Just had a first time garden sighting of a single Siskin.

1st visit on feeders this morning and 1st garden visit

Great spotted woodpecker

-- Edited by Graham Smith on Saturday 17th of March 2012 03:05:41 PM

Finally got round to putting up the camera nest-box,bought by our lad as a Christmas prezzy,, last weekend!
Good interest shown over the last few days,by a pair of great tits,( see avatar),thoroughly investigating the box and its location.
Also,good numbers of goldfinch,greenfinch and two pairs of bullfinch,regularly coming to the feeders,despite daily fly-pasts by the local sparrowhawk!

Cheers Chris

4 bullfinches this morning, 2M and 2F

late posting, but Blackcap on the feeders in my mum's Alkrington garden on Sat 3rd.

For the first time in a long time had two Siskin on the feeders in our Hale garden this morning. They actually managed to keep the resident Bullfinches at bay for a time

Just had a first time garden sighting of a pair of Reed buntings. Always good to have new visitors

Blackcap singing this afternoon in my Dales Brow, Swinton garden.

Hi Ian

I wonder where my mind is sometimes. I put it down to age related deterioration. Either that or the inadequate education I received as a child growing up in the Bronx (Sorry that was Tony Curtis in the Persuaders. I do get mixed up. Another sign of senility ).

It was actually Goldfinch . I have edited the post accordingly and, after noting your post about reading the sticky posts, promise to pay more attention to the detail in future.

In fact your workshop detailed in another post sounds an ideal way of staving off old age and improving my eye for detail. I am very much of the Adrian Dancy school of thought (From that post). I've come to birding late and time is running out. I want to learn as much as possible as quickly as possible . Obviously cost is important but the charge sounds more than reasonable for a full day of at the sort of depth intimated. I have spent many years paying for various Open University courses, which while being of excellent quality are not cheap. As is often my luck however I am on holiday the last two weeks in April. My wife has got a cheap deal on an Italian cruise ship . I will however keep my eyes open for another opportunity. I am sure there will be one .

Regards

Dave

P.S. sorry if this is in an inappropriate forum.

I haven't had much luck with my garden recently but today it was better. On my feeder I had one goldfinch and two greenfinches. Under the feeder were two woodpigeon and a dunnock. A blackbird was feeding on the fat balls and a raven sat briefly on my fence.

Davidcaron62 wrote:

---

Had late start this morning so got to watch the early morning feeding in my garden. It was good to see so many Gold Tits (8), Chaffinches (4) and even Greenfinches(2) which is a first for my Boarshaw garden .

Dave

---

Goldfinch or Great Tit David?

Had late start this morning so got to watch the early morning feeding in my garden. It was good to see so many Goldfinch (8), Chaffinches (4) and even Greenfinches(2) which is a first for my Boarshaw garden .

Dave


-- Edited by Davidcaron62 on Thursday 1st of March 2012 05:21:56 PM

Regular Siskin for the past couple of weeks. And a M Blackcap today, first we've seen in the garden.

Pair of Bullfinch
3 male Siskin 1 fem
10 LT Tits
Coal Tits
Great Tits
Blue Tits
3 Dunnocks
2 Robins
Chaffinch
Collard Doves
Blackbirds M&F
1 pair of Reed Buntings returned back to our garden again for the second year on the trot.

1 Great Tit already checking the bird box out now and has been for the last several days.

Breakfast time: Female Sparrowhawk perched in our Ladybridge garden (Silver Birch Tree)...
...had a good look at the feeders and then departed.

Male siskin (1st of the year and 3rd ever record)
3 Bullfinch (2M 1F)
Reed Bunting (M)
6 Long Tailed Tit
2 Willow Tit
Blue, Great and Coal Tit
4 Jay
2 Woodpigeon
8 Chaffinch
Magpie

Blue Tits exploring the nestbox

Lesser Redpoll on feeders this am. 1st for garden

For a few days now we've been getting a regular pair of Long-tailed Tits several times every day which seem to like the fat balls. Previously we'd just get a quick blast through by a small flock of up to ten birds, but I think these two may now be a breeding pair.

Adam Jones wrote:

---

Long Tailed Tits in my garden too this weekend. Certainly not a regular occurrence either.
My father in law also has a pair of Robins building a nest in his greenhouse.

