What a great picture Zenjeff, love gold finches - we had fourteen either on our two feeders or waiting to get to them at one time last year - I was over the moon, considering we only had 1 pair 3 years ago.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you too Muddle-up. They are such striking birds (in looks & action). Would love to see one here.
Had this little chap visit me today. He let me get within 3 or 4 feet of him as he fed on my clianthus puniceus (lobster claw / parrots beak)
Despite being so close I could only get these poor quality shots from my phone which I had in my pocket. A tiny bird that hovered like a hummingbird as it fed. To be honest I don't think I've ever knowingly seen one before and was surprised when I looked it up just how common they are here in the UK.
Although it was not on my feeders it's nice to see different birds coming in to the garden.
Lovely pictures Dave, and not one that we have visiting our garden. It's a dear little thing and I hope it manages to find a mate at this time of year - do they nest in boxes, holes in the wall perhaps, surely it would only need a tiny space to nest in.
Do you have a cat or perhaps a cat using your garden aym? Our neighbour's cat is on sick leave - confined to an indoor cage whilst it's hip heals. The birds are loving the peace and we are getting 2 or 3 times as many visiting our feeders whilst the cat's out of action.
I have found that the birds using the feeders that are in open areas i.e. on a tree in the middle of the lawn are being harassed by the crows and magpies, but the feeders hanging closer to our house and near bushes don't seem to attract the crows or magpies. The big birds are like jets - they need a big area to take off and land on, whereas the smaller feeding birds are quite happy to hop in the bushes and between dense tree branches where there is more cover for them.. I hope that all makes sense!
We don't have to contend with squirrels here, which helps the birds too.
You're right GD - although magpies are quite bold here. A good prickly, dense shrub keeps greedy big birds out too. I had a feeder in a pyracantha which the little ones used, but the bigger ones and squirrels largely kept away from. You just need a carefully positioned access route for your hand to retrieve it....or one of those gadgets which picks litter up, perhaps
No need for a cutter to make that cage aym - I used the shelves from one of those daft growhouses. They're flimsy enough to bend, and I just made them the size the shelves already are, bending them to shape at cornersand wiring them together.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
you are making it far too comfy for them cats I see one perhaps Twice a year in our garden last time about 9 months ago at 9 pm it was eating the hedgehogs food ,we do get a lot of Jackdaws who squable and are very noisy ,and a visiting hawk now and again I had to move the bird table nearer the fence as it once took a starling what was feeding ,haven't seen it for a while but one day last week I heard a blackbird giving a warning and looked out not a bird in sight but there on the neibours fence a hawk beutiful sight went for my camera but had gone .ps not sure on birds of prey hawk or kestrel ? Have to look them up ,purchased a £2.50 bird box at Wilcos see if I can tempt the blue tits to nest cheap as chips .
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Frosty sunny morning here in the North East goldfinches galore heres some eating the rubekia seeds
Really excited as saw a goldcrest the weekend! Never seen one before
so dam cute
What a great picture Zenjeff, love gold finches - we had fourteen either on our two feeders or waiting to get to them at one time last year - I was over the moon, considering we only had 1 pair 3 years ago.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you too Muddle-up. They are such striking birds (in looks & action). Would love to see one here.
Had this little chap visit me today. He let me get within 3 or 4 feet of him as he fed on my clianthus puniceus (lobster claw / parrots beak)
Despite being so close I could only get these poor quality shots from my phone which I had in my pocket. A tiny bird that hovered like a hummingbird as it fed. To be honest I don't think I've ever knowingly seen one before and was surprised when I looked it up just how common they are here in the UK.
Although it was not on my feeders it's nice to see different birds coming in to the garden.
Doh! I meant to add...it was a Goldcrest.
They're lovely little birds Dave. I have one which occasionally visits. You find them readily if you have conifers
Lovely to get photos - I've never been lucky enough
Last edited: 01 March 2017 17:35:57
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Lovely pictures Dave, and not one that we have visiting our garden. It's a dear little thing and I hope it manages to find a mate at this time of year - do they nest in boxes, holes in the wall perhaps, surely it would only need a tiny space to nest in.
Do you have a cat or perhaps a cat using your garden aym? Our neighbour's cat is on sick leave - confined to an indoor cage whilst it's hip heals. The birds are loving the peace and we are getting 2 or 3 times as many visiting our feeders whilst the cat's out of action.
I have found that the birds using the feeders that are in open areas i.e. on a tree in the middle of the lawn are being harassed by the crows and magpies, but the feeders hanging closer to our house and near bushes don't seem to attract the crows or magpies. The big birds are like jets - they need a big area to take off and land on, whereas the smaller feeding birds are quite happy to hop in the bushes and between dense tree branches where there is more cover for them.. I hope that all makes sense!
We don't have to contend with squirrels here, which helps the birds too.
You're right GD - although magpies are quite bold here. A good prickly, dense shrub keeps greedy big birds out too. I had a feeder in a pyracantha which the little ones used, but the bigger ones and squirrels largely kept away from. You just need a carefully positioned access route for your hand to retrieve it....or one of those gadgets which picks litter up, perhaps
No need for a cutter to make that cage aym - I used the shelves from one of those daft growhouses. They're flimsy enough to bend, and I just made them the size the shelves already are, bending them to shape at cornersand wiring them together.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
aym
you are making it far too comfy for them cats
I see one perhaps Twice a year in our garden last time about 9 months ago at 9 pm it was eating the hedgehogs food ,we do get a lot of Jackdaws who squable and are very noisy ,and a visiting hawk now and again I had to move the bird table nearer the fence as it once took a starling what was feeding ,haven't seen it for a while but one day last week I heard a blackbird giving a warning and looked out not a bird in sight but there on the neibours fence a hawk beutiful sight went for my camera but had gone .ps not sure on birds of prey hawk or kestrel ? Have to look them up ,purchased a £2.50 bird box at Wilcos see if I can tempt the blue tits to nest cheap as chips .