I just saw a Blackcap!

doctor evil · 12-03-2010 3:59pm #1

It had a black head and greyish body! It flit from the neighbours hedge hovered off the birdfeeder (piggy Goldfinches were stuffing themselves) and then flew away!

At the moment there are Goldfinches, a male Chaffinch, Greatstits and of course the Blackcap!

The great tits were on the shrub behind the Catoniaster (bare at the moment) I'll find out the name of it. It is about 10/12 feet from where I am sitting at the desk and they seemed to be eating the barely there buds on the shrub? It was gas to watch them, they would land on top of it and end up sideways as the plant would sag.

I wish I had a decent camera, I would have gotten some great photos

At the moment there is Nygar seed and Sunflower seeds, both in their husks. I've been moving the feeder by about 2/3 feet each time I refill it. The husks and droppings don't bother me as it lands on the grass.

doctor evil · 12-03-2010 4:06pm

I think I've just spotted a Greenfinch high up on the neighbour's Silver Birch. There is the resident Robin flitting about. I'm very lucky as the backgarden has plenty of trees and shrubs, we cut the grass and dig up flowerbeds but we don't use pesticide. We have a Wren that visits in the mornings.

Binoculars help in keeping an eye on them!

E39MSport · 12-03-2010 4:22pm

doctor evil wrote: »

It had a black head and greyish body! It flit from the neighbours hedge hovered off the birdfeeder (piggy Goldfinches were stuffing themselves) and then flew away!

At the moment there are Goldfinches, a male Chaffinch, Greatstits and of course the Blackcap!

The great tits were on the shrub behind the Catoniaster (bare at the moment) I'll find out the name of it. It is about 10/12 feet from where I am sitting at the desk and they seemed to be eating the barely there buds on the shrub? It was gas to watch them, they would land on top of it and end up sideways as the plant would sag.

I wish I had a decent camera, I would have gotten some great photos

At the moment there is Nygar seed and Sunflower seeds, both in their husks. I've been moving the feeder by about 2/3 feet each time I refill it. The husks and droppings don't bother me as it lands on the grass.

Nice one. Black Caps have a distinctive and attractive song.

Re: the husks etc. I'd be inclined to clean them away as the birds tend to dig through them and I have a theory that they might have been the reason that greenfinches in my garden caught that killer bug 3 times now.

doctor evil · 12-03-2010 4:31pm

Would it be ok if I used a rake to spread it out?

I have been hearing some weird song at night/early morning, can't really describe it one part almost sounds like boung boung?

Alun · 12-03-2010 4:31pm

E39MSport wrote: »

Re: the husks etc. I'd be inclined to clean them away as the birds tend to dig through them and I have a theory that they might have been the reason that greenfinches in my garden caught that killer bug 3 times now.

Killer bug ... what's that about?

Kess73 · 12-03-2010 6:57pm

Alun wrote: »

Killer bug ... what's that about?

Most likely Salmonellosis if it is affecting mostly greenfinch, but could also be Trichomoniasis.

The former is spread through droppings on the ground and on branches. Healthy birds then feed in the areas where it is on the ground and/or clean their beaks on the branches.

gzoladz · 12-03-2010 9:19pm

From my amateurism, I often read about people cellebrating the visit of Black Caps as something unusual...is this the case? I ask because I get loads in my garden, so I didnt think it was such a hard to get.

On the other had, I have yet to see a Goldfinch. And people seem to get many of them!

Kess73 · 12-03-2010 11:22pm

gzoladz wrote: »

From my amateurism, I often read about people cellebrating the visit of Black Caps as something unusual...is this the case? I ask because I get loads in my garden, so I didnt think it was such a hard to get.

On the other had, I have yet to see a Goldfinch. And people seem to get many of them!

I get a lot of blackcaps, and have a female who comes to the window to be fed along with the robins and tits.

Funny you mention goldfinch becuase I get them in tiny numbers in my garden, maybe two or three a week, yet a friend of mine less than a half mile away gets loads in her garden.

Calibos · 13-03-2010 4:01pm

Ditto on the last two posts.

Had a run of a few days last week with a pair of Goldfinch, a Greenfinch and a pair of Siskins but no sign of them since. Loads of Male and Female Blackcaps, Sparrows, Starlings, Robins, Blackbirds, Thrushes, Blue tits, Collared Dove, the odd great tit, Got my first Chaffinch the other day. Very handsome little bird.

Kess73 · 14-03-2010 9:27pm

I lost one of the blackcaps yesterday, along with a dunnock and two house sparrows. The male sparrowhawk has stopped carrying twigs to the old nest site from last spring and returned to hunting with a vengence.

Today the big female appeared for the first time in a week and announced her arrival with what seems to be her party piece.

Hitting a collared dove in mid air.

Have seen her do this six or seven times since last autumn. Am guessing by the way the male has being carrying twigs that he is getting the messy platform ready for this years brood. Will be the third year in a row that they have nested in the same tree if they set up there this spring.

E39MSport · 15-03-2010 1:06pm

Kess73 wrote: »

I lost one of the blackcaps yesterday, along with a dunnock and two house sparrows. The male sparrowhawk has stopped carrying twigs to the old nest site from last spring and returned to hunting with a vengence.

Today the big female appeared for the first time in a week and announced her arrival with what seems to be her party piece.

Hitting a collared dove in mid air.

Have seen her do this six or seven times since last autumn. Am guessing by the way the male has being carrying twigs that he is getting the messy platform ready for this years brood. Will be the third year in a row that they have nested in the same tree if they set up there this spring.

Lucky you ...