---

I had a group of 3/4 long tailed tits this weekend. They come & go - but at present I see them every few days. Occasionally one by itself - but then sometimes a few arrive a bit later.

Marvin Lewis wrote:

---

A Song Thrush has started singing from a treetop in my garden,particularly in the mornings,for the last few days.A welcome visitor.I hope it finds a mate.Has anyone else noted any increase in Song Thrush activity in their gardens recently?

---

I wish !!!

I haven't had a Song Thrush in the garden for about 5 years. The number of snails I get in summer is perfect testimony to the lack of Songies in this part of Wigan.

I used to do nest recording for the BTO in the late 80's/early 90's and the earliest nests I used to find back then around here were Song Thrush nests.

Old habits die hard and I still do the odd bit of nesting now when I'm out with the dog in spring. I haven't found a Songies nest for years though !!!!

Long Tailed Tits in my garden too this weekend. Certainly not a regular occurrence either.
My father in law also has a pair of Robins building a nest in his greenhouse.

Judith,I have also been having a single Long-tailed Tit on my feeders in recent weeks.Like you, I was surprised tha it wasn't part of a small group, as has been the case in previous years.

Had a Goldcrest feeding in garden this p.m.
Cheers ian

For the last week a lone long tailed tit has started visiting our feeder. A first for my garden and I'm surprised as I thought they usually went around in small groups.

3 Song Thrush
7 Blackbirds
2 Bullfinch
1 Goldcrest
1 Blackcap male.

Good garden list for today

Canada goose
Cormorant
BH Gull

fly overs.

Hi Marvin

Have only seen one song thrush in my garden over the last six month. They seem very few and far between in Boarshaw. Plenty of Mistle thrush and Redwing knocking about though.

Regards

Dave

Hi Marvin,
Like you ,this week I got a Song Thrush visiting. The first for months.

As a matter of more general interest I am up to week 9 of a 10 week Garden Bird Survey for Bolton RSPB.
This uses the BTO's 'maximum daily count at any one time technique'
This weeks figures for my garden are:
Song Thrush...1.
Wren...1
Dunnock...3
Blackbird ...3
Robin...2
Greenfinch....6
Chaffinch....3
Goldfinch....4
Carrion Crow....2
Magpie...2
Collared Dove...2
Coal Tit...2
Great Tit...1
Starlings...11
Blue Tit ...1


-- Edited by keith mills on Saturday 18th of February 2012 09:12:14 AM

A Song Thrush has started singing from a treetop in my garden,particularly in the mornings,for the last few days.A welcome visitor.I hope it finds a mate.Has anyone else noted any increase in Song Thrush activity in their gardens recently?

Just had my morning brightened up watching a Goldcrest having a bath in the pond just a few feet from the kitchen window in our Hale garden

Visited my parents house in Newall Green this afternoon and we enjoyed watching the feeders for a short time whilst having some lunch and a chat.

30+ House Sparrows
6 Blue Tits
2 Great Tits
2 Long-tailed Tits
2 Coal Tits
1 Dunnock
1 Blackbird
2 Collared Doves
1 Woodpigeon
1 Robin
No Finches today

Also flyovers of
1 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Fieldfare

I had some Robin courtship going on in my garden this afternoon. Three Robins, two were puffing their necks out, whistling skywards and cocking the tail. The third (the one the other two were trying to impress) was watching on politely and then chased one off around the tree.
Spring is on the way.

We had a treecreeper and a goldcrest in our suburban garden today, both first timers. The birds appeared together but the treecreeper stayed while the goldcrest quickly moved on. Both species are partial migrants, and I guess are on the way back north with the change in weather.

Working in the garden this afternoon heard a Green Woodpecker calling twice from Hale cemetery - never heard one in there previously

Treecreeper this afternoon, first ever in my garden, a lot more activity than usual. 2 mistle thrushes, long-tailed tits blue tits and robin as well as magpies taking all the scraps.

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 11th of February 2012 10:01:48 PM

Blue Tits are starting to investigate the nest box on the side of my house this morning. I turned the camera on for the first time since last year and they're already going inside and having a look round.

Unfortunately I haven't got round to clearing it out since last year's fledged (I was going to do it after Christmas but it's been too cold to go up a ladder - wimp) and now I'm in two minds as to whether I should do it now.

