Garden Birds chat 2011

E39MSport

re: the sparrowhawk, I've noticed varying levels (2) of distress among birds in and around the feeders when the Sparrowhawk makes an appearance.

They would appear to be able to determine when it's hunting as opposed to something else. The latter triggers a mere scatter if that. Some in fact stay at the feeder.

Or it wasn't spotted at all. But I doubt the latter especially given the fact that I saw it on those occasions and the feeder birds usually make a spot well in advace.

cjf

Little update on my chick they getting quite big and quite noisy heard them properly for first time today and when they stuck their heads up from nest can see their eyes are open now!! Still considering setting up a little chick den so they will have obvious place for shelter when they come out!! Still four chicks too!!

E39MSport

I've also got Dunnock bringing fallen seeds from the feeder into the ditch. Assuming it's feeding young.

tricky D

Saw one of our House Martins playing with what was either a feather or bit of shell. It was zooming around and chucking it into the air and catching it again. Looked like it was having a ball. Could be related to the fact that the eggs have recently hatched.

cscook

I presume that this robin without a tail probably lost it in a fight? I don't think it's one of our main resident pair, because they both hop up to the back door, knowing that's where the worms come from, whereas this one is much more cautious. The first time I noticed I couldn't think what was odd, I thought I was imagining it, but after a couple of days I managed to get a photo.





But this one, showing signs of a bit of an injury, is one of the resident pair - I think.

Bsal

Either he/she is moulting or they had a hell of a fight.

kincsem

Saw a Dunnock in my ground cage feeder in Stillorgan this morning. They are so ordinary in appearance it helps it was in one spot feeding as I look through my binoculars. Its the first time I identified one, but I'm sure they are here all the time.

Rainbowsend

kincsem wrote: »

Saw a Dunnock in my ground cage feeder in Stillorgan this morning. They are so ordinary in appearance it helps it was in one spot feeding as I look through my binoculars. Its the first time I identified one, but I'm sure they are here all the time.

A beautiful little bird, I wouldn't say ordinary at all. If you see them with the sun shining on them they have the most beautiful markings and colours in their feathers and have lovely eyes. I have a couple resident in the garden and they don't seem to bother any of the other birds and nothing seems to bother them, they just peck away in the ground under the feeders and under the hedges quite happy with life

Cardynal

Just had a group of Goldfinch ( think the collective noun is a Charm , although i've also heard it called a Troubling ) , dash through the garden , mostly young birds , must have been at least 20 , mabye more , great sight to see.

Half-cocked

We had 3 juvenile Goldfinches visit regularly last month, but now we just get 4 adults (and no, it's not the juveniles all grown up;)). I wonder if the adults have driven the juveniles away? There is competition for places on the nyjer feeder from a small flock of Linnets too.

kincsem

There is a sparrow nest in a tree next door. An adult took up a position on a twig near the dividing wall and I assume gave a signal. Four small birds flew from the tree down into my bird feeder, ate some seeds for a minute or two, then flew back.

mgwhelan

caught on my camera trap a family of great tits feeding on peanut feeder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pKhTSXZqcs

you can see the camera move it's one of the GT's using it as a look out post.

Stoner

got my caged in seed feeders delivered last week, got em on ebay one worked out at £11 delivered and i cost a set of 3 for about £30, dont know if there is much better value out there but compared to some of the catalogues I've read they seems like good prices.

alway they work will post photos later, starlings are still being fed but dont get everything.

I have collared dove who pops in every now and then for peanuts, he takes ages do actually deceide to fly in and take the food, very nervy bird.

whyulittle

Saw a little Wren at my parents today, while something was tapping away up in one of the trees. Are there any garden birds that would try and crack a hazelnut?

Also had a Swallow come into the house through the open front door! Managed to cup it in my hands and set it outside again.

Half-cocked

The regular flock of House Sparrows has suddenly doubled in size. We've had 30-40 all Summer and now they have shot up to 60-70. It's like a scene from Hithcocks Birds when they all descend into our small garden;)

Bsal

Just noticed today one of my regular Coal Tits was hiding seeds all round the garden, great fun watching him/her burying it under the muck and in plant pots and even in the grass.

V_Moth

whyulittle wrote: »

Saw a little Wren at my parents today, while something was tapping away up in one of the trees. Are there any garden birds that would try and crack a hazelnut?

