Only 5 goldfinch in my old trafford garden this morning. Nice to see 4 chaffinch though, 1 male, 3 females one with metal ring on right leg. 1 goldcrest 2 blackbirds 2 blue tits 2 great tits And 2 birds that I haven't seen for a long time in the shape of a song thrush & a wren.
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Mar 1 10:08 PM, 2018
A single Fieldfare also in Dave Steel's Cadishead Harden today.
Andy Bissitt said
Thu Mar 1 9:14 PM, 2018
2 fieldfare yesterday was either first or second record in 31 years! Also 2 long-tailed tits yesterday. Today, 1 jay briefly, as well as usual siskins/redpolls, though 10 house sparrows and a minimum of 12 blackbirds (just three fems) using garden (not all at same time). Survival of the fitest time.
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Thursday 1st of March 2018 09:16:10 PM
Ian Campbell said
Thu Mar 1 4:44 PM, 2018
A negative post here, hardly any birds on my feeders today when there are usually there a plenty, have they all died in this awful weather. Cheers Ian
colin moran said
Thu Mar 1 4:13 PM, 2018
3 fieldfare .2 mistle thrush. in my worsley garden today plus new garden bird snipe over
Karl Liptrot said
Thu Mar 1 3:34 PM, 2018
Eight Fieldfare in my Aspull garden every day since Tuesday
Jon Bowen said
Thu Mar 1 12:53 PM, 2018
First ever Brambling (male) coming to my the feeder in my garden in Horwich for the last 3 days 2nd ever Fieldfare today Up to 14 Goldfinches and 12 Blackbirds (11 male) plus the usual which for me are Great, Blue,Coal, Long-Tailed, Willow Tit etc...
-- Edited by Jon Bowen on Thursday 1st of March 2018 12:53:52 PM
Been ground feeding a similar concoction to Pete recently ,with the addition of a few grapes and chopped up Christmas puddings, waffles and croissants.Max number of Blackbirds at any one time is 11 , eight males to three females! The three Grey Wagtails have disappeared recently, however just had four Redwings briefly, a Mistle Thrush and a Black-headed Gull ! Finch numbers are generally down ,but still up to five Bullfinch regular though, plus usual tits,robins etc. All very near central Stockport.
Cheers Chris
Ian McKerchar said
Thu Mar 1 11:20 AM, 2018
Six Fieldfare just landed in my Astley garden, taking shelter in bushes!
Steve Judge said
Thu Mar 1 11:13 AM, 2018
Eccles garden 28th February - 1st March 2018.
Mistle Thrush x 1 (has set up residence in the garden over the last couple of days - attacking any birds trying to get food from the bird feeds) including:
Collared Dove x 2 House Sparrow x 1 Blue Tit x 2 Blackbird x 2 Starling x 10 Dunnock x 1 Goldfinch x 1 Feral Pigeon x 3 Magpie x 1 (left alone by Mistle Thrush - must have been a bit too big!)
Also, I saw a Grey Heron fly over (from direction of local mosses).
pete berry said
Thu Mar 1 11:03 AM, 2018
I've had a max. of 23 Blackbirds in the garden at one time today,feeding on a mixture of Lidls cheap wholemeal bread,raisins , suet pellets, sunflower hearts and cheese,costing me a fortune!! but well worth it. Its interesting that males outnumber females by up to 5-1,wondering if other people have noticed this difference in male to female ratio?
Richard Thew said
Thu Mar 1 9:16 AM, 2018
I'm putting extra apple halfs out on the ground as our blackbirds and starlings are struggling to find food. These Apples are instantly going! I'd advise whoever hasn't to see if they can follow suit. Usual bunch coming in with larger numbers of goldfinch. They are kind of flighty though - no doubt due to the Beast from the East. Snow has been getting into the mealworm feeder so I'm having to watch out for that covering the food (The wren was one of the first to get some grub from it- (sorry for the pun)).
