Not envying you the goose poo @jamesholt ! I was sitting on a bench waiting to video a flag being lowered, must have sat there about 20 mins or so and suddenly there it was, a beautiful hummingbird. I think I was very lucky to get it on video but good luck with your attempt
"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." Sir Terry Pratchett
I won a Ladybird Book of British Birds as a prize at school @Astro back in the mists of time and wondered for many years why some sparrows didn't match the picture. Then moved up to a better and bigger book as I got older and discovered dunnocks!
Had a few ladybird books but not a bird one. The illustrations are often great ,and though many are not current with information they were a great gateway to topics. My Readers digest has the dunnock as hedge sparrow, that's what I called up until recent years.
The goldfinches only go for the nyjer, they don't bother with sunflower hearts or the other goodies that I've noticed. They other stuff doesn't last long once the starlings and pigeons have visited anyway 🙂
May be unorthodox but I absolutely adore Magpies... Or any member of the Corvid family for that matter. I know a lot of people think they're bullies but I still have a robin, get blue and great tits, blackbirds, goldfinches etc. Theres is a special place in my heart for Robins too.
Me Too and I'm very proud to say a pair have built a nest in my garden for the first time. Sadly over the years visiting Magpies have raided the nests of Collared Dove, Woodpigeon and probably Bullfinch and others but live and let live Luv Dave
Look for the colours of a great tit, the size of the blue tit, but the give away is the white patch on the back of the neck in the black cap. But you will have to be quick, as they are lightning quick. 😁 @Chivetalking
Probably the resident sparrowhawk at the minute...
Have seen one since last year and plenty sightings in the last month or so. The speed and agility compared to the other garden birds is hard to believe. Of course it's most often just a flash out of the corner of your eye.
Me Too and I'm very proud to say a pair have built a nest in my garden for the first time. Sadly over the years visiting Magpies have raided the nests of Collared Dove, Woodpigeon and probably Bullfinch and others but live and let live Luv Dave
They're beautiful aren't they? My heart sings when they open their wings and fan out their tail ready to take off!
Yes that is the sad truth I suppose, I leave a few eggs out for them in the hopes it may deter them from nests.
I think wrens are my favourites. We have two nesting pairs here and when the babies are just fledging and you get a little clump of baby wrens flitting about - they are the cutest little things. And amazingly loud singers. We also have a little pied wagtail who is nesting in the house wall near the front door. The nest is just above my head height. He's a bright eyed, brave little chap who pootles about just outside the windows and pops up onto the roof if I step outside but he's never far away. We've also got a pair of blackies nesting at the other end of the house in a part built extension. They are under a roof light facing south so not sure if that's going to work, really. The woodpecker is quite loud at the moment, up in the woods. Haven't seen as many house sparrows about as usual but there are some. We have a robin, lots of goldies, the occasional bullfinch, a pair of stone chats, a pair of song thrushes, grey wagtails, plus all the usual blue tits and coal tits and 'little brown jobs' (as my ornithologist friend identified them for me).
The swallows and martins will be here soon
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
We do have a buzzard circuling above every day when we're out up the garden, yes it is on a slope our garden I live on the side of a Valley. It's fun to see the crows having a go at it. Not seen a Heron around yet but maybe soon, they nest around the River Avon Llwydd down our valley. We're a bit peeved run out of Bird food so not seen the regulars Long-tailed Tits, blue tits, great tits hoards of Sparrows for a while now, guess their nesting now anyway .
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The goldfinches only go for the nyjer, they don't bother with sunflower hearts or the other goodies that I've noticed. They other stuff doesn't last long once the starlings and pigeons have visited anyway 🙂
Have seen one since last year and plenty sightings in the last month or so. The speed and agility compared to the other garden birds is hard to believe. Of course it's most often just a flash out of the corner of your eye.
Yes that is the sad truth I suppose, I leave a few eggs out for them in the hopes it may deter them from nests.
We also have a little pied wagtail who is nesting in the house wall near the front door. The nest is just above my head height. He's a bright eyed, brave little chap who pootles about just outside the windows and pops up onto the roof if I step outside but he's never far away.
We've also got a pair of blackies nesting at the other end of the house in a part built extension. They are under a roof light facing south so not sure if that's going to work, really.
The woodpecker is quite loud at the moment, up in the woods. Haven't seen as many house sparrows about as usual but there are some. We have a robin, lots of goldies, the occasional bullfinch, a pair of stone chats, a pair of song thrushes, grey wagtails, plus all the usual blue tits and coal tits and 'little brown jobs' (as my ornithologist friend identified them for me).
The swallows and martins will be here soon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”