Really happy with my garden visitors. I have made big efforts to keep cats away over last few years and I think my work is paying off. Every type of tit you can name, finches galore and my favourites of all, the humble Blackbird. One family is so tame now that mother Blackbird came and sat on my foot on Sunday whilst I was digging the old patio up. Not thick, she just new there were woodlice and bugs galore from the fruits of my labour. Although the cats have stayed away, the downside is that the local population of Maggies seem to know my garden is a bird haven. I would fully support a controlled mini-cull; not cos I'm soft or can't bare nature; but the imbalance between these predators and garden birds is a man-made problem. Balance needs restoring. On Sunday - there were a couple of young Jays at the base of the feeder. I got a couple of grainy pics through the blind. Beauties, but again, similar in behaviour to the Magpie. My garden issue now is my nemesis Squirrel, who takes great delight in my efforts to deter him. I swear he laughs at me. By the looks of the stuff he is carrying, I guess he is planning on nesting in the tall tree in the corner. I need to take action. Will try upload the Jays (am sure someone will correct me if they are not Jays).
Yes they are jays. Haven't had them in our garden, in fact I don't think I've ever seen one in the wild.
We've not had a Jay in the garden before (yes that's what they are), but see quite a lot in London parks. Probably rarest thing I've seen in the garden (twice) was a sparrowhawk. One sat on a tree branch just resting. The other, unbelievably, attacking into a shrub which had a small bird. I was decorating in the back bedroom, just so happened to look up at the exact moment of the strike, legs outstretched, wings open, then it grabbed its prey, turned and flew back over the house. Amazing moment. And I do quite like the fox that often suns itself on the back wall now and then. Not bad for a small patch in fairly central London (give or take 4 miles!).
This little chap has just flown into the window so rescued it off the floor and onto our perching log....photo taken on phone
Treecreeper, if you're lucky to see them with young, you sometimes see them huddled under their wing on the tree.
Im really lucky too. Im exactly a mile from Barnsley tarn centre but also a mile from the Worsbrough countryside. My list of species currently stands at 27 including a pheasant, a grey heron, a tawny owl and even a small flock of Waxwings (during the 2012 irruption). Also a whole family of great spotted woodpeckers. I too have a resident squirrel, and I share my home with 2 cats a dog and small grandchildren among others. But the birds keep coming and everyone mucks along together.
On my recent 500 mile walk (www.wildyorkshireway.co.uk) I made a list of the different bird species I saw. It's amazing how many you see when you spend 6 solid weeks out in countryside of all types. Here's my list: - Blackbird Robin Crow Jackdaw Blue tit Great tit Linnett Black headed gull Kestrel Buzzard Heron Mallard Moorhen Coot Cormorant Lapwing Chaffinch Greenfinch Goldfinch Meadow pipit Pied wagtail Pigeon Wren Chiff chaff Canada goose Jay Hedge sparrow Magpie Cuckoo Fieldfare Swallow Yellowhammer Pheasant Partridge Grey lag goose House sparrow Sand martin Song thrush Tree sparrow Snipe Tawny owl House martin Rook Sky lark Blackcap Hen Great spotted woodpecker Curlew Herring gull Wheatear Bullfinch Kittiwake Guillemot Reed bunting Shag Coal tit Siskin Brambling Perigrine falcon Red grouse Stonechat Grey wagtail Tree creeper Guinea fowl Swan Starling Shelduck Kingfisher Collared dove Oyster catcher Golden plover Willow warbler + nest Swift Dipper Hen harrier Peacock Dunlin
I was on my own so I needed something to do at times. Most of them I knew but for some of them I had to use the internet to identify. The stunning blue and gold kingfisher was about the best, closely followed by the peregrine which scared me to death on the cliffs near Ravenscar, as it dived past me at about 200mph in search of some snap. Nature is so good at times, and to think there are some t***s out there with guns attempting to have "fun" with it.
We have a few sparrowhawks around here. Very impressive in the strike, even though it is sad to watch. You always know when one has struck around here, cos the local magpies and crows go bonkers, waiting for the scraps. A sparrowhawk got a pigeon in our garden last summer. I missed the strike but watched the aftermath and filmed it. Landed on the side road and spend a good few minutes biting lumps out an de-feathering it. A car passed slowly a good few minutes later - Sparrowhawk flew to the fence, then lo and behold the pigeon sat up, dusted itself down and flew off to the horizon. Am guessing the sparrowhawk was a juvenile. And front-garden Mr and Mrs Blackbird's 3rd clutch of the season have just fledged this morning!! Happy days
Yep definitely a Jay We get a fair few here. They have no love of small birds, we try to deter them along with magpies
The natural world around us is so amazing, I love nothing better these days than spending a few hours out and about conversing with nature doing a bit of birdwatching, actually so much so I've taken to doing this to going to matches, far more enjoyable not to mention less stressful lol.