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Thursday 1st of March 2018 09:19:22 AM
Richard Thew said
Tue Feb 27 10:59 AM, 2018
This cold snowy spell has forced a return of my grey wagtail in my Radcliffe garden!
This has made my week as it's been 10 days since his last appearance.
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Feb 25 9:45 PM, 2018
Noting a definite drop in numbers in last 3 or 4 days. Hopefully birds are moving west away from what is coming rather than mortality. Still, three greenfinches yesterday was an increase, and both siskins and redpolls have now appeared on 44 successive days (apart from one 'miss' for redpolls). Everyone make an effort to feed and water the birds this week - it's going to be tough for them.
Richard Thew said
Sun Feb 25 9:25 PM, 2018
Just a quick update;
Goldcrest, Wren and long tailed tit from this afternoon visiting the mealworm feeder.
Also lesser redpolls still but again- and still no sign of the grey wagtail.
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Sunday 25th of February 2018 09:29:37 PM
Davd Coupe said
Sun Feb 25 11:20 AM, 2018
Female Blackcap in my Didsbury garden daily since 10/12/17. I have put out apples for it as recommended on the RSPB website. See pic
Male and female Brambling plus male Blackcap in Dave Steel's Princes Park, Cadishead garden today.
Richard Thew said
Sat Feb 24 2:06 PM, 2018
My Radcliffe garden update;
After days of trips here and there, it's nice to catch up on my garden activity.
No sign of the grey wagtail in recent days, as it's possibly down to me not been able to keep the mealworm feeder topped up. Even my lesser redpolls have reduced slightly to 4 or 5 (due to garden disturbance).
However, though the mealworm feeder wasn't topped up as often as before- it still remains as popular as ever and should now increase now that I'm back in my normal routine. Below is a list of birds that go inside- with a new suprising addition just within the last hour:
House sparrow, Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, Robin, Long tailed tit, Wren, GOLDCREST (NEW TODAY)
Others that have been seen taking advantage of its pickings below it were
Starling, Blackbird, Dunnock, Grey wagtail (missing since last Saturday).
Ta! (Attached - male lesser redpoll, the rosey colour chest on this bird extends to his wing bar which is just about seen here)
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Saturday 24th of February 2018 02:11:26 PM
My suburban Golborne garden (in a housing estate) had the below when I spent an hour watching (around a week ago) after filling up the feeders, we have 4 medium sized (12ft or so) trees and I regularly fill up the feeders with a variety of food (mixed seed, fat balls, suet blocks, mealworms,sunflower hearts, berry suet pieces, peanut nibs, chopped apple, golden syrup coated seed from Bents sparingly too). I've been building my bird feed area up a lot in the last couple of years (with a wooden gazebo I can spy with my binoculars from like a bird hide) and I can now easily spend an hour in my garden with a coffee looking at the birds. It just shows it can be done anywhere!
4x LT Tit 1x Siskin 2x Coal Tit 3x Blue Tit 1x Great Tit 1x Willow Tit (I have seen the garden Willow Tit a handful of times, couldn't actually believe my eyes as it's not usual for my garden by any means, it seemed to be travelling with the other Tits, coming from "The Bonk" disused mine area, this is probably the most exciting sighting ever recorded in our garden :) ) 1x Wood Pigeon 7x Collared Doves 1x Goldcrest 3x Robin (which I thought was strange) 2x Blackbird 25+ House Sparrows 15+ Starling 1 Goldfinch 2 Chaffinch
Not during this hour but at other times in the same garden we've had Grey Wagtail on our pond, there is usually a Wren, we see 3 Buzzards circling regularly (and one landed on the neighbour's roof one day), A frequent Sparrowhawk visitor and I have seen a Kestrel hovering nearby several times but not directly inside my garden. Someone else said they have seen a Peregrine at The Bonk wasteland nearby but I have not seen that yet myself. Never had a Nuthatch or a GS Woodpecker, not sure what I need to do to attract them but that would be exciting for me to get those in this garden. Also Lesser Redpoll sound fantastic, I would definitely drop my binoculars if I saw them here but nice to see all can be possible since the birds fly. Some great things happening in people's gardens! :)
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Sat Feb 17 10:39 PM, 2018
A first for me in my Flixton garden today was a Willow Tit, along with 2 Nuthatches and 3 male Reed Buntings, etc. As I've been suffering from a heavy cold and not getting out, it's the only birding I've done in the last few days.