Kess73 · 15-03-2010 1:36pm

I also get to watch the kestrels that breed in the area, although they are not near the sparrowhawks.

gzoladz · 20-03-2010 4:42pm

Ok, the long wait came to an end. I have finally seen a goldfinch in the garden. I wonder if the Lidl sunseeds had something to do with it

BrianD3 · 21-03-2010 2:03am

gzoladz wrote: »

Ok, the long wait came to an end. I have finally seen a goldfinch in the garden. I wonder if the Lidl sunseeds had something to do with it

Goldfinches are one of my most common birds. Counted 11 of them at one time today. Numbers have increased since I started putting out Nyger seeds. The Redpolls and Siskins also like the Nyger.

beer enigma · 21-03-2010 11:29am

I had two new visitors to the garden this morning & I'm wondering if they are male & female Blackcaps ?

Never seen them before - can anyone confirm ?

Apologies for the quality but I had to reduce the images to upload them

Rancid · 21-03-2010 11:41am

Andip wrote: »

I had two new visitors to the garden this morning & I'm wondering if they are male & female Blackcaps ?

Never seen them before - can anyone confirm ?

Apologies for the quality but I had to reduce the images to upload them

You're right, male and female Blackcaps. The female has a brown cap!
Put out a sliced apple and just watch them enjoy it, they almost fight the blackbirds for it in my garden.
Beautiful birds!

Alun · 21-03-2010 2:27pm

Andip wrote: »

I had two new visitors to the garden this morning & I'm wondering if they are male & female Blackcaps ?

Never seen them before - can anyone confirm ?

Yep, those are Blackcaps alright. The one with the black cap is the male and the one with the 'caramel' coloured cap is the female.

gzoladz · 21-03-2010 4:36pm

Rancid wrote: »

Put out a sliced apple and just watch them enjoy it, they almost fight the blackbirds for it in my garden.
Beautiful birds!

Is there any other fruit that attracts birds? I dont want just to pick one and try as I suspect the wrong one my hurth them.

Kess73 · 22-03-2010 1:06am

gzoladz wrote: »

Is there any other fruit that attracts birds? I dont want just to pick one and try as I suspect the wrong one my hurth them.

Banana is loved by many birds, and the blackcaps go mad for it. Impale a little bit in a branch/twig and watch them tuck into it.

doctor evil · 22-03-2010 9:42am

Andip, get the feed balls into a holder as the birds can get their legs trapped in the netting.

I have regular visits from Mr and Mrs Chaffinch. No reappearance of the Blackcap to date

I love how the smaller birds bob through the air!

What other birds like apples/bananas? I have a defender feeder out and may attach half an apple to the top.

doctor evil · 23-03-2010 11:41am

Saw a Coal Tit at the feeder for the first time today.

doctor evil · 24-03-2010 10:22am

I saw a Dunnock this morning!

I saw its stripey brown back and forked tail on the birdfeeder, I didn't see the head or the front. I thought these guys were mainly insect/larvae? Coal tit also came back. I've concluded that the funny shaped pair I saw a few weeks ago were Long Tailed tits.

So far:

Robin
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Long Tailed Tit
Blackbird
Thrush (don't know what type)
Woodpigeon (what are the speckly ones that look like they live rough in the city
centre?)
Wren
Goldfinch
Greenfinch
Chaffinch (male and female)

Thankfully few Magpies, pesky grey squirrel visits but can't get up the squirrel proof pole (sucker)

I've also seen a Heron flying over the garden roughly in the Dundrum direction. Is there just one type in Ireland?

Judgement Day · 24-03-2010 1:30pm

doctor_evil - Woodpigeon (what are the speckly ones that look like they live rough in the city centre?) -a flying rat (Feral Pigeon)?

Kess73 · 24-03-2010 1:49pm

doctor evil wrote: »

I saw a Dunnock this morning!

I saw its stripey brown back and forked tail on the birdfeeder, I didn't see the head or the front. I thought these guys were mainly insect/larvae?

Sounds more like a redpoll. The forked tail and patterned brown back, plus being on a feeder points to it being one.

The Dunnock's tail is quite different to that of the redpoll. Plus a female redpoll will not have any of the pink/red that the males have right now, and they can vary in how brown they are.

Here is a pic I found online of a redpoll with it's tail easy to see.

doctor evil · 25-03-2010 12:15pm

I saw it again this morning on the ground, I got a full look and it is indeed a Redpoll complete with the red part. I could have sworn there were some red on its cheeks, is it just the top of the head normally?

I saw a few more Female Chaffinches, they didn't seem to have a male with each of them. Do they breed in their first year? One was a bit smaller than the other.

doctor evil · 05-04-2010 4:31pm

I think I saw two female Redpolls today, from the side view they had none of the brown striations and no red on them. With one of them I confirmed that the legs were orange in colour? Which was bird was it?

Rainbowsend · 09-04-2010 9:06pm

Hey Andip, yep they look like a pair alright, lovely little birds, it is funny the way some gardens attract some species and not another, I was reading earlier posts about seeing a Greenfinch for the first time! Yet my garden is overrun with finches, Green, Chaffinch, Goldfinch etc, there were twelve Goldfinches in and around the feeder today and thats no unusual, I put out some sunflower seeds today for a change (usually just peanuts and the odd Fatball) the container is nearly empty!!

They are a constant source of entertainment, and it is so exciting when a new one visits, had a Brambling last year briefly, beautiful bird. Also had a couple of blue tits investigating the nesting box today which is great, I believe the blue tits didnt fare to well over the winter and numbers are right down.

bogtreader · 09-04-2010 9:55pm

I have had one blackcap he seems to have disappeared now no female.
Two goldfinches loads of sparrows a robin no sign of our wren i fear the worst for the wrens Good luck with the bluetits i hope they nest

I just saw a Blackcap!

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