A single Siskin been feeding on the sunflower hearts in my Heaton Mersey garden the last couple of days.
Welcome return of a male Bullfinch also this morning.

Male Blackcap becoming a regular visitor to my Garden feeding station.Seems to really like the fatballs.

female goldcrest in my garden this afternoon whilst i was topping up my feeders.

A great garden bird Phil, well done.

Regarding Goldfinches and Nyjer seed, I find that they will happily feed on white sunflower hearts until they run out, then move onto the nyjer. I recently removed my nyjer feeder, as it wasn't getting much attention, whilst the white sunflower hearts are a good all-rounder, favoured not just by the Goldfinches, but also House Sparrows, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits and even the occasional Robin.

Regarding Siskins, we regularly get them on our feeders at our caravan in Mid Wales (although very rare here in Bredbury). And I've found that they also love the white sunflower hearts, although they will feed from the peanut feeder too. So you don't necesarily need nyjer to attract these birds, as other types of feed will also do, and which can also be enjoyed by a wider range of species.

Cheers,

Steve.

3 Siskins (1 Male, 2 Female) on the Niger seed feeder in my garden in Wythenshawe this morning.

A first for the garden!

Male Blackcap on my fatball feeders this morning.1st.of the year,amongst all the usuals

8 blackbirds and a song thrush feeding on the lawn, and the first siskin of the winter on the feeders.

Nick/Dennis,

I find that given a choice Goldfinches opt for sunflower hearts over nyger seeds evertime. They seem to go on my nyger feeder only when there's no room on the sunfower feeder. But as you say, a wide range of foods is best I guess.

After it been really quiet in my Boarshaw garden since the strart of December the snow has brought the birds back in droves. Lots of finches, tits, blackbirds, wood pigeons, collared doves, a wren, robins.

The highlights being two Chaffinch and redwings which are new (newish) visitors. The redwings appeared on the day of the RSPB bird watch

Regards

Dave

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

ive been feeding for about 2 years now, it took me a while for birds to find me for some reason, doing well now with constant feeding, every morning when it has been cold with fresh unfrozen food and new water, also making my own fat balls full of suet pellets, seeds and mealworms,they seem to be going down really well, nothing too exciting but spent an hour this morning and had blue tits, great tits, long tailed tits, blackbird, robin, wren, starlings, wood pigeon, feral pigeon and collard dove, hedge sparrow, house sparrow and my first song thrush today, the thrush keeps coming back but my resident blackbird keeps chasing him off, had the nyjer seed out for goldfinch for about 2 months now but they cant seem to find it though frustratingly i can see them in a large tree 4 gardens down quite often

---

I was the same Dennis. I put out nyger seed trying to attract Goldfinches as there were loads of them knocking around the neighbourhood. After weeks and weeks of no interest whatsoever I finally gave up and re-filled the feeders back up with sunflower hearts (which is what I was using before) and guess what? The Goldfinches turned up!!

Best bet is to just put a variety of food out I think and hope that it'll be found.

ive been feeding for about 2 years now, it took me a while for birds to find me for some reason, doing well now with constant feeding, every morning when it has been cold with fresh unfrozen food and new water, also making my own fat balls full of suet pellets, seeds and mealworms,they seem to be going down really well, nothing too exciting but spent an hour this morning and had blue tits, great tits, long tailed tits, blackbird, robin, wren, starlings, wood pigeon, feral pigeon and collard dove, hedge sparrow, house sparrow and my first song thrush today, the thrush keeps coming back but my resident blackbird keeps chasing him off, had the nyjer seed out for goldfinch for about 2 months now but they cant seem to find it though frustratingly i can see them in a large tree 4 gardens down quite often

Male Blackcap in garden (Davyhulme) this morning. First time I have ever had one in the garden during the winter months. Regular Redwing visits also.

Interesting morning before the snow started

1st 1 iv seen in garden Great Spotted Woodpecker
Next doors roof Grey Heron
plus the usual on the feeders

Peel hall Wythenshawe

-- Edited by Graham Smith on Saturday 4th of February 2012 12:06:33 PM

I'm getting an usually large number of blackbirds for my small suburban garden in Tyldesley. Yesterday I had nine in a small Hawthorne tree, including one which is leucistic (and seen fairly regularly).

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Female) on the garden Larch tree at 12 o,clock today.
First of the year