Not a particularly exciting bird, but I've had 3 Siskins feeding on the Nyger seed in my garden in Cheadle Hulme. First time in my garden (8 years I've lived here now) One was certainly a juvenile which was being feed by the male adult. It then managed to feed itself.
2 Jackdaws in my bird bath today and a Heron in the garden for over 40 minutes trying to figure out how to get to the spawning frogs behind the fence and netting around my pond.
Pair of Siskin (only second time I've seen in the garden) Pair of Reed Bunting Pair of Bullfinch 3 Jays 2 Mallard (1st visit this year) Willow Tit LT Tit Blue Tit exploring nest box Great Tit Chaffinch
-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Monday 14th of March 2011 09:56:12 PM
Still fairly regular visits to the fat feeders in my garden feeding station by a female Blackcap and a Goldcrest.Most recently,2 Siskins have been joining the Goldfinches on the Niger seded feeder.
30 plus Siskins daily, plus several Redpolls and Brambings, including a single very frosty almost ghostly Mealy this morning. No sign of the Blackcap since 20th Feb.
This week a male Blackcap has been making regular visits to feed on the fat blocks, not seen one in our Middleton garden for many years. On Wednesday a 1st winter/female Redpoll and a male Siskin were seen, again not been seen for several years. Daily sightings of a male Great Spotted Woodpecker and a pair of Bullfinches. The 2011 garden list stands at 27 so far. Looks like the winterfeedin is paying off
Juvenile Sparrowhawk at 08.45 cleared the hanging feeders of all the Tits and Finches, with the ground feeding Blackbirds and Dunnocks diving for cover - but did not appear to have grabbed its breakfast.
09.10 - the Grey Heron has just landed in the pond again to see what's on the menu. Rick.
-- Edited by Rick Donkin on Wednesday 9th of March 2011 09:20:21 AM
A male Sparrowhawk flew across my Cheadle Hulme garden twice this afternoon. It seems to be coming more regularly to my garden than ever before. Maybe times are proving hard for raptors too in the current economic climate.
When I arrived back home I came across a Grey Heron up to its 'knees' in the pond at the bottom of the garden - presumably hoping for a meal of frogs or newts as they are currently spawning (and have been for a few weeks now). Ribbit!!
That well-known ringer and occasional contributor to this forum, Steve Christmas, lives in Swinton too, so I guess it's probably one of his and hasn't travelled very far.
We've had a pair of long tailed tits visiting the garden over the last few weeks, however last sunday they suddenly became quite daring and began landing on one of the patio door handles that was slightly open due to the decent weather. It was just one bird at first using both the outside and inside handles. The bird allowed me to get quite close and at one point i was literally a foot away from it as it sat on the handle. The bird was sporting a ring on it's right leg. Both birds have been doing the same every day since, however, we have to be careful that they don't get carried away and fly into the room due to the dogs. I've got video and fotos of the birds, however due to my wifes obsession with hiding her camera, i've had to make do with using the camera facility on my phone.
4 Buzzards in the air together displaying above the house in Irlam this morning at 10-15am. Blue tits and Great tits are showing interest in the nesting boxes (different boxes set well apart). Greenfinches are back after a gap of 4 months approx. Visits from goldfinch's in small groups virtually all day (best group numbered 8). All the regulars are coming in as normal - Housesparrows, Blackbirds, Chaffinch's, Dunnocks feral pidgeons, wood pidgeons, Collared doves, Magpies, Starlings and Robin. Quite regular visitors are Coal tit and Goldcrest. There is occasional flocks of long tailed tits passing thro'. Things have really bucked up this last couple of weeks.
Interesting to read about reed buntings on the increase in gardens. They have recently been a regular visitor to my garden, counted 7 today on the bird table.
Blackcap - 1 female Great Spotted Woodpecker 1male/1female Song Thrush House Sparrow Redwing - 15 Lots of Blue & Great Tit and small party of LT Tits Robin feeding close by after leaf litter raked up Rick.