Karen Foulkes said
Sat Feb 17 5:15 PM, 2018
In the garden late afternoon
A Goldcrest was present at the back of the garden. Song Thrush singing I was also dive bombed by a Long-tailed Tit as it was carrying nesting material into a neighbour's garden!
Richard Thew said
Fri Feb 16 9:32 AM, 2018
Breaking news! I am absolutely over the moon now as I was in my hidden corner of my Radcliffe garden when a male siskin popped on the feeders!!!!! As I suspected in November after my redpoll invasion finally at least one has arrived - a real beauty too! (Pictures will be posted at some stage here). Also a female pied wagtail turned up yesterday and also this morning is the usual lesser redpoll gang and grey wagtail
Ps. I've thrown in below a picture of one of my long tailed tits in the adapted feeder for mealworms since I know some of you have been intrigued by my earlier posts with the wren.
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Friday 16th of February 2018 10:56:34 PM
Adult male Sparrowhawk sat on "bird feeder" stand this afternoon for thirty minutes or so generally having a good preen then hopping onto hawthorn hedge just above two blue tits which were safe as houses in the dense framework of growth. This was barely thirty feet away. Pity I've not moved onto the camera stage yet.
Richard Thew said
Wed Feb 14 2:59 PM, 2018
New garden record! I couldn't believe my eyes when I counted 10 blackbirds- (9 easily counted with another one heard flying away to a tree). It's not as if I provide enough food as most of the food is only accessible to smaller birds- even the starlings haven't reached 10 this winter unlike previous years!!!! Ta!
Richard Thew said
Tue Feb 13 11:32 PM, 2018
Been a very good week since Saturday at my Radcliffe garden for activity. The lesser redpolls have now increased to 7 on the feeders and no two are ezactly the same as they vary very slightly in markings or shade etc. And I'm getting to know each one and I am convinced I have all 8 former regulars (from late last years peak) at least! Also noteworthy - my grey wagtail has been showing exceptionally well lately and the long tailed tits may have reduced to 2 but they are behaving like they have bonded to each other and I've seen both in the mealworm feeder together whilst avoiding the wren. I'm hoping to get fresh pictures when I can but I have to time it between my busy schedule and the weather, Ta!
Steve Judge said
Tue Feb 13 9:26 AM, 2018
Goldcrest in my Eccles garden at 09:20 hrs this morning.
Reynard Spiess said
Tue Feb 13 9:11 AM, 2018
Sparrowhawk (m) having an early breakfast on my chorlton lawn this morning. Good start to the day. It was still quite dark at 7:30 and I didn't realise they were active that early.
Ian McKerchar said
Sun Feb 11 1:28 PM, 2018
Originally posted today by David Coupe:
I have a overwintering Female Blackcap in my garden, also seen a male Blackcap on two occasions in Jan 2018. I have been putting out apples for them
A Mediterranean gull flew low over my old trafford garden at 4.08pm calling & headed towards Salford quays. The female blackcap has been enjoying my garden for a week,feeding on the apples, fat balls, foraging under the bushes through the leaf litter & even been on the sunflower hearts feeder. But not seen her for a couple of days now. Photo attached from last Friday.
3 Fieldfare over my Hopwood heywood garden at 09:00
Seem to be a movement in the area?
Andy Bissitt said
Tue Feb 6 8:53 PM, 2018
I missed redpoll yesterday (first time in 24 days), but four were seen today. Siskins kept up their ever-present status since January 13th. Best other sighting was of a pair of bullfinches, the male feeding on the floor just 4 feet from my front window.