Also had a Swallow come into the house through the open front door! Managed to cup it in my hands and set it outside again.

Great and Blue Tits sometimes take a peanut from a feeder to a more sheltered spot and peck away at it (while holding the nut between their feet). If it was quite a loud pecking noise, it may have been a Great Spotteed Woodpecker - the tapping noise is one of the best ways of finding them.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

whyulittle wrote: »

while something was tapping away up in one of the trees. Are there any garden birds that would try and crack a hazelnut?

GS Woodpeckers have been recorded in South County Dublin , Wicklow,Meath and Louth. Are you in any of those areas AND near decent sized mature woodland? If not then unlikely to be a Woodpecker.

Cracked Hazelnuts are usually due to Wood Mice or Squirrels.

whyulittle

No I wouldn't have suspected GSW, outside Athlone.

It was a pretty quick, sharp tapping noise in a Hazel tree.

It could have been something just cracking open a snail shell, but from watching birds do that before, the rhythm didn't sound right for that.

Rainbowsend

Bsal wrote: »

Just noticed today one of my regular Coal Tits was hiding seeds all round the garden, great fun watching him/her burying it under the muck and in plant pots and even in the grass.

I hope that isn't a sign of a bad winter :eek: birds are very intuitive to changes in the weather!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Rainbowsend wrote: »

I hope that isn't a sign of a bad winter :eek: birds are very intuitive to changes in the weather!

Studies show birds hide food irrespective of how the Winter turns out. It's an instinct in dealing with gluts of food, rather than any intuition.

Kess73

Bsal wrote: »

Just noticed today one of my regular Coal Tits was hiding seeds all round the garden, great fun watching him/her burying it under the muck and in plant pots and even in the grass.

What can be even more fun to watch is if you have some regular great tits in the garden. They will watch where the coal tits are hiding the seeds and then go and raid it.:D

Plus you can often end up with plants growing in very unusual locations thanks to coal tits hiding seeds.:) Keep an eye early next year when your coal tits are hiding seeds (they will do it all year around if there is plenty of seed available to them), and note some of the spots they use. Then keep an eye on those spots for growth.

Bsal

The Coal Tit was at it again today , also my Starlings are very active the last few days doing there formation flying, there must be 200-300 of them looks spectacular.

bernardo mac

Great, reading reports on garden activity.Am envious as am on constant watch[as with birds when here] for uncountable cat menace next door.Did spot a visiting chiff chaff or maybe willow warbler 2 weeks+ ago

E39MSport

Getting grief from the resident Robin.

Put the feeders back on line yesterday after roughly a 6 week break. (rodent issues and disease prevention)

Loads of activity. They were on it like a light. No fear of forgetting location.

Even brings in the chiffchaffs etc. it would appeard due to the rest of the birds raising flies from the bushes as they dart in and out.

bernardo mac

Likely what I saw was a chiff chaff[as in pic] busy in among the bushes

whyulittle

Had a Sparrowhawk over the back garden today, being mobbed by about 10 crows. Hopefully it might be around for the winter!

E39MSport

Never seen a Sparrowhawk being mobbed by crows before! Brave.

My Eur 60 Massive seed feeder from CJ fell apart during the week. Waste of money imo. It showed signs of breakup very early. The plastic is too thin/brittle.

Anyway, made a 6 port feeder from a 5l water bottle. Confused the birds for a short while and it was funny watching them figure it out. Will make a few more now.

EDIT. Question re feeders. Does the holding vessel need to be transparent? I might try waven piping if not. Ta.

Rainbowsend

E39MSport wrote: »

Question re feeders. Does the holding vessel need to be transparent? I might try waven piping if not. Ta.

I wouldnt have thought so, if you replace them in the same place you would normally have the feeders, it wont take them long to find out there is food there, good idea, post up some pictures when you have them done.

E39MSport

This is my emergency solution holding 5 litres of feed. They've cleaned out half of it since lunch time yesterday so I'd need 3 of them to cover my away time.
Coal tits are divils for chucking everything out to get at the sunflower seeds but it suits the dunnocks etc.
I've noticed that the Chaffinches and sparrows are happy on the ground too.

Next solution is the wavin. Hope to get to it next weekend. Will fit a catch tray to help keep vermin at bay. Hopefully the ground dwellers will use it.