or visit from a Sparrowhawk is higher, I'm not sure why they hunt more in this weather though.
Thanks. Henry.

---

Garden watching is the way forward Sid! On these wet days I always think the chance of a fly-by or visit from a Sparrowhawk is higher, I'm not sure why they hunt more in this weather though.
Thanks. Henry.

Another first for our garden this morning - a male Sparrowhawk sitting on one of the arms of our feeder!!!

Bit of garden birding today produced Blue, Coal and Great Tit, Wren, Siskin, Jay, Jackdaw, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Bullfinch, Robin, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Collared Dove, Redwing (flock of 10), Great spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, Nuthatch, Mistle Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Blackheaded Gulls (over), Wood pigeon, Goldcrest, Magpie and our now daily Brambling - 25 species without getting stuck on the M56!!!!!

Sid A

12 Siskins again this weekend but no Bramblings. No Greenfinches either, in fact finches seem pretty scarce. Having said that a Female Bullfinch made a few visits, a couple of Goldcrests, a couple of Redwings, a Fieldfare and at least 10 Blackbirds - there a is heavily laden Bramley Apple tree in the garden behind. A Kestrel drifted West, North of Hale Road hovering occasionally.

I also had my first Siskins of the winter in the garden this morning. Must be part of a local influx.
When they visit the garden it is a great time to listen to their characteristic calls they make which makes finding them out and about a lot easier.
Thanks. Henry.

-- Edited by Henry Cook at 13:37, 2008-12-06

Had two more Brambling in the garden this morning, one being given grief by one of the flock of 8 Redwings. Also had three Siskin (first this winter), three Nuthatch, a Goldcrest and a Mistle Thrush plus the usual Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch and Tits.

Sid,

I kept an eye out over the weekend for Bramblings but non showed up for me. I have only had Bramblings in two of the past five years and even then only the odd single bird, so not quite as regular as you might suppose. I have seen them more often in Stamford Park however. What I do get in profusion though is Siskins - a flock has been growing steadily over the past fortnight to 12 birds. Over 60 is the highest count (April 06). Also had a couple of Redwings over the weekend.

Ian

A slip of the mouse I'm afraid - this blunder was pointed out to me this morning by a work-mate who actually lives outside GM in the rural parts of Cheshire - as I was getting soaked on the beach at Southport looking for and finding the Twite flock - that's out-of -county!!! Thanks to Jonathan Platt for the info.

Would it therefore be possible for you to put "Hale" into its rightful location in the GM section of the forum.

Cheers Sid

-- Edited by sid ashton at 18:09, 2008-11-27

Am I missing something here chaps in wondering why this thread is in the out-of-county forum if Hale is actually in Greater Manchester

Hi Henry

Yep, I realise that everyone else that I know that is remotely interested in birding gets Bramblings in their garden in the winter - it's just that I haven't up until today so whoopee!!!

Sid A

They are great garden specialities in the winter time Sid. I always look forward to one popping into the agrden. Hope they hang around for a while for you.
The odd sporadic visitor to my garden usually stays for a few days and then often returns March/Apr time suggesting they don't winter in our area but pass through on their migration.
Thanks. Henry.

-- Edited by Henry Cook at 17:13, 2008-11-25

Brilliant, had four Brambling in my garden today on the feeders and picking up the bits on the ground - never seen them in my garden before hence my delight. There did seem a lot of activity out there - Blue, Great and Coal Tits, the Bullfinches, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, a Great Spotted Pecker, several Nuthatch etc - had to fill the feeders twice!!!