Love those little birds tiding up their nesting boxes!
I notice another pigeon joined the two that feed in my back yard. I don't like that.
Made friends with another tribe of Chickadees and Nuthatches at a different spot along the river.
It was snowing heavy for the past couple days so instead of going out feeding birds I was shoveling snow. Made it to the fish hatchery today and the Chickadees were crazy for seed.lol
Giddy, we usually leave our bird boxes empty, but this year we decided to put some wood chip and soft matter in three of the boxes, but as yet none of them have birds nesting in them.
I love your Chickadees Johnny, you are so lucky to have them so tame. Are there any predators in the area - cats, birds of prey? The crows and magpies here mob the small birds, preventing them from feeding or nesting.
Oh yes, plenty of predators. I've had Merlin hawks in my yard, I rescued a tiny owl from a murder of crows a few summers ago at the fish hatchery. And earlier this week I spotted a weasel hiding in the bush where the Chickadees perch and eat their seeds, so I chased it off and resumed feeding. Of course we also get mountain lions following the rivers in the city, they would enjoy eating some ducks and if they are hungry enough they would take me down.lol
Plenty of coyotes in the city and wolves out at my brothers place just outside the city. One never knows if it's your time to face a Grizzly bear, Mountain lion, or pack of hungry wolves. Oh and there are Bobcats living in the city as well. Big kittens!
It's not as scary as it sounds, sightings of the big ones are few and they generally are easily scared off. I was working with my brothers a few years ago installing a furnace and we had to go out back to the truck often, there happened to be a black bear in the back yard minding it's own business.
The adults are quite kestrel like in colouring - and that sort of size, so I expect they're the same. Really lovely birds
He sat for a while on the deer fence stile, as the adults swooped around. They were still in the same little area when I came down off the hill, but too far away for another pic.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My goodness Johnnie, it is amazing that any small creatures survive with those predators and all so very hungry when the snow is about and it is so cold.
We do have quite a few birds of prey here too, buzzards, harriers and the usual crows and magpies, then there are the wild ferrets which attack hens and other caged animals, but on the whole nothing that would cause problems with the human population. In fact I think it is the humans that cause more problems to the wild animals.
We have had a few dolphin pods swimming off the island in the past few months, and often seals are washed up on the shore after a storm, usually in a very poor state of health.
Today 4 gold finches and 2 long tailed tits, along with the usual visitors - robins, wrens, blackbirds, umpteen sparrows, great and blue tits, magpies, crows, pigeons. The windy, rainy weather doesn't prevent them from visiting the feeders. So I have been armchair bird watching today.
Posts
Love those little birds tiding up their nesting boxes!
I notice another pigeon joined the two that feed in my back yard. I don't like that.
Made friends with another tribe of Chickadees and Nuthatches at a different spot along the river.
It was snowing heavy for the past couple days so instead of going out feeding birds I was shoveling snow. Made it to the fish hatchery today and the Chickadees were crazy for seed.lol
Giddy, we usually leave our bird boxes empty, but this year we decided to put some wood chip and soft matter in three of the boxes, but as yet none of them have birds nesting in them.
I love your Chickadees Johnny, you are so lucky to have them so tame. Are there any predators in the area - cats, birds of prey? The crows and magpies here mob the small birds, preventing them from feeding or nesting.
Hello Guernsey Donkey2,
Oh yes, plenty of predators. I've had Merlin hawks in my yard, I rescued a tiny owl from a murder of crows a few summers ago at the fish hatchery. And earlier this week I spotted a weasel hiding in the bush where the Chickadees perch and eat their seeds, so I chased it off and resumed feeding. Of course we also get mountain lions following the rivers in the city, they would enjoy eating some ducks and if they are hungry enough they would take me down.lol
Plenty of coyotes in the city and wolves out at my brothers place just outside the city. One never knows if it's your time to face a Grizzly bear, Mountain lion, or pack of hungry wolves. Oh and there are Bobcats living in the city as well. Big kittens!
It's not as scary as it sounds, sightings of the big ones are few and they generally are easily scared off. I was working with my brothers a few years ago installing a furnace and we had to go out back to the truck often, there happened to be a black bear in the back yard minding it's own business.
I love the expression " a murder of crows"
Are the Merlins the same as the ones we have here Johnny? Stunning birds. This is a young one I saw last year
Hosta - I found a brilliant site for collective nouns yesterday. Nuthatches are a 'jar' and waxwings can be a 'museum' as well as an 'earful'.
It's obviously American/Canadian because of some of the birds, but the best one is for a yellowleg (some kind of snipe) which is an 'incontinence'....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I believe they are the same Fairygirl. Probably about the size of a pigeon.
The adults are quite kestrel like in colouring - and that sort of size, so I expect they're the same. Really lovely birds
He sat for a while on the deer fence stile, as the adults swooped around. They were still in the same little area when I came down off the hill, but too far away for another pic.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My goodness Johnnie, it is amazing that any small creatures survive with those predators and all so very hungry when the snow is about and it is so cold.
We do have quite a few birds of prey here too, buzzards, harriers and the usual crows and magpies, then there are the wild ferrets which attack hens and other caged animals, but on the whole nothing that would cause problems with the human population. In fact I think it is the humans that cause more problems to the wild animals.
We have had a few dolphin pods swimming off the island in the past few months, and often seals are washed up on the shore after a storm, usually in a very poor state of health.
bumping up fo new posters
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Today 4 gold finches and 2 long tailed tits, along with the usual visitors - robins, wrens, blackbirds, umpteen sparrows, great and blue tits, magpies, crows, pigeons. The windy, rainy weather doesn't prevent them from visiting the feeders. So I have been armchair bird watching today.