Richard Thew said
Tue Feb 6 6:10 PM, 2018
Just to update; My Grey wagtail has been coming back these last two days in my Radcliffe garden, yesterday that dark burnt looking lesser redpoll had returned but still no sign of the Mealy redpoll which I've only seen on that one day so far. Still- winters not over yet! 2 chaffinches looks like they are going to be permanent regulars which is great! Ta!!
Nigel Troup said
Sun Feb 4 8:56 AM, 2018
I have just seen two Blackcaps in my Woodsmoor garden: one male, one female - a pleasant surprise at this time of year.
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Feb 3 9:02 PM, 2018
The chilly, wet weather pepped up the count today, with 8 siskin and 4 redpoll the obvious stars.
Karen Foulkes said
Sat Feb 3 4:31 PM, 2018
A Goldcrest visited the garden this afternoon. Birds in and around the garden included Song Thrush and Dunnock singing and a Great Spotted Woodpecker
Shannon Llewellyn said
Sat Feb 3 11:30 AM, 2018
Beautiful male sparrowhawk just flashed through my Chorlton garden, perching up on a neighbour's fence.
Richard Thew said
Fri Feb 2 8:59 PM, 2018
No sign of that mealy redpoll nor the grey wagtail today , hopefully they will return, but at least I still have my 6 lesser redpolls, the females came down first only feeding on the Niger seed, and strangely 3 males settled after but only feeding on the sunflower hearts.
Word is spreading amongst the long tailed tits as 3 are now regular taking mini mealworms from the feeder.
Attached- one of the male lesser redpolls and one of the females.
Breaking news! I've just had that paler redpoll visiting my Radcliffe garden feeders and I can confirm looks just like a Mealy redpolI from where i was stood as it looked extreamly grey compared to the others and i cannot believe my eyes. Unfortunately I wasn't able to grab my camera as I would have frightened it off. Thanks to my mother who got some pictures through the window and I've had them analized and it is infact Elton's missing Mealy redpoll (new garden tick). Many thanks to Ian for the help in confirmation and my appologies to Steven for bribing it to come to my feeders. Attached pictures are from my mother, the window has affected the quality but nobodys complaining!
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Thursday 1st of February 2018 05:48:09 PM
Both siskin (2) and redpoll completed a run of 19 consecutive days of visits in January today, which has kept me busy looking out for them. An ominous pile of pale feathers were in the garden when I first looked out this morning. Might have been a close call for a collared dove because there were still 4 today.
steven burke said
Wed Jan 31 8:48 PM, 2018
Female blackcap has spent a lot of time in my old trafford garden this morning feeding on the fat balls. 1 goldcrest also enjoying the fat balls. 18 goldfinches 2 greenfinch 1 chaffinch 1 Robin 1 blackbird 1 coal tit 2 blue tits
Richard Thew said
Wed Jan 31 3:08 PM, 2018
Me again! The neighbourhood has been quieter today after 2 weeks of noise- enabling my lesser redpolls to return with at least 6 or 7 (but still no sign of that unusual dark one or that paler one). Also the grey wagtail has been getting more tolerant to us providing we stick to a routine. And the cheeky wren is getting bolder by staying in the feeder for longer and is literally living in the shrub just a short hop from the mealworms (like breakfast in bed)- Can't say I blame it! Ta!
Keith Mills said
Tue Jan 30 3:41 PM, 2018
This am a Sparrowhawk flicked up into our Larch tree, paused, and then flew down the back gardens. This pm when topping our feeders I noticed a distinct lack of the usual Feral Pigeons, on the neighbour's ridge tiles. Over the fence I observed the pile of feathers, the remains of 2 pigeon wings, and what looked like a thorax?
