Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Irish Garden Bird Survey 2020/21

13

Comments

  • #62
    scarepanda
    Registered Users Posts: 3,438 ✭✭✭scarepanda


    hirondelle wrote: »
    The concensus seems to be to continue feeding throughout the year- I find the number at the feeders goes down but we get the great tits (parents) continuing to feed themselves at th peanuts while they forrage for insects fortheir chicks, so it seems to help to do so.

    Ya the plan is to keep feeding, although I might reduce the number of feeders, depending on demand. Am I right in thinking that fat balls shouldn't be put out during the summer?


  • #63
    boccy23
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭boccy23


    So today's visitors was a pair of Siskins. Very nice indeed.

    Also, the Greenfinches are very aggressive toward each other, or at least the males. Is that normal behaviour?


  • #64
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    scarepanda wrote: »
    Ya the plan is to keep feeding, although I might reduce the number of feeders, depending on demand. Am I right in thinking that fat balls shouldn't be put out during the summer?

    Yes, best kept to the cold winter months, so finish up with them in March or therabouts!


  • #65
    Corr1b
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭Corr1b


    There appears to be an increase in Starlings in East Meath this year. They are aggressive and territorial at the feeders and when they arrive in numbers of up to twenty the smaller tits and finches clear off. The only competitors that can scare them are the Rooks from a nearby Rookery. Anyone got advice on how to ensure that the tits and finches get fed in these circumstances?


  • #66
    Del.Monte
    Registered Users Posts: 12,363 ✭✭✭✭Del.Monte


    You can't go far wrong if you follow RSPB guidelines on feeding: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/feeding-birds/

    ****



  • Advertisement
  • #67
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    Corr1b wrote: »
    There appears to be an increase in Starlings in East Meath this year. They are aggressive and territorial at the feeders and when they arrive in numbers of up to twenty the smaller tits and finches clear off. The only competitors that can scare them are the Rooks from a nearby Rookery. Anyone got advice on how to ensure that the tits and finches get fed in these circumstances?

    When birds like that appear on feeders, they cause other birds to change their behaviour. So, rather than hanging around on your feeders, the finches and tits etc will grab something and go and eat it in piece. Similarly, they'll try and arrive earlier and later in the day in the hopes of avoiding the 'bullies'.

    Long story short, they aren't having as big an impact as you might think, and the smaller birds are well able to adapt to their presence. You could try putting some caging around your feeders though, or switching to just providing something like peanuts that Starlings will struggle to get out of the feeder but other smaller birds will eat with ease !


  • #68
    sliabh beagh
    Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭sliabh beagh


    had my first ever siskins and greenfinch this week. think im up to 20 recorded species now. great way to pass the lockdown.


  • #69
    appledrop
    Registered Users Posts: 5,789 ✭✭✭appledrop


    boccy23 wrote: »
    So today's visitors was a pair of Siskins. Very nice indeed.

    Also, the Greenfinches are very aggressive toward each other, or at least the males. Is that normal behaviour?

    Greenfinches are very aggressive, I've seen great aerial displays over the years as they love to argue mid air.


  • #70
    appledrop
    Registered Users Posts: 5,789 ✭✭✭appledrop


    As others have said I wouldn't worry about the starlings. The other birds do disappear but they just come back later when they are gone.

    We have a lot of sparrows around here and after breeding seasons the tit families often stay away and come back later in day when no sparrows are around.

    They must just be too noisy for them + they like a bit of peace!


  • #71
    happyday
    Registered Users Posts: 1,323 ✭✭✭happyday


    sliabh beagh wrote: »
    had my first ever siskins and greenfinch this week. think im up to 20 recorded species now. great way to pass the lockdown.

    Well done. I must count mine. I love seeing new species. I have had siskins but no greenfinches, long tailed tits or bullfinches.


  • Advertisement
  • #72
    scarepanda
    Registered Users Posts: 3,438 ✭✭✭scarepanda


    I've just seen 2 greenfinch at the feeders! Delighted, although a little concerned as they seem to be a species that suffer a lot from disease.

    We've had additional visitors as well this week. We've consistently had 2 male blackbirds, but this week we've had an extra male and 2 females here. But no sign of the long tailed tits, I'm out of peanuts and fat balls which I presume is why I haven't seen them.


  • #73
    boccy23
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭boccy23


    I had 2 pairs of long tailed Tits this week. Lovely birds. First time to see these as well. Also Coal Tits this week to add to the list.


  • #74
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    I had 7 Robins during the week - seven!! I'm getting 4-5 pretty consistently over the last couple of weeks, but I never thought I'd see seven Robins in one tiny garden together tbh!