Late post from the weekend as my internet is playing up. As 50/60 Starlings were flying into my Swinton garden a male Sparrowhawk tried to catch one and missed and ended up flying into the large net which is suspended 1.8m above my pond. I spent a couple of minutes untangling the hawk from the net and making sure the bird was OK. As soon as I loosened my grip the bird shot off.
You don't realised how beautiful and how deadly a Sparrowhawk is until you get a close up.
You also don't realise how small the male Sparrowhawk is until you get up close. Last year a Goldfinch crashed into the patio windows and dropped onto the decking. I heard the thud on the window and got up to see the bird on its back and within seconds a male Sparrowhawk swooped down and took the bird away in a flash - literally 2 feet in front of me. Rick
New high count of 15 brambling all at the same time today. Also recent blackcap and siskin, which have been regular in previous years but scarce in the last two harsher winters.
Late post from the weekend as my internet is playing up. As 50/60 Starlings were flying into my Swinton garden a male Sparrowhawk tried to catch one and missed and ended up flying into the large net which is suspended 1.8m above my pond. I spent a couple of minutes untangling the hawk from the net and making sure the bird was OK. As soon as I loosened my grip the bird shot off.
You don't realised how beautiful and how deadly a Sparrowhawk is until you get a close up.
Goldcrest visited the feeders in my [Prestwich] garden today.I've never seen this before.It seemed to prefer the feeder which had bars of fat,and the feeder concerned has a cover which only allows small birds through. It kept returning to this feeder.I hope it continues!
Female Blackcap Nuthatch Bullfinch 2m and 2f Goldfinch 7 Greenfinch 5 Blackbird 5m/1f - 1 male regularly flies up to the fat ball feeder. Sparrowhawk 1m Blue Tit 4 Great Tit 3 Long-tailed Tit 4 Moorhen 2 Dunnock 4 - but 2 soon chased off by the 2 regulars! Robin 2 Magpies flying about with twigs/sticks in beaks.
3 Redpolls joined the growing finch flocks on Saturday. At least 9 Bramblings now and 10+ Siskins. The female Blackcap is still present also. No winter Thrushes for a couple of weeks now.
-- Edited by Vaughan Evans on Tuesday 15th of February 2011 08:13:31 AM
Horwich sunday 2pm First ever Siskin in garden on seed feeder also present 5 bullfinch (3m 2f), coal tit, Blue Tit; Great Tit, Marsh Tit, LT Tit, chaffinch, blackbird
-- Edited by Jon Bowen on Sunday 13th of February 2011 06:30:53 PM
Same on my feeders Goldfinch numbers have dropped to around 30-40 birds from around 60-70 but have an increase in Collard Doves from 6 up to 14 and Pigeons upto 9 from around 5. Still getting Redpoll 9 From 12 Blue tit 6 Great tit 3 Bullfinch 2 (1 looks to have a yellow leg) Greenfinch 7 from 15 Blackbird 4 (all male) Robin 1 Chaffinch 5 Magpie 3 Jackdaw 2 Starling upto 17 2 Grey Squirrels started visiting more often.
Hi All, Recent interesting visitors to my garden in Cheadle Hulme
2 Bramblings 1 Reed Bunting Goldcrest - regularly on suet feeder G S Woodpecker - regularly on suet feeder Blackbird - hanging on suet feeder - never seen this before Goldfinch up to 30 on niger feeders Redpoll up to 15 on niger feeders 1 House Sparrow - very rare here Robin - goes mental when there's redpolls in the garden - chasing them remorselessly I can only assume it's the red patch that gets him going! Treecreeper
Our young sparrowhawk was back again today and snatched another sparrow.
No lie, I sneaked out of the back door and got to within 12 feet of her, she just continued to eat her warm lunch and wasn't bothered by my presence at all!
Awesome to get so close and observe.
wow l'm officially jealous, how wonderful to witness that so closely ?
Had a Goldcrest this morning in our Hale garden - sitting on the squirrel baffle under our feeders eating the bits of sunflower hearts and peanuts dropped by the other birds - never seen that before