-- Edited by keith mills on Tuesday 30th of January 2018 03:43:43 PM
Andy Bissitt said
Sun Jan 28 8:46 PM, 2018
A memorable moment at dusk this evening as I was filling the two feeders at the front of the house. As I hung the second back on the tree (the two are less than 5 feet apart), a single redpoll flew in, called, and proceded to feed from the other feeder nearly within touching distance. I've rarely had a better look at any passerine without the use of a hide and without optics. I felt privileged.
PHIL GREENWOOD said
Sun Jan 28 1:40 PM, 2018
RSPB Birdwatch in a Flixton garden, Saturday, January 27th.
Nuthatch 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker 1 Blackbird 2 Robin 2 Dunnock 2 Magpie 2 Blue Tit 8 Great Tit 4 Woodpigeon 1 Collared Dove 2 Goldfinch 1 House Sparrow 1 Long-tailed Tit 8 Coal Tit 1 Starling 1
Obviously pot luck with the temperature, as cold weather would have brought possibly Wren, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch and Song Thrush, and greater numbers of the other birds.
Andy Bissitt said
Sat Jan 27 9:52 PM, 2018
RSPB garden birdwatch and, as usual, it was a case of some you win etc...
Ones that didn't go by the script were great tit, greenfinch and collared dove, which all turned up in the following two hours or so. However, redpoll (3), the male bullfinch, and 1 siskin (although there were 6 later) did make it a worthwhile exercise. Note to RSPB though: it needs to be earlier in the month what with climate change and all that!
Richard Thew said
Wed Jan 24 3:06 PM, 2018
I was about to report that no sign of any of my regular lesser redpolls in my Radcliffe garden since my last report. Just logged in and guess what? 4 turn up with 2 male and 1 female bullfinch (a garden rarity here). Non of the lesser redpolls contained either that very dark burnt looking one or that very pale one. However, It was interesting to watch a long tailed tit venture in my adapted mealworm feeder and picked out a mini wriggly. Plus the usuals. No grey wagtail seen or heard today (so far) but did come yesterday. Ta!
Richard Thew said
Sun Jan 21 1:38 PM, 2018
At least 5 lesser redpolls visiting my Radcliffe garden feeders still but- one male that I've not seen before is very very dark. But, I'm more interested in another very pale larger looking male (sat directly next to the others) as it looked very similar like the Mealy redpoll that is seen at Elton (but obviously not the same bird I must add). But unfortunately I couldn't manage to get a picture of it and has now since vanished so I ain't gonna risk saying it was a mealy as I've been fooled before but it certainly was different from normal and i will keep eyes open. Also grey wagtail and wren still. Ta!
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Sunday 21st of January 2018 03:06:26 PM
Nice to see 4 chaffinch though, 1 male, 3 females one with metal ring on right leg.
1 goldcrest
2 blackbirds
2 blue tits
2 great tits
And 2 birds that I haven't seen for a long time in the shape of a song thrush & a wren.
A single Fieldfare also in Dave Steel's Cadishead Harden today.
2 fieldfare yesterday was either first or second record in 31 years! Also 2 long-tailed tits yesterday. Today, 1 jay briefly, as well as usual siskins/redpolls, though 10 house sparrows and a minimum of 12 blackbirds (just three fems) using garden (not all at same time). Survival of the fitest time.
-- Edited by Andy Bissitt on Thursday 1st of March 2018 09:16:10 PM
Cheers Ian
3 fieldfare .2 mistle thrush. in my worsley garden today plus new garden bird snipe over
Eight Fieldfare in my Aspull garden every day since Tuesday
2nd ever Fieldfare today
Up to 14 Goldfinches and 12 Blackbirds (11 male)
plus the usual which for me are Great, Blue,Coal, Long-Tailed, Willow Tit etc...
-- Edited by Jon Bowen on Thursday 1st of March 2018 12:53:52 PM
Been ground feeding a similar concoction to Pete recently ,with the addition of a few grapes and chopped up Christmas puddings, waffles and croissants.Max number of Blackbirds at any one time is 11 , eight males to three females! The three Grey Wagtails have disappeared recently, however just had four Redwings briefly, a Mistle Thrush and a Black-headed Gull ! Finch numbers are generally down ,but still up to five Bullfinch regular though, plus usual tits,robins etc. All very near central Stockport.
