What birds (are you/have you been) watching? What birds have been watching you?

[Dave2002]

Green parakeets recently. Currently only one or two, but there were 8 here the other day.

Then a great spotted woodpecker came along, for a short while.

I suspect we're watched by many we don't know about.

[Don Petter]

I suspect we're watched by many we don't know about.

I hope not! (Can she see the reflection of my binocs?)


More seriously, in the last few days: Various tits including long-tailed, wren, robin, nuthatch, magpie (Shoo!). We usually have the greater spotted woodpeckers, but not seen them for a week or so. Probably means that the mild weather is giving them plenty of insects without our suet cake.

[eighthobstruction]

I saw the most enormous Dipper a couple of days ago - fat as a grapefruit....did a double take....

[Don Petter]

I saw the most enormous Dipper a couple of days ago - fat as a grapefruit....did a double take....

A fascinating bird. Here's one we saw in France this year, which was dipping in the shallows and easier than usual to photograph.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee507/Don_Petter/Dipper_zpsfd4b3fcd.jpg

[Serial_Apologist]

Blackbirds, jays, crows, jackdaws, magpies, redbreasts, and both types of woodpecker are regular visitors to this garden. Amazing to think that we scarcely see sparrows or starlings at all any more in the 'burbs, but that the woodpeckers are here - they were rarely to be found within 20 miles of Trafalgar Square 20 years ago, apparently. The only place I ever see starlings is the large Sainsbury's car park down at Bell Green, (far end of Sydenham), where a mean-minded store management does its best to frighten them away by playing a distressed bird recording.

This morning a magpie latched onto the top right hand corner of my lounge window frame, it's tail and hindquarters only visible, pecking away, presumably looking for ants or grubs of some sort.

[Anna]

This morning a magpie latched onto the top right hand corner of my lounge window frame, it's tail and hindquarters only visible, pecking away, presumably looking for ants or grubs of some sort.

Ha! regularly do magpies launch themselves at my windows. However, when I had my replacement windows guys here, one came inside and said 'there is a magpie on your roof eating a wren.

Nature red in all that stuff, innit?
I do wish starlings here would return, I love their super shiny irredescdent plumage

[Richard Tarleton]

Nature red in all that stuff, innit?

The other day I watched from the kitchen window as a female sparrowhawk chased a blue tit three times round the nut feeder - quite astonishing speed and manoeverability. Then the blue tit flew off at a tangent over the hedge and away, sparrowhawk in hot pursuit, so I never saw the outcome. But yes, that's why blue tits produce 14 young, so that there is a healthy surplus to ensure that at least 2 survive!

[Dave2002]

The other day I watched from the kitchen window as a female sparrowhawk chased a blue tit three times round the nut feeder - quite astonishing speed and manoeverability. Then the blue tit flew off at a tangent over the hedge and away, sparrowhawk in hot pursuit, so I never saw the outcome. But yes, that's why blue tits produce 14 young, so that there is a healthy surplus to ensure that at least 2 survive!

I'm surprised the tit didn't just go into the hedge - surely the sparrowhawk wouldn't have been able to follow, or can sparrowhawks push their claws in far enough to grab a tit? It always amazes me how the tits and other small birds just disappear into our hedge and also how they reappear later as if from nowhere.

[jayne lee wilson]

Among the usuals, a winter male Brambling arrived yesterday, munching away at one of the sunflower dispensers... the resident ferals and Wood Pigeons are really spooked by the Sparrowhawk pair just now (plenty of feather circles...) so they barely get a chance to feed on seed and bread before rushing back to the trees or roof. That sudden rush of wings! The fox leaves rather gorier remains from pigeons but seems to take the Woodies more often as they forage in smaller numbers near shrubbery.. Butterfly hibernation count in the garage is now 11, probably all Peacocks - I still have to clear the windows of cobwebs in case any wake up on a sunny day!
Hoping for Blackcaps and more Bramblings, but Nuthatches are happily resident since arriving in 2011. Wonder if the 3 Parakeets that arrived last 6/12/12 will return?

