Garden Birds chat 2011

doctor evil

'Our' female Blackcap is still here I'm happy to say. If she was leaving would she be gone by now?

When our last cat shed his long hair it would come out in tufts and we would regularly see the garden Robin making off with it for nest building.

sables2

Hi doctor,
I'm like you: My Female Blackcap has taken flight, only in the last week or two i suspect. So, yes she would be gone i'd say...(open to correction here). Northern Europe maybe: Germany, France or possibly England.

Rainbowsend

Blue Tits have taken up residence in one of the bird boxes, I trimmed the dog the other day and left all the clippings on the bushes, they were gone in seconds, so interior design for birds this year is soft black curly bedding!

No luck with the nest box with the camera installed yet, I am not giving up on it yet though.

shawnee

Was out doing my little garden yesterday and two friends had called round for a chat. While they were there a blue tit flew into the new birdbox that I had erected in a nearby tree. I mentioned it to the two lads and they were amazed to see the antics, in and out etc with nesting material. It was a very special moment and it was nice to share it with a few friends:p:D Hopefully they will choose it as a safe nesting spot and I will have great fun watching.;)

gomara

On our place in Cavan on the birdfeeders we are regularly seeing, I think, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Wagtail, Dunnock

whyulittle

Glad to say my single male Blackcap is still around, no sign of getting hitched.

Had two Dunnocks in together today. Only very rarely see a single in.

Other than that, mostly Green & Goldfinches.

Most in demand is the fat ball feeder.

tricky D

Found a pigeon corpse in a hedge at the side of our house today. It had been killed and feathers removed, then dragged into the hedge. Torso and head were gone. I'm thinking a Sparrowhawk, but have never heard of one around these parts, Howth. Mind you never had kestrels and peregrines until recently too. Anybody got thoughts?

Corpse for the not squimish

Kess73

tricky D wrote: »

Found a pigeon corpse in a hedge at the side of our house today. It had been killed and feathers removed, then dragged into the hedge. Torso and head were gone. I'm thinking a Sparrowhawk, but have never heard of one around these parts, Howth. Mind you never had kestrels and peregrines until recently too. Anybody got thoughts?

Corpse for the not squimish

Defo the work of a sparrowhawk, most likely a female going by the size of the prey.

Plenty of sparrowhawks in the Howth area, actually there are plenty of them in most parts of Ireland.

Flo with a view

Might even have been a fox, or a cat that struck lucky. We have a cat that for some reason removes the heads off most of her successful kills. I think she must have heard somewhere that eating the brains pf your victims (as I believe some early cannibals used to do) bestows some of their bravery and strength to the victor. But perhaps that's a bit far-fetched.....

tricky D

Flo with a view wrote: »

Might even have been a fox, or a cat that struck lucky. We have a cat that for some reason removes the heads off most of her successful kills. I think she must have heard somewhere that eating the brains pf your victims (as I believe some early cannibals used to do) bestows some of their bravery and strength to the victor. But perhaps that's a bit far-fetched.....

I've never seen our local foxes out during the middle of the day and a cat wouldn't have dragged it into the bush. Also a fox would probably take the lot somewhere else and I doubt a cat would have left the feathers like that. Everything pointed to Sparrowhawk to me except a previous instance. I hadn't ever expected one around this specific part of Howth (on top of a cliff without much cover to swoop in from).

doctor evil

No further Blackcap update but I did see for the first time a pair of Bullfinches in our garden on Thursday! They were on the bird feeder and then flew around for a bit. We have 2 mature apples trees and one younger one so I hope the blooms don't suffer too much. The male came back to the feed today. They seem to like Sunflower seeds.

I spent about an hour watching the bird politics, two male chaffinches had repeated fisty cuffs in mid air. The greenfinch told the coal tit where to go but the great tit held its ground on the feeder. The dunnocks were about and I saw a Chiffchaff.

I took down my fat ball feeder as I though it would be better to save the rest of the fat balls (firmly closed plastic box in a safe place) until next winter.

What do the birds need most now? Protein or fat.

I have a few unintentional bird baths, one is a piece of up/down curved sheeting. The hollows filled with water and a blue had a nice bath in each puddle of it.

Half-cocked

2 Redpolls on the nyjer seed! haven't seen them since the cold weather. Goldfinch numbers are up again, from 2 to 8.

whyulittle

What type of pigeon is this?

whyulittle

Wren in the garden yesterday and today!

whyulittle

Is this just a normal Thrush?

It made a mad shrieking noise as it flew through the air the other day.

Perched on the aerial and shrieked a bit more.

Mothman

whyulittle wrote: »

Is this just a normal Thrush?

A normal Mistle Thrush, if that's what you mean...:)

whyulittle

Song Thrush is what I assumed......they all look so similar!

Mothman

whyulittle wrote: »

Song Thrush is what I assumed......they all look so similar!

Well I suppose the call gave it away. Song Thrush never does that mad shrieking noise. Mistle is larger, with a more grey head and chest spots appear more pronounced.

hunt4the

whyulittle wrote: »

Is this just a normal Thrush?

It made a mad shrieking noise as it flew through the air the other day.