Cheers Chris
Six Fieldfare just landed in my Astley garden, taking shelter in bushes!
Mistle Thrush x 1 (has set up residence in the garden over the last couple of days - attacking any birds trying to get food from the bird feeds) including:
Collared Dove x 2
House Sparrow x 1
Blue Tit x 2
Blackbird x 2
Starling x 10
Dunnock x 1
Goldfinch x 1
Feral Pigeon x 3
Magpie x 1 (left alone by Mistle Thrush - must have been a bit too big!)
Also, I saw a Grey Heron fly over (from direction of local mosses).
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Thursday 1st of March 2018 09:19:22 AM
This has made my week as it's been 10 days since his last appearance.
Noting a definite drop in numbers in last 3 or 4 days. Hopefully birds are moving west away from what is coming rather than mortality. Still, three greenfinches yesterday was an increase, and both siskins and redpolls have now appeared on 44 successive days (apart from one 'miss' for redpolls). Everyone make an effort to feed and water the birds this week - it's going to be tough for them.
Just a quick update;
Goldcrest, Wren and long tailed tit from this afternoon visiting the mealworm feeder.
Also lesser redpolls still but again- and still no sign of the grey wagtail.
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Sunday 25th of February 2018 09:29:37 PM
Female Blackcap in my Didsbury garden daily since 10/12/17. I have put out apples for it as recommended on the RSPB website. See pic
Male and female Brambling plus male Blackcap in Dave Steel's Princes Park, Cadishead garden today.
After days of trips here and there, it's nice to catch up on my garden activity.
No sign of the grey wagtail in recent days, as it's possibly down to me not been able to keep the mealworm feeder topped up. Even my lesser redpolls have reduced slightly to 4 or 5 (due to garden disturbance).
However, though the mealworm feeder wasn't topped up as often as before- it still remains as popular as ever and should now increase now that I'm back in my normal routine. Below is a list of birds that go inside- with a new suprising addition just within the last hour:
House sparrow,
Blue tit,
Great tit,
Coal tit,
Robin,
Long tailed tit,
Wren,
GOLDCREST (NEW TODAY)
Others that have been seen taking advantage of its pickings below it were
Starling,
Blackbird,
Dunnock,
Grey wagtail (missing since last Saturday).
Ta!
(Attached - male lesser redpoll, the rosey colour chest on this bird extends to his wing bar which is just about seen here)
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Saturday 24th of February 2018 02:11:26 PM
Male and female Blackcap in a Princes Park, Cadishead garden today.
Info thanks to Dave Steel
4x LT Tit
1x Siskin
2x Coal Tit
3x Blue Tit
1x Great Tit
1x Willow Tit (I have seen the garden Willow Tit a handful of times, couldn't actually believe my eyes as it's not usual for my garden by any means, it seemed to be travelling with the other Tits, coming from "The Bonk" disused mine area, this is probably the most exciting sighting ever recorded in our garden :) )
1x Wood Pigeon
7x Collared Doves
1x Goldcrest
3x Robin (which I thought was strange)
2x Blackbird
25+ House Sparrows
15+ Starling
1 Goldfinch
2 Chaffinch
Not during this hour but at other times in the same garden we've had Grey Wagtail on our pond, there is usually a Wren, we see 3 Buzzards circling regularly (and one landed on the neighbour's roof one day), A frequent Sparrowhawk visitor and I have seen a Kestrel hovering nearby several times but not directly inside my garden. Someone else said they have seen a Peregrine at The Bonk wasteland nearby but I have not seen that yet myself. Never had a Nuthatch or a GS Woodpecker, not sure what I need to do to attract them but that would be exciting for me to get those in this garden. Also Lesser Redpoll sound fantastic, I would definitely drop my binoculars if I saw them here but nice to see all can be possible since the birds fly. Some great things happening in people's gardens! :)
As I've been suffering from a heavy cold and not getting out, it's the only birding I've done in the last few days.
