This was my little bit of exciting wildlife late yesterday afternoon. It is migrating cranes. They have been passing for the last couple of days. It happens twice a year, as they leave and as they come back. You hear them first, but can't see anything, then suddenly they appear, in formation, and then before you know it they are gone. I heard some in the middle of the night the day before. It is a real sign for me that spring is coming.
I've been using motion detection to capture short videos of birds visiting various feeders and have some observations on the preferences of the various regular visitors, which may be of interest to anyone trying to attract birds to their garden. All of these are placed with a few feet of an ivy and clematis covered trellis and there are also trees and bushes nearby which they all use for cover (this is Sparrowhawk territory.)
Covered bird table
This has a good quality no-waste seed mix plus insect and fruit flavoured suet pellets.
Main visitors are ground feeders and the most regular are Robins, Dunnocks and Blackbirds, with the occasional Blue tit, Great tit and Coal tit. Birds which I've not recorded using it at all include Sparrows, Long-tailed tits, Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Chaffinches. Occasional SWAT-like attack in numbers by Starlings for the suet pellets.
Hanging Feeders
Two with the same seed mix as the table. Regulars: Sparrows, Long-tailed tits, Goldfinches, Greenfinches and Chaffinches. Irregulars: Robins, Dunnocks, most other small birds. Never seen feeding: Thrush family and similar larger birds.
One with just sunflower hearts: Preferred by Goldfinches, Greenfinches and regularly visited by most other small birds, especially if the mixed seed feeders run out.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
I rarely get any birds in my garden no matter what I try, so I've taken to feeding ones in my local area! I've made a rod for my own back because I now have to get up and get out at dawn to scatter the seed about - they're waiting for me these days. This is a robin I see each morning - the fence post he's on has a hollow in the top so I put food in, step back and he immediately appears. That's the M6 in the background, ruining my view!
First hedgehog of the year in the garden, detected last night by the motion-detection video camera. I nearly didn't bother to check the recordings - I have them auto-delete after 24hrs, and some of last night's were just falling raindrops, but surprised to see the hedgehog at 3.31am. I'll resume putting out some food - I just go for a small handful of crushed peants and maybe some sunflower hearts on the lawn (and of course in the view of the camera) - I know hedgehogs go for them, and they have the advantage of not being attractive to visiting cats.
I found a peanut feeder in the garage so filled it up with nuts this morning. Couldn't find an appropriate place to hang it so popped it on a hanging basket holder by the dining room door whilst I went to find a hook, thinking the hanging basket hook was too close to the house (under cover of the abri too) - within minutes there were birds on it and this chap on the beam seemed to be acting as look out. So sweet and so good to see them so close up.
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
I get the same @Papi Jo sometimes mixing at the feeders with the goldies. I love how they look like they have an "intense glare", like they're saying "I'm feeding, don't mess with me!"
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
For the last couple of days we have seen a small flock of very fast birds, swirling around the houses in formation. When they turn, their wings/underparts flash silver er/white . Could they be pigeons, Dove's or small seagulls? Too soon for swifts or swallows presumably but that's what they remind me of. Too fast to take a photo - sorry.
I'm never quick enough to get photos of interesting wildlife but I did see a group of four grouse trotting past in the field at the end of the garden. They looked so comical.
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https://photos.app.goo.gl/fCfZkrBMdHRjantD8