    Yesterday's snow brought a single Song Thrush in addition to the 'regulars' - pretty sure it's the same Song Thrush that visited during the cold spell a few weeks ago!


  • #75
    boccy23
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭boccy23


    This mornings new visitor was a Blackcap. Another one checked off the list.


  • #76
    boccy23
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭boccy23


    I think I might have had a Willow Tit visiting this morning. Didn't stay overly long but I don't think it was a Coal Tit. It was more colourful than what I would expect.

    Would that be possible here in Kildare? Are they present due to the bogs or lakes locally?


  • #77
    happyday
    Registered Users Posts: 1,323 ✭✭✭happyday


    boccy23 wrote: »
    I think I might have had a Willow Tit visiting this morning. Didn't stay overly long but I don't think it was a Coal Tit. It was more colourful than what I would expect.

    Would that be possible here in Kildare? Are they present due to the bogs or lakes locally?

    I'm not familiar with them. Must look it up.


  • #78
    OpenYourEyes
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 3,068 Mod ✭✭✭✭OpenYourEyes


    boccy23 wrote: »
    I think I might have had a Willow Tit visiting this morning. Didn't stay overly long but I don't think it was a Coal Tit. It was more colourful than what I would expect.

    Would that be possible here in Kildare? Are they present due to the bogs or lakes locally?


    Honestly, it's so unlikely that you can probably rule it out. We don't have them here at all and they don't even really occur as a vagrant.


  • #79
    hirondelle
    Registered Users Posts: 326 ✭✭hirondelle


    happyday wrote: »
    I'm not familiar with them. Must look it up.

    They're not native so unlikely- I know with Great Tit males that their plumage is more vibrant at this time of year to attract females, so possibly a coal tit dressed up to the nines?


  • #80
    boccy23
    Registered Users Posts: 2,919 ✭✭✭boccy23


    Ok, thanks guys. I hope "he" returns and I can get a better / longer look at him.


  • #81
    Bsal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,766 ✭✭✭Bsal


    Can't believe only two weeks left for this years survey, so far I've recorded 25 different species this year. Highlight so far have been Longtailed tits, male Blackcap and a Goldcrest.


  • Advertisement
  • #82
    sliabh beagh
    Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭sliabh beagh


    Bsal wrote: »
    Can't believe only two weeks left for this years survey, so far I've recorded 25 different species this year. Highlight so far have been Longtailed tits, male Blackcap and a Goldcrest.

    i had a goldcrest crash into my patio door few weeks back. nursed him in my hand for 20 mins before he flew away. lovely wee bird. do they come to your feeder cause ive never seen one actually in my garden.


  • #83
    Bsal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,766 ✭✭✭Bsal


    sliabh beagh wrote: »
    i had a goldcrest crash into my patio door few weeks back. nursed him in my hand for 20 mins before he flew away. lovely wee bird. do they come to your feeder cause ive never seen one actually in my garden.

    I've never seen one on the feeders just skirting around in the plants and bushes.


  • #84
    sliabh beagh
    Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭sliabh beagh


    good to know that. must keep an extra eye out for them feeding. do you have conifer trees nearby?


  • #85
    Bsal
    Registered Users Posts: 1,766 ✭✭✭Bsal


    sliabh beagh wrote: »
    good to know that. must keep an extra eye out for them feeding. do you have conifer trees nearby?

    The house two doors up from me has a 20 metre line of conifer hedge running along the back wall.


  • #86
    Pipmae
    Registered Users Posts: 2,001 ✭✭✭Pipmae


    I had a visit from a red legged partridge this morning. The shock when I saw something so stunning waddling around my garden. I got a photo but it's very poor quality - through a window and on a zoomed iPhone lens.

    I'm in Co Meath.


  • #87
    Pipmae
    Registered Users Posts: 2,001 ✭✭✭Pipmae


    Red legged partridge


  • #88
    happyday
    Registered Users Posts: 1,323 ✭✭✭happyday


    Pipmae wrote: »
    Red legged partridge

    Lovely to see something unusual. Well done.


  • #89
    fryup
    Registered Users Posts: 18,069 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    any sign of Alan?


  • #90
    bb12
    Registered Users Posts: 876 ✭✭✭bb12


    saw a woodpecker pecking on a silver birch tree today. never seen or heard one before and didn't even know they were in ireland


  • Advertisement
  • #91
    gzoladz
    Registered Users Posts: 2,196 ✭✭✭gzoladz


    bb12 wrote: »
    saw a woodpecker pecking on a silver birch tree today. never seen or heard one before and didn't even know they were in ireland

    They only arrived 10/15 years ago and they are doing great. I am hoping to get some in my local park but that must be 3/5 years away.


Advertisement