A Goldcrest was present at the back of the garden.
Song Thrush singing
I was also dive bombed by a Long-tailed Tit as it was carrying nesting material into a neighbour's garden!
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Friday 16th of February 2018 10:56:34 PM
Adult male Sparrowhawk sat on "bird feeder" stand this afternoon for thirty minutes or so generally having a good preen then hopping onto hawthorn hedge just above two blue tits which were safe as houses in the dense framework of growth. This was barely thirty feet away. Pity I've not moved onto the camera stage yet.
Sparrowhawk (m) having an early breakfast on my chorlton lawn this morning. Good start to the day. It was still quite dark at 7:30 and I didn't realise they were active that early.
Originally posted today by David Coupe:
I have a overwintering Female Blackcap in my garden, also seen a male Blackcap on two occasions in Jan 2018. I have been putting out apples for them
The female blackcap has been enjoying my garden for a week,feeding on the apples, fat balls, foraging under the bushes through the leaf litter & even been on the sunflower hearts feeder. But not seen her for a couple of days now.
Photo attached from last Friday.
Seem to be a movement in the area?
I missed redpoll yesterday (first time in 24 days), but four were seen today. Siskins kept up their ever-present status since January 13th. Best other sighting was of a pair of bullfinches, the male feeding on the floor just 4 feet from my front window.
The chilly, wet weather pepped up the count today, with 8 siskin and 4 redpoll the obvious stars.
Birds in and around the garden included Song Thrush and Dunnock singing and a Great Spotted Woodpecker
Word is spreading amongst the long tailed tits as 3 are now regular taking mini mealworms from the feeder.
Attached- one of the male lesser redpolls and one of the females.
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Thursday 1st of February 2018 05:48:09 PM
Both siskin (2) and redpoll completed a run of 19 consecutive days of visits in January today, which has kept me busy looking out for them. An ominous pile of pale feathers were in the garden when I first looked out this morning. Might have been a close call for a collared dove because there were still 4 today.
1 goldcrest also enjoying the fat balls.
18 goldfinches
2 greenfinch
1 chaffinch
1 Robin
1 blackbird
1 coal tit
2 blue tits
This pm when topping our feeders I noticed a distinct lack of the usual Feral Pigeons, on the neighbour's ridge tiles. Over the fence I observed the pile of feathers, the remains of 2 pigeon wings, and what looked like a thorax?
-- Edited by keith mills on Tuesday 30th of January 2018 03:43:43 PM
A memorable moment at dusk this evening as I was filling the two feeders at the front of the house. As I hung the second back on the tree (the two are less than 5 feet apart), a single redpoll flew in, called, and proceded to feed from the other feeder nearly within touching distance. I've rarely had a better look at any passerine without the use of a hide and without optics. I felt privileged.
Nuthatch 1
Great Spotted Woodpecker 1
Blackbird 2
Robin 2
Dunnock 2
Magpie 2
Blue Tit 8
Great Tit 4
Woodpigeon 1
Collared Dove 2
Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 1
Long-tailed Tit 8
Coal Tit 1
Starling 1
Obviously pot luck with the temperature, as cold weather would have brought possibly Wren, Reed Bunting, Chaffinch and Song Thrush, and greater numbers of the other birds.
RSPB garden birdwatch and, as usual, it was a case of some you win etc...
Ones that didn't go by the script were great tit, greenfinch and collared dove, which all turned up in the following two hours or so. However, redpoll (3), the male bullfinch, and 1 siskin (although there were 6 later) did make it a worthwhile exercise. Note to RSPB though: it needs to be earlier in the month what with climate change and all that!
-- Edited by Richard Thew on Sunday 21st of January 2018 03:06:26 PM