Perched on the aerial and shrieked a bit more.

an especially noisy family of song thrushes have blessed us by making there nest on our bedroom window, we were away for 2 weeks and when we came back there it was and we wouldnt move it, needless to say we are awoken at 6:00am each morning, its gonna be a long summer!!!!

trebor28

hunt4the wrote: »

an especially noisy family of song thrushes have blessed us by making there nest on our bedroom window, we were away for 2 weeks and when we came back there it was and we wouldnt move it, needless to say we are awoken at 6:00am each morning, its gonna be a long summer!!!!

i think i speak for everyone when i say, pics please!

doctor evil

House Sparrow came to the garden today for the second time. I also had a pair of Bullfinches on the seed feeder.

I was worried yesterday evenning that a grey crow and a magpie had found the Robins nest. I saw the robin fly into the bushes but I didn't hear anything that sounded like a distress call.

homerhop

One of those book clubs that go around companies just left a book in for sale €8.
This looks like the same book on the easons website.

http://www.eason.ie/books/9781405362023


On a side note a beautiful Barn Owl flew along the edge of the motorway this morning just outside Castledermot. Lovely to see

E39MSport

Nesting at present in/around the garden that I am aware of: -

- Bluetit
In an unmonitored (no camera) nextbox. Have been feeding young for about 4 days I think. Both adults active and visiting very regularly with food.

- Bluetit
Monitored box. 10 Eggs about 3/4 days from hatching I think. Male went missing but is now back.

- Blackbird
In a laurel bush. Looks like 5 chicks about 1 week old I'd say. Growing rapidly. Currently being fed large volumes of the mini mealworms I'm putting out.

- House Sparrow
I think there's 1 active nest in my sparrow terrace. More info to follow.

- Starling
Fledged yesterday. 2 active nests in a shed in the adjoining field. All fledged I think. Three fledglings yesterday from what I could see.

- Robin
There are 2 robins collecting food in the front garden. I think they're nesting in the garden but haven't tracked them as yet.

- Goldfinch
A pair collecting nesting material during the week. Not sure where they go to however.

- Mistle thrush
A pair returning with food to a hedge in the field behind the house.

Pleny of activity at the feeders also. Mostly House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Yellowhammer, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Pheasant, Blackbird, Rook, Jackdaw, Starling.

Singing Willow Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler (yesterday), Song Thrush (easily the winner !!) and Blackbirds. edit Stonechat yesterday also.

CorkNest

In our garden

- Blueitit 7 eggs should hatch around the w/e. monitored with cheap camera

- Great tit 7 chicks due to fledge >May 20. 3 cameras with live video stream

- Seen robin and 1 young. Robin fairly agressive to some other birds trying to get at the feeder.

- an open nest box (for robins) but moss etc nearly all the way up to the ceiling, I suspect a wren.

- house sparrows nested last year under some tiles, I've just started seeing some in the garden but don't know if they're nesting.

Stoner

I fed the birds in my garden all though the winter, I have been doing this for a few years but the intensity rose over the last two years with the hard winters, I actually think that I kept a number of birds alive this year.

However I now have a bunch of starlings that seem to eat everything i put out. I dont mind them that much as I read here that they are in delcine and I've grown to like them, the visiting magpie however is another thing, last year I had blackbirds, robbins, grey and pied wagtales, bullfinch, yellow tits and many more etc now I'm reduced to the odd robbin and sparrow plus lots of starlings and a bully magpie. My poor dog has to share his dinner with the magpie and starlings too, although that is funny to watch. I don't mind feeding these birds too, but I actually think that the food i have put out is increasing the food available for starlings and magpies alone. The feeders with the finer seeds remain untouched for weeks now.

I'm hoping that the smaller birds are just eating nicer food elsewhere, but I'd hate to think that they were now just scared to come into the garden and I'm increasing the size of the magpie population in the area. It was difficult to get rid of the cats from my tiny garden, but thorny berry bushes in the corners blocked the ways in and out while providing winter food at the same time.
Should I just stop feeding now and start again in the winter?

Mothman

I don't usually feed during late Spring/Summer, but this year I emptied bag a few weeks back, and most of nuts are still there. I get the occassional visit from Tit's and Chaffinch, but it's just a quick top up and they wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there.

The point is there is plenty food out there and I think what we supply is not really needed

CorkNest

Stoner wrote: »

However I now have a bunch of starlings that seem to eat everything i put out.

maybe if you can use a container that the starlings can't fit into. Similiar problem's here with roks getting at peanut feeder. had to cover it in chicken wire...

CorkNest

Mothman wrote: »

I don't usually feed during late Spring/Summer, but this year I emptied bag a few weeks back, and most of nuts are still there. I get the occassional visit from Tit's and Chaffinch, but it's just a quick top up and they wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there.

The point is there is plenty food out there and I think what we supply is not really needed

yea you read different stories on whether to put stuff out or not. I put put live mealworms & peanuts over the next few weeks or so. I've 2 nestboxes, great tit & blue tit, with cameras and I can see the mealworms being used to feed the chicks. The parents also use the peanut feeder. In previous years I didn't put out much during the nesting season and on two occasions the last chick never made it out of the box, presume due to starvation.

E39MSport

@CorkNest
My mealworms arrived. The birds love them

Blackbird stuffs its beak then stays around the feeder keeping the starlings off. Futile.

While they're scrapping the BT's have a well earned snack.

All good.

Thanks for the link. (They would devour the kilo in 2 days if I let them).

CorkNest

E39MSport wrote: »

@CorkNest
My mealworms arrived. The birds love them
Thanks for the link. (They would devour the kilo in 2 days if I let them).

yea they can be gobbled up fairly quicky, must order some more...