[Padraig]

I've never seen a woodpecker, anywhere. But, neither did I see goldfinches in the garden until about a month ago. Robins, wrens, chaffinches, starlings (few)* tits, pigeons, doves, blackbirds, thrushes, magpies, grey crows, jackdaws, passing seagulls and occasionally a buzzard all livened up the place; and then around the seeds and peanuts a strange fluttering and show of colour caught my eye. Goldfinches! Dozens of them! They're still here and eating me out of house and home. Wonderful.
* There used to be flocks of starlings all noisy and chattering; this year I've had two pairs and young early in the season, and they're gone.

I think all of the above watch me - or at least watch the food. An odd time I throw some fatty scraps out; within minutes the grey crows are there scrapping with the magpies.

[Richard Tarleton]

I've never seen a woodpecker, anywhere.

Good news, Padraig - Great spotted woodpeckers have established a beachhead in Ireland, acc. to the new BTO Bird Atlas 2007-11! Breeding was first proved in N Ireland in 2006, and the Republic in 2009. Clusters in Co Down and the Dublin-Wicklow areas, but expanding westwards apparently.

I'm surprised the tit didn't just go into the hedge

Good question - probably (in this case) garden topography.

[amateur51]

I saw the most enormous Dipper a couple of days ago - fat as a grapefruit....did a double take....

Is this a reference to a bird or a pickpocket, eiththO

[amateur51]

Blackbirds, jays, crows, jackdaws, magpies, redbreasts, and both types of woodpecker are regular visitors to this garden. Amazing to think that we scarcely see sparrows or starlings at all any more in the 'burbs, but that the woodpeckers are here - they were rarely to be found within 20 miles of Trafalgar Square 20 years ago, apparently. The only place I ever see starlings is the large Sainsbury's car park down at Bell Green, (far end of Sydenham), where a mean-minded store management does its best to frighten them away by playing a distressed bird recording.

This morning a magpie latched onto the top right hand corner of my lounge window frame, it's tail and hindquarters only visible, pecking away, presumably looking for ants or grubs of some sort.

Out here next to the railway tracks in NW2, en route to Baker Street or Watford mostly what I see are sparrers - I have had a flock of twenty previously but now I'm averaging twelve known as the sparrer squadron. They flock onto the seed feeders, fat balls and nut feeders.

Occasionally I get great and blue tits, long-tailed tits once. Last Winter i was thrilled to find a male bullfinch just the once, and a sparrowhawk on the shed roof.

A pair of dunnocks, a pair of blackbirds, a robin, a wren and sundry pigeons and magpies make up the rest of the usual visitors.

[Don Petter]

Out here next to the railway tracks in NW2, en route to Baker Street or Watford mostly what I see are sparrers - I have had a flock of twenty previously but now I'm averaging twelve known as the sparrer squadron. They flock onto the seed feeders, fat balls and nut feeders.

Occasionally I get great and blue tits, long-tailed tits once. Last Winter i was thrilled to find a male bullfinch just the once, and a sparrowhawk on the shed roof.

A pair of dunnocks, a pair of blackbirds, a robin, a wren and sundry pigeons and magpies make up the rest of the usual visitors.

You are lucky! We always had sparrows under the eaves here when we first came to rural Sussex (over 30 years ago). A very cheerful noise, now sorely missed for quite a while. There is the occasional dunnock, but even the blackbird hasn't been around very often lately.

We do have a jet black rabbit regularly nibbling on our moss (too embarrassed to call it a lawn), but I'm not sure that counts ornithologically.

[Serial_Apologist]

I do wish starlings here would return, I love their super shiny irredescdent plumage

We always called them witches when I was small, from the way they waddle around (so unlike the sleek, running and hopping members of the thrush family) prodding the ground with their bills ("Great lawn aerators" Dad used to say!), making cackling sounds. You know that they're great mimics? Back in the days when men wolf-whistled passing women, the starlings where I used to live picked up on the habit; women were forever looking around to see where the sound had come from!

I forgot to mention our wood pigeons! Bang bang! - supper! Don